bbers, pottery,
soap, dressing-tables and furniture, is happy in the care of all these
things. His desires are moderated, and the peace he derives from them
opens up a life of expansion to his internal creative activities.

* * * * *

It is "living among real possessions of his own" which calms the
child, and assuages those desires which consume his precious powers in
the vanity of illusion. Such a result is not to be achieved by
_imagining_ that he is living among possessions of his own. Some
teachers in charge of a model orphanage once said to me: "We too make
our children perform the exercises of practical life which you
describe; come and see." I went. Some of the authorities were also
present, and a university professor of pedagogy.

Some children seated at a little table with playthings were laying the
table for a doll's meal; their faces were quite without expression. I
looked in amazement at the persons who had invited me; they seemed
quite satisfied; they evidently thought that there was no difference
between laying a table in play and laying it for an actual meal; for
them imaginary life and real life were the same thing. May not this
subtle form of error be instilled in infancy and afterwards persist as
a mental attitude? It was perhaps this error which caused a famous
Italian pedagogist to say to me: "Liberty a new thing? Pray read
Comenius--you will find that it was already discussed in his times." I
replied: "Yes, many talk of it, but the liberty I mean is a form of
liberty actually realized." He seemed not to understand the
difference. I ought to have asked: "Do you not believe that there is
any difference between him who talks of millions and him who possesses
them?"

To be contented with the imaginary, and to live as if what we imagine
actually existed; to run after illusion, and "not to recognize"
reality, is a thing so common that scarcely is it apprehended, and the
cry of alarm raised: "Awake to truth, O man!" when the consciousness
becomes aware of a kind of gnawing parasite which has wormed itself
subtly into our intelligence.

The power to imagine always exists, whether or not it has a solid
basis on which to rest and materials with which to build; but when it
does not elaborate from reality and truth, instead of raising a divine
structure it forms incrustations which compress the intelligence and
prevent the light from penetrating thereto.

How much time and strength man h