The value of solitude cannot be over-estimated. All great deeds are born in solitude, and all great characters are formed there. Why do so many of our great men come from lonely country life? Because the isolation gave them a chance to develop thoughts and build up character. These men are not mere parrots, imitating other people; they lead individual lives; they control through Mentalism in place of being controlled by it.

All good impulses are stimulated by judicious solitude and concentration of thought. The fine work of an actor is studied out in the quiet of his room, and not in the noise at the actor's club. It was in solitude that Booth and Forrest found expression for their great emotion.

Newton studied his problems in the sand away from other people, and there he gained great inspiration and knowledge.

Bacon cried out, "My spirit hath been much alone," and to his long hours of loneliness we are indebted for his wonderful philosophical work, which is now the foundation of all accurate modern science.

In Mark I., 35, we read, "And in the morning rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place and prayed".

Edison, the great inventor, often remains in his office or workshop for days at a time without leaving to eat or sleep, when he is concentrating for new thoughts for his inventions. Perseverance and the use of Mentalism have made him a wonderful man in the eyes of the public, but many others might be equally as great as he, if they would do as he does. All men inherit the same priveleges, and are entitled to the use of this great power - intelligence.

When Burns, the poet, was poor and had no friends to disturb his solitude, he wrote marvelous poetry, but when he was called a great poet and spent his time lounging about the rooms of fashionable women, he stopped writing good poetry and wrote the trashiest kind.

Many a genius is ruined by his first success. Not realizing that his great inspirations come from concentration of thought in solitude, he rushes into the mad whirl of society, there to be flattered and have his thoughts diverted, and from that time the work he does is usually of a very ordinary character. A certain amount of time spent in society is of advantage, but an excess of it, or even of solitude, is as injurious as any other excess. Man should mingle with his fellow men, get advice, encouragement, and suggestions from them, but he should spend not less than one hour of each day in thinking and self study. Concentration will improve the memory more quickly than any other method.

Parents who are fortunate enough to have a thoughtful child, one that sits and contemplates a toy or doll in solitude with its thoughts seemingly far away, should not advise it to run and play with the others. They should be glad for its sake that its mind is developing thought and building character, while other children are losing their identity in constant mingling with the thoughtless. There, is no doubt but that a brain surrounded on all sides and at all times with chattering minds that run in grooves, has no possible chance for development. Children should be taught to think. The value of good thoughts and the destructive effect of evil thoughts should be explained to them. This part of their education should not be neglected.

When a man forgets a word, a name, or the location of some article he desires, he stops and concentrates his mind and centers his thought on that which he has lost until the knowledge conies to htm. Should any one speak to him during that time, he will say. "Don't bother me now, I am trying to think of something." If the mind needs temporary quietude and concentration on so small a problem, how much more it must need it, if it is to do serious and important work! By concentrating in quietude, the person can use the Mentalism under his control and do work he believed himself incapable of doing.

Those who would attain the best results from this or any other study, must not overlook the importance of concentration and solitude. They should take themselves away from the noise and excitement of the busy, bustling world, and seek the quiet of their own room, where they can rest the body, be alone and concentrate their thoughts on the work they desire to accomplish.

In preparing to send and receive communications, an easy position in a comfortable chair should be taken: the head held quite straight so that the blood supply will not be cut off from the brain. The eyes should then be closed for a few moments to rest them. Following this the sight must be centered upon some small object three or four feet distant, and the person then commence to think of the subject on which he desires information, or of the person he wishes to influence or mentalize. Under these favorable conditions mental vibrations can be sent out that will reach the brains of great men, who are in harmony with those thoughts, and stimulate their thoughts on that subject until they unconsciously give back, through Mentalism, the information desired.

After the person has projected his thoughts for from fifteen to thirty minutes, he should relax the Will and allow his brain to become passive, so that it may receive the new thoughts as they come to him. In this way he will be able to obtain from the minds of great men information that will help to build his success. It is always well, on these occasions, to have a note book and pencil handy, so that the new ideas as they come may be written down. One may in this way get a single idea that will later be the means of changing his whole career. The ideas and plans for great inventions all come in this manner.

Let all who read this remember that they should spend one hour each day in concentration. If no other time is available, it can be done at night before retiring.

When the Will has so disciplined the brain that it is proof against all unwelcome distractions; when the person can keep his eyes and thoughts steadily fixed upon his chosen goal, he has thoroughly learned how to concentrate. He can then utilize Mentalism with an assurance of success.

A simple experiment in the transference of thought may be carried out in the following manner:

Let one person hold a pack of cards and take a position with his face toward a corner of the room, and have the person who is to receive the message sit in a comfortable chair with his face toward another corner. The person who is to receive the message may be blindfolded, so that his attention may not be distracted by objects around him; and should have a pencil and paper so that he may make a note of the information that comes to him. The first person will then draw from the pack one card and concentrate his thoughts upon the design, color and denomination. He should not hold more than one card at a time. The other person will take note of the information that comes to him. After a few experiments very accurate messages can be transferred. As soon as the mental organizations of the two persons are in harmony, experiments can be made with coins, single words, short sentences, and eventually with messages of almost any length. By holding salt, sugar, vinegar, etc., in the mouth, the taste can be transferred to the person who is acting as a receiver. By arranging with some one at a distance to make himself passive at a certain hour, and note the thoughts that come to him, the same effect can be produced. If he should forget the appointment, the other person can by concentration cause him to remember it. I have known of many instances where long-distance tests were to have been made, where one of the parties had forgotten the time, and the concentration of the other caused a "mental pull-up," as it is called, thus forcing the forgetful party to remember his appointment. Distance is no barrier to the transference of thought between two minds of the same tone or two that are in harmony.

"The thought is prior to the fact; all the facts of history preexisted in the mind as laws. A man is the whole encyclopedia of facts. Of the works of this mind history is the record." - Emerson.