ieve that a just God will
punish one of His creatures for an honest opinion.' He denies that there
is such a God as the churches hold out to us. He denies that the world
was created in six days; that man was created in the manner described in
the Bible, and that woman was created from man's rib. He denies that
miracles were ever performed, or that there was any evidence, reliable
or authoritative, that they were ever performed. And yet he does not
deny the existence of a future life. His doctrine on this point is, 'I
know only the history of the past and the happenings of the present. I
do not know, nor does any man know, anything of the future. Let us hope
there is a life beyond the grave.'

"The old poet, Omar, argues against a future life. You will recall these
lines:

"'Strange, is it not, that of the multitudes who
Before us pass'd the door of Darkness through,
Not one returns to tell us of the Road,
Which to discover we must travel, too.'"

"The churches tell us we must have faith to be saved, but the great
minds of the present age are not satisfied, any more than many of the
great minds of the past were satisfied, to admit as a matter of faith
the whole foundation of the Christian religion."

"People want to be shown. They are not willing to rely upon poorly
authenticated stories of what occurred several thousand years ago. The
question presents itself to us: Is the world better, for its present
beliefs than it formerly was, when religion was a matter of statute
People may not be as religious as they once were, but they are certainly
more humane. Women are no longer slaves, chattels, with unfeeling
husbands. Slavery itself no longer exists in any civilized nation.
Polygamy is not practiced to the extent that it was in Biblical days.
The world progressed as fear ceased to rule the human mind."

"But, pardon me," he added with infinite grace and a charming wave of.
his hand, "you see your question has aroused in me the failing of the
pedagogue. I have said more than I had intended."

"How do your people," I asked, "look upon the material progress of the
age?" "They are astounded," he answered. "Since the Modoc War many of my
people have prospered. You have seen their farms, their houses, and
noted their occupations. They are rich in lands and stock, and even in
money. They have many comforts and even many luxuries in their homes.
Some of them have traveled extensively, and they come back filled with
awe and