e been relieved or alleviated, I feel as if I could beg,
with all my heart, every student or teacher of youth to seriously
experiment on what I set forth in this book. It is also to be
observed, especially by metaphysicians and mental philosophers, that a
youth who has shown great indifference to, let us say mathematics, if
he has manifested an aptitude for philosophy or languages, will be in
all cases certain to excel in the former, if he can be brought to
make a good beginning in it. A great many cases of bad, _i. e._,
indifferent scholarship, are due to bad teaching of the rudiments by
adults who took no _interest_ in their pupils, and therefore inspired
none.

_To determine what course to follow in any Emergency_. Many a man
often wishes with all his heart that he had some wise friend to
consult in his perplexities. What to do in a business trouble when we
are certain that there is an exit if we could only find it--a sure way
to tame an unruly horse if we had the secret--to do or not to do
whate'er the question--truly all this causes great trouble in life.
But, it is within the power of man to be his own friend, yes, and
companion, to a degree of which none have ever dreamed, and which
borders on the _weird_, or that which forebodes or suggests mysteries
to come. For it may come to pass that he who has trained himself to
it, may commune with his spirit as with a companion.

This is, of course, done by just setting the problem, or question, or
dilemma, before ourselves as clearly as we can, so as to know our own
minds as well as possible. This done, sleep on it, with the resolute
will to have it recur on the morrow in a clear and solved form. And
should this occur, do not proceed to pull it to pieces again, by way
of improvement, but rather submit it to another night's rest. I would
here say that many lawyers and judges are perfectly familiar with this
process, and use it habitually, without being aware of its connection
with hypnotism or will. But they could aid it, if they would add this
peculiar _impulse_ to the action.

What I will now discuss approaches the miraculous, or seems to do so
because it has been attempted or treated in manifold ways by sorcerers
and witches. The Voodoos, or black wizards in America, profess
to be able to awaken love in one person for another by means of
incantations, but admit that it is the most difficult of their feats.
Nor do I think that there is any infallible recipe for it, b