time. He minded not the solitude. The wild odorous verdure of the hills,
the cool breezes, the song of the distant streams, the call of the
birds, all seemed to harmonize with his own feelings at that time. He
had a good kerosene lamp, and at nights when he was not too tired, he
read. On his visits to the city he usually had an eye for book bargains,
and thus his board shelving came to be quite a little library. He had no
method in his collecting, no course of connected study. At one time he
would leisurely read one of Howell's easy-going novels, at another time
he would be kept wide-eyed until midnight with "Lorna Doone" or with
"Ben Hur."

Dorian had heard of Darwin, of Huxley, of Ingersol and of Tom Payne, but
he had never read anything but selections from these writers. Now he
obtained a copy of the "Origin of Species" and a book by Ingersol.
These he read carefully. Darwin's book was rather heavy, but by close
application, the young student thought he learned what the scientist was
"driving at." This book disturbed him somewhat. There seemed to be much
truth in it, but also some things which did not agree with what he had
been taught to be true. In this he realized his lack of knowledge. More
knowledge must clear up any seeming contradiction, he reasoned. Ingersol
was more readable, snappy, witty, hitting the Bible in a fearless way.
Dorian had no doubt that all of Ingersol's points could be answered, as
he himself could refute many of them.

One day as Dorian was browsing as usual in a book store he came across a
cheap copy of Drummond's "Natural Law in the Spiritual World," the book
which he had given Uncle Zed. As he wanted a copy himself, he purchased
this one and took it with him to his cabin in the hills. Immediately he
was interested in the book, and he filled its pages with copious notes
and marks of emphasis.