This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XIV. POETRY. The following is a letter from Dr. R. S. Hillman, Manchester, N. J., Jan. 13th, 1876, to his sister Julia Presbrey Hillman: Manchester, Ocean Go., N. J., Jan. 13th, '76. Dear Sister Julia: -- Your very welcome letter of Jan. 9th, was received on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 12th and was read with constantly increasing feelings of pleasure, till I found an engine playing upon me, which tended to check the ardor of my feelings, which were just ready to burst into a flame. I found my reputation for veracity, assailed, or at least doubted. You expressed a firm belief in me as a man of truth, and in the very next sentence, you expressed just as firm an unbelief in the correctness of the written picture I sent you, representing myself as an old man. The value I place upon my reputation for truth, impels me, without delay, to make an effort to vindicate it. I think I'm an old man. This is the rock on which we split. Instead of founding an argument for defending the position I have taken relative to age, on the words, I'm an old man, I shall endeavor to construct my weapons of defense from the words, "As a man thinketh, so is he." If I can hold this up to view, So as to prove it really true, I reach the point I wish to gain, And thus, for truth, my name sustain. Just as man thinketh, so is he; And will continue so to be, Until he thinketh differently;-- A different man we then shall see. He, who on mis'ry always thinks, The cup of mis'ry surely drinks; But he who thinketh always right, Will wear a visage calm and bright. Wrong thinking, alway makes man worse; And thinking, thus becomes a curse; But thinking right, affords him joy, And does his powers for good employ. And thinking right, will make him strong, To battle with, and...