Louis, Cincinnati, Boston, New York; I have been everywhere--
everywhere. And everywhere I have met with the same rude schoolboys,
just as I have found the same regular and irregular verbs in Latin
and Greek. If you would see a man thoroughly satiated and saturated
with schoolboys and classical grammars, look at me.

"In the leisure time which, whatever might be my work, I still
contrived to make for myself, I indulged in philosophical
reflections. Then it was I took to the habit of smoking so much."

Warren stopped suddenly, and, looking straight before him, appeared
plunged in thought. Then, passing his hand over his forehead, he
repeated, in an absent manner, "Yes, of smoking so much. I also took
to another habit," he added, somewhat hastily; "but that has nothing
to do with my story. The theory which especially occupied my
thoughts was that of the oscillations of an ideal instrument of my
own imagining, to which, in my own mind, I gave the name of the
Philosopher's Pendulum. To this invention I owe the quietude of mind
which has supported me for many years, and which, as you see, I now
enjoy. I said to myself that my great sorrow--if I may so call it
without presumption--had arisen merely from my wish to be
extraordinarily happy. When, in his dreams, a man has carried
presumption so far as to attain to the heights of celebrity, or to
being the husband of Ellen Gilmore, there was nothing wonderful if,
on awaking, he sustained a heavy fall before reaching the depths of
reality. Had I been less ambitious in my desires, their realization
would have been easier, or, at any rate, the disappointment would
have been less bitter. Starting from this principle, I arrived at
the logical conclusion that the best means to avoid being unhappy is
to wish for as little happiness as possible. This truth was