Love in one form or another is the motive power of the universe. In the abstract, it is the impelling force that moves men and nations to labor for advancement - for the achievement of ambitions - for the fulfillment of ideals. Love reaches beyond desire, and yet awakens desire. It blends intellect with aspiration - the mental with the spiritual - and gives the incentive to guard and prolong life in order that one may grasp and encompass more of its hallowed and mystic meaning. It is universal, as the very lowest forms of life evidence its controlling force.

In inanimate life we see the plant sending its roots down to secure nourishment; and then, having converted this into sustenance, carry upward to assist growth in the sunlight. It reaches for its needs to give full expression to its development and beauty, seeming in its mute way to enjoy itself most when evidencing vigorous life. Is not this law of nature a plant's expression of love - its silent purpose to attain its end in the mystery of unfolding? If these indicate love cravings in plant life, we note they began in calling for the necessities of existence - these supplied abundantly gave to existence vigor, which led to the unfolding into strength and beauty. Does this signify that love and life ever, even in inanimate nature, constitute a dual unity?

In animal life we note a broader development - it extends beyond even to the protecting and caring and helping of its own kind. It reaches out often to the weak and suffering through almost a human feeling; and, more than that, it recognizes the expression of love from others and rewards by showing love in return.

My purpose, however, deals with the human, and is to learn, if one may, something of the creative power of love and its part in aiding to the attainment of ideals - to the upliftment of man.

Emerson made it one of his subjects for essay, but he wrote only from the human point of view as seen through sex affinities. This field of emotion, vast as it is, is but the reflection of one phase of the power of love. To know, to comprehend the vastness of love, its mystic force, its far-reaching attractive power over man, in directing, guiding and sustaining him through the labyrinths of life's experiences, would be to pierce the secret of existence, to solve the prob lem of human purpose, and to grasp all the possibilities of ultimate man.

My studies in psychology, philosophy and occultism, regarding the unfolding of the human, have led to many experiments, proving the attractive power of Love to bring one his desires, hence I select this for a theme as I feel it has been proven to be the secret force of the Universal - the light on the path to the attainment of every longing of the human heart.

From the earliest dawn of intelligence in humanity - from the time the child commences to group ideas together, so as to form a thought, he faces two opposing factors or propositions. Right and wrong, light and darkness, truth and falsehood, honor and shame, success and failure, love and hate. With wider experience in life, he finds these contrasts to multiply till they reach myriads, one word signifying the end desired, the other its opposite. Youth, however, is an optimist. It is the experienced one who suggests the danger, and brings to youth's consciousness the possibilities and probabilities of defeat. Does this suggestion of the elder - well-meant though it be - help or retard development? Who is nearer God, the Source, and who can catch most intelligently the whispers of Infinity - youth or manhood? Experience is our grandest school, but Father Time only gives the lessons, leaving us to draw conclusions. How often have we failed to draw them right! I have heard able men who have won great successes say that their judgment did not lead to these. They had won, they declared, where least they expected it - their judgment had erred, coupling with it all their experience, more than half the time. Youth, acting from desire, love, impulse, is right in so doing, perhaps about half the time. Is there a philosophy that can help to guide so that one can direct effort that no energy be wasted and the prize be won? Unhesitatingly I answer this question in the affirmative, but one cannot master the philosophy without discipline. Then, too, he must be true to himself. If he learns some of the affirmations of the glorious Optimism of the age, and calls them his belief, his creed, he is not yet so firmly entrenched in the philosophy as to receive its full measure of benefit. Doubts will come to all who have gone only so far as to say "I believe!" Faith founded on belief will often waver. Let us be honest with ourselves and convert belief into knowledge by proofs. Until we do this we are only weak followers of those who know. Carlyle says: "Properly speaking, there is no other knowledge but that which is got by working; the rest is all hypothesis of knowledge; a thing to be argued of in the schools; a thing floating in the clouds, in endless logic-vortices, till we try and fix it."

In considering the conservation of force in the human, and the directing of it to the ends desired, my purpose herein is to inquire how powerful a factor is comprised in the magnetic one called Love. Love is only indomitable when it holds supreme control - it holds supreme control when it fills our minds so completely that there is no room for hate, or doubt. Such love is so strong and absolute that it will enter into no compromise or bargain. There can be nothing commercial in its nature. It does not offer to give with any proviso as to receiving in return. Some examples will serve to make this clear.

Joan of Arc heard strange voices calling her to action and advising how she could perform a service for Prance and honor her beloved king. There was no question in her mind of worthiness or unworthiness of the king - in her simple way she almost reverenced him. Did this most unselfish and most magnanimous love of that poor, unschooled shepherdess open the pathway to infinite force and bring its messengers in touch with her, so that by their magnetic power a shepherdess was evolved, mentality recreated, into a warrior-leader, whose presence on the bat tle-field assured victory and the glory of France? My purpose here is not to follow the pressure brought upon her to continue in service after the victory of Orleans. Her special work, under absolute spirit guidance, seems to have been comprised in that one act. Then she wished to retire - her intuitions told her that she had accomplished the best she could for the king and for France. The voices did not urge her to further deeds of valor. Fear rose in her heart. Love had won its purpose; and she without the attendant spirit force was a simple country maid again, with all the doubts and fears and tenderness of woman-kind in peasant life.