Howard Pyle, a chronicle by Charles D. Abbott, with an introduction by N. C. Wyeth and many illustrations from Howard Pyle's works.

PHILOSOPHER AND MYSTIC
should like to sayý-so, much that I cannot say and so much
that I have rio right to say.
cc0*.But I think more than anything else I felt the implied--shall I say confidence in me?-in sending me your
'dream-letter' to read. I was very, very much moved by it
--especially taking it in conjunction with that part of your
letter in which you tell me of your difficulties in realizing a
belief in a future state. I say 'realizing' for I really think
that the belief is there and only needs to be realized. My
own feelings upon that point have been so actual and positive
for so long a time that my mind has long since ceased to be
busied with the rationalities of truth excepting for the delight
of confirming what is. It seems to me that the real answer to
that all-question lies not in the pros and cons of logical reasoning (confirmatory as those pros and cons are) but in the
actuality of one's own done problems. When one senses the
actual struggle between Heaven and Hell that goes on upon
the solid plane of one's own individuality it seems impossible not to believe in the equal actuality of a Heaven and
Hell.
"However, all that is aside from that which I had it in
mind to say to you. In the first emotion of sympathy for
you and sincere pity for one who no doubt suffers what I
once suffered myself I undertook with a monstrous egotism
to offer- you such crutches of reasonings as had one time
helped me in my stumblings. (You see that I also am dealing frankly with you.) The result was that in the act of
testing the strength of those old, disused staves they broke
down under me so that I fell almost into the slough myself. Since then I have eaten a great deal of humble pie of
a very wholesome if not of a savory kind.
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