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THE KEY OF KNOWLEDGE.
CHAPTER 1.
THE IDEAL.
"They who have no central purpose in their life fall an easy prey to petty worries, fears, troubles and self-pityings."-James Allen.
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect." --Jesus.
A great teacher of our race has said :-- * Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."*
But, unfortunately, he did not say in clear language what should one ask or seek for, or precisely where to knock and how and when. We must, therefore, ascertain what it is that we want before setting out in search of it. As to this, however, there is no need for making a very elaborate investigation or preparing a learned thesis on the subject of human requirements, for all are agreed that the enjoyment of life and the avoidance of pain are the be-all and end-all of existence. We may, therefore, say at once and without fear of contradiction that man's only want is happiness, however vague and házy be his idea of it. Every one in this life desires happiness; the child
* Matthew, VII. 7,
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