human
I have not a particle of doubt, he continued,
gpt
Yes; only you do not state it well, returned Clover, entering into his spirit of analysis.
human
It is not the body that has the soul, but the soul that has the body and will be through with it after a while.
gpt
I agree to that. I believe in immortality. We have been sent upon this plane of existence; and to find out why is a problem of daily interest.
human
Yes. Our wishes were not consulted when we came, and will not be consulted when we go. It seems evident enough to me that we are being sent to school.
gpt
Some of us appear to learn very little, though,
human
Some of us are set one lesson many times, answered Clover slowly,
gpt
We are free agents, though, objected Page,
human
Oh yes, agreed Clover;
gpt
You believe in that sort of Providence, then? asked Gorham curiously.
human
I believe every one has a God—his own God.
gpt
Yes; my God is a Father who thought it worth while to create me, and therefore, I am sure, thinks it worth while to lead me through all the ways I am to traverse. He is close to me all the time. Whether I feel that I am close to Him, depends entirely on myself.
human
Such faith comes more easily to women than to men, apparently,
gpt
Why should it? How strangely people behave and talk, or rather avoid talking of spiritual things as if such subjects were superstitious. I suppose perhaps it is because I have had so many dear ones slip away into the other world that it seems so real to me. It has often been said that death is the only certain event which we can count on; but people will cease to shrink from it only when they cease to think of it as death. No wonder the love of life is strongly implanted. It is all we need look forward to. The loneliness we have to suffer here, Clover paused a moment,
human
You have made good use of your experiences,
gpt
Not always, returned the other.
human
Nevertheless, I believe that is the chief thing we have to do,—to learn something above worldly wisdom from our experiences little and great.
gpt
So your theory regarding success and failure would simply be to decide its real nature by its spiritual effect on a man.
human
Yes, Clover smiled.
gpt
You have thought of that before or you would not have grasped so quickly what I meant.
human
Yes, I have had a similar thought. The greatest apparent success may amount to a failure if it make a man more arrogant and selfish than before; and the most dismal failure is a success if only it brings with it an interior humility and willingness to be taught.