When any great movement is in the world, like temperance, like the abolition of slavery, like anything that enlists the attention of philanthropists, there spring to the surface workers in that movement, seemingly already prepared though they dwell in different lands. Around the Reformation there clustered a certain galaxy of minds that seemed to have been made ready for the occasion and the work; were one in the fraternity of the Soul.

In the matters of scientific discovery or invention it usually occurs that more than one mind, perhaps several, make the discovery or invention at the same time, and there is scarcely any nation that does not claim for her favorite scientific mind the honor of each discovery, proving that many think in the same direction at the same time. Each is as much the author of the discovery as any other, but the friends of each frequently have accused the others of plagiarism in ideas; in most cases this refutes itself, since none could know of the experiments leading to the discovery of the others. In the time of a great intellectual epoch, like the period of the Platonists, there are those who are ready to rally around and receive the central thought. The teacher, like Socrates or Plato, represents the center of the group. The household or children of any particular light rally around their center as there are others who gather around other centers, of art, science, philosophy, or religion; all in these groups are more closely united than those who are simply united by the ties of consanguinity, each recognizee that theirs is a larger brotherhood.

These fraternities are observable in advanced states of human society, not in the lower states, as said before, because of the selfishness in external things that intervenes. In the higher states, when great themes or purposes enlist humanity, you will observe that there is a spontaneous fraternity formed among certain people for working out great moral purposes. This is why there are groups of reformers, groups of men of science, groups of artists. What greater evidence of these groups of Souls could be offered than that afforded in the high state of art revealed in the geniuses who gathered around the period of time when Raphael was upon the earth? What greater evidence than when the poets of England followed one another in quick succession, and when they passed on left the earth almost bare and barren of poesy until a new generation of poets came into the world? What greater evidence than in the patriots, heroes, and statesmen, who rise with wonderful power of pen, or sword, or voice to fight for country? what greater evidence than Italy; than Hungary; than Europe to-day, where not only individual groups, but constellations of groups, seem to Tally around the great movements that are upon earth?

Even in ordinary states of earth-life, how easy it is among the multitude of people, if formality is withdrawn, to discover the attractions of each: artist seeks artist, poet seeks poet, the musician seeks his fellow harmonist, the convivial seeks one of his kind, men of trade and commerce confer together, and the butterflies, who hover near the gaudy blossoms of fashion and pleasure, are found at the shrine of their worship.

Frequently people in different stations in life associate mysteriously together. Sometimes a prince of royal blood finds his chosen companion in a peasant. The court, society, and all the world are scandalized, but the prince, in some subtle way, recognizes the fact that there is more spiritual sympathy and kinship between the peasant and himself than between himself and a whole line of his royal kinsmen. This kind of illustration extends in many ways into lines of thought that are most fascinating; sometimes in reading a book one will recognize a kindred Soul in the author, although unknown in person.

If one were on the plane of Carlyle, but had never seen him, and if in perusing his works his sentiments would impress one more than any other writer, this would prove a kinship. If one understands another person and sympathizes with each aspiration, it is always evidence that they belong to the same family of Souls. One often meets with strangers, so far as any previous personal acquaintance is concerned or any outward recognition, yet after five minutes in the presence of such an one, each feels that there has been an acquaintance of years. One frequently enters into conversation with another and in a short time the two become intimate friends; while with others one may live in the next house, or even in the same dwelling, and each never know the other. A clasp of the hand in an hour of need or sorrow; a look of encouragement from kindly, although strange, eyes; a tone of the voice that sounds like the voice of one long lost and well beloved; these are the occasions that sometimes reveal a kindreu Soul.

This is the solution of those ideal friendships that history has recorded; they are typical illustrations of the fraternity of the Soul. Damon and Pythias is the ideal brotherhood which, beyond all ties of consanguinity, made these two one in the consciousness of the Soul. This tie is that which frequently binds men together in business or in literature, or science, and they are as one man, they are brothers.

This longing for the kinship of the Soul explains often the great loneliness that is felt in the world. How many people have felt that they were aliens, almost outcasts from human life! Many people feel that there is, perhaps, not one upon the earth who can enter into their feelings or understand them. The most God-like mind, even the Christ, was heralded in the ancient record as the one who trod "the wine press alone;" so far in advance of mankind as not to be recognized. This loneliness which many feel, which sometimes results from friends and relatives having passed out of mortal life, or from being alienated by conviction, sentiment, exaltation, from other friends and relatives, is explained in this higher kinship of Souls. Thus when one meets with a mind who is sympathetic, who understands every thought, who in conversation seems to understand what truth it is that one is striving to express, who continually exclaims: "I understand this, it is plain;" the thoughts of each flow together: such as these are Soul kindred, unknown to each other by name or nationality; they may each be of a different country, speaking another language; but when that language is translated by the spirit, when each thought is understood as coming from within the Soul, it expresses the kinship; such as these are of the household of Souls. When you find your friend, your brother, your sister, though not reared in the same family, who has a different name and parentage, yet to whom in your very heart and Soul yon feel nearer than to those who hare ties of consanguinity, yon hare found one of your Soul kindred. For such friendship the whole world has often been forsaken, as history many times has revealed.