EVERY student of these pages is familiar, by this time, with the negative side of the subject of magnetism. Why there should be a negative side is seen from the fact that all culture is com­pelled to deal with both the helpful and the del­eterious influences that bear on all phases of life. Nothing is exempt from this conflict. The flower garden is urged on by the planting of choice varieties of shrubs, the sowing of seed, the making of the soil, the stirring of the earth, and all that encourages growth; but, even with every kind of care along positive lines, there are enemies that stand ever ready to nullify all the good that is being constantly done. If these enemies are not dealt with, the blooms fail and the garden soon becomes wild.

Most human lives are thus matted with weeds. The very necessity of removing the enemies in the garden, in the cultivated field, in the orchard, in the greenhouse, and all through the realms of nature, compels man to keep vigi­lant and fight them to the death. Strange to say, in each human life there is no such necessity. If you wish fruit, you must not let the enemies have too great a start. If you seek only an ordinary life-success, the mere winning of bread and shelter, you may live for decades and not trouble your­self about the enemies that choke off the power that might place you upon a higher pedestal in the world. Thus human­ity is exempt in part from the deadliness of its enemies. Being immune to some extent, most men and women pay no attention to the higher laws of their being, and they drift through life with a superb indifference.

The rare few, however, are imbued with the spirit of instinct that tells them of the advantages to be derived from careful nursing of the powers that are latent in every life; they have no natural advantage to speak of over their fellows, except the keenness to observe the difference between driving the weeds out of the gardens of their bodies, and thus allowing the better faculties to have sway. This happy insight is called by the world a natural gift. But it is much more readily cultivated than inherited. The first step is the recognition of the weeds that interfere with the growth of the good things in the garden. These we call enemies, because all weeds are enemies to the life they hem in.

FOURTH GRAND PRINCIPLE

Vital electricity leaks from the body by constant misuse.

The loss of vital electricity is called leakage. The person who loses vital electricity from the body is known as a leaker.

We have used these terms for more than twenty-five years; and as they are easily understood we retain them because of their forcefulness of meaning.

Leakage will be considered under a series of Rules, each being made a lesson. Some will be brief and some will be

LESSON ONE

"RESTLESSNESS"

RULE ONE: General restlessness is the most frequent cause of leakage of vitality.

A person is generally restless who is uneasy, fidgety, squirming, or in any way addicted to irritating activity. This cause of leakage is not the same as that known as nervousness, or depressed nerves, or prostration of the vitality.

These arc all the results of some of the weeds of life that are treated as enemies to magnetism, and which constitute the Second Step in the study of personal power; and they will be duly considered in their proper turn.

If there were no enemies of magnetism in the human body, there would be no case of nervous prostration, no case of neurasthenia, no case of depressed vitality, and no case of mental exhaustion. All these ills are direct results of allowing weeds, which we call enemies, to enter and to re­main in the habits of life. Thus, without intending to deal with matters of nerve-health, we find the study of magnetism the most important cure of such maladies.

When once you have concluded that such a man or such a woman whom you meet or see from time to time, is mag­netic, you will soon discover a train of facts, not one of which would have attracted your attention unless brought before your mind for the purposes of analysis. These facts are always the same, no matter who the man or woman may be, if the charm of personal magnetism be present. As they always agree, there must be some natural law at work pro­ducing them, and at the same time producing the power known as personal magnetism.

We recall several friendly interviews with Hon. Henry W. Grady, the orator and influential power of the South many years ago. Not only in his public work, but in private as well, he gave unmistakable evidence of the possession of per­sonal magnetism. There was a charm in his voice, a charm in his step, a charm in his presence, a charm in his methods of execution. The more he undertook, the better he did it. The more he engaged in broader activities of life, the greater seemed to be his hold upon his fellow beings. In youth and young manhood giving no evidence of unusual ability, he unfolded his usefulness just in proportion as he unfolded his magnetism. He drew men to him. They liked to re­ceive orders and suggestions from him. They enjoyed the work of carrying out the grander thoughts which grew upon his mind as he extended his efforts in behalf of his land.

There is no doubt that in his case the fame he acquired and the following secured, were due wholly to the magnetism that grew as he added years to his career.

Now, while some would regard him as a nervous man, he was not a restless, fidgety, squirming or uneasy individual.

His nervousness, if it could be called by that term, was the presence of power.

But the very first thing that attracted attention when one came into the room where Mr. Grady was standing or sitting, was his total lack of restlessness. If there were twenty men present with him, and all were standing, he would attract attention by reason of his superior physical quietude; provided, of course, the mind were making the analysis. If there were a dozen, or dozens, of men and women present, and all were sitting, he would be the first to win approval from the critic who was seeking proof of the first cause of magnetism.

This freedom from restlessness is not the stiffness of a person of awkward carriage who braces himself into a fixed position and resolves to maintain it or die in the attempt.

Relaxation is the basis of ease, polish and grace; but it must be the relaxation of power, not of laziness. It must be the flexibility of great nervous tension, and not the deadness of the grave. These ideas will be worked out as the later Steps are taken in this study.

We were so much fascinated in our youth and earlier manhood with the consideration of the traits of magnetic people, that we pushed our way into the private lives of some of the leading men and women of America and England; always seeking to ascertain if it was true that there were uniform habits that accompanied the power known as personal magnetism. How we succeeded is a matter for the public, but how we secured the evidence may or may not interest the students of this book. We have all along laid down the general proposition that any sincere and earnest man or woman who seeks information for proper ends, can very easily gain admission into the private lives of great men and women.

When the author was sixteen years of age, two of his works had been published. They attracted some attention, and this alone was helpful in making acquaintances. Not long after that he established and published successfully a periodical which also proved helpful. Still later he allied himself with some newspapers and their editors, and served in the capacity both of contributor and reporter. These offices gave him the right to create new acquaintances. He was personally known to a number of the most prominent men and women of America, at a time when the country was rich in the fame of such personages. Later on he was identified with lecture work, employing such speakers as Phillips, Gough, Beecher, Talmadge and others, all of whom were most gifted with the power of personal magnetism. He knew in other ways such men as Brooks, Newman, Sumner, Conk-ling, Grady, Edwin Booth, Wilson Barrett, Lawrence Barrett, and scores of others, all of whom were successful because they were magnetic.

Not one of these great men possessed the power of hyp­notizing. All were successful in the highest degree. Not one was in the least impressionable under the efforts of a hypnotist. The uniformity of these facts shows conclusively that personal magnetism is in no way associated with hyp­notism.

But it is also true that not one of these men, nor any men or women who have ever been magnetic, was addicted to the fault of general restlessness; at least not as long as life was successful in each individual case. We recall that, during the last years of the career of Lawrence Barrett, when a certain malady depressed him, he became quite nervous, and restlessness was seen at work undermining his power But such an exception proves the rule.

Apply this fact to any phase of professional or prac­tical life that you please, and note the result.

First here is your family physician; he is restless, fidgety and ill at ease. Your confidence in him is weakened; nor do you have to know anything of the rules of magnetism to form your estimate of him. Any man, woman or child can pass judgment in some way or other on the restless physician.

The result is that he loses his clientele. Then failure comes.

On the other hand, let him be a stranger, and yet well at ease, free from this fault, and you will quickly be drawn to him. Self-mastery inspires confidence in others, and success is much more probable.

If this restless man should be a surgeon, his usefulness would come to an end at once. How about the dentist? We recall the case of one who was very much under the sway of this fault; in the town where he set up practice, he could not make friends in his profession, although he had excellent influence socially and his wife tried to make herself as popular as she could. A wide circle of friends did not create the practice needed. The fault was that he was restless and did not inspire confidence. He brought the matter to our attention. He took up the study of the enemies of magnetism; overcame his great fault; moved to a town where he was not known; and very quickly established a large practice, because he won the confidence of the public.

Thus we see that what is apparently a simple thing, and only a drop in the study of magnetism, is really almost a turning point in a human life.

Now look in the legal profession, and note the calm, cool, powerful control shown by one, and the fidgety manners of another. The brain and judgment are not at their best when the body is leaking vitality. Or look at the splendid bearing of the self-held minister, as compared with the smallness of the uneasy, squirming preacher. Many a Sunday have we listened to some man who paces about in violent walking, or another who stamps too much, or pounds the desk too often, or who is addicted to meaningless gestures that are mere motion; and we have noted that loudness of voice does not ^hold the interest of the congregation, nor does physical activity of the involuntary kind pass current for earnestness.

Such clergymen arc numerous everywhere, but we fail to find one who is genuinely successful.

True power is deep. The stronger the feelings, the less should be their outward evidence.

But it is on other grounds that restlessness weakens a man or woman. The constant loss of vitality, flowing out with each involuntary motion, soon saps the force that should underlie the effort of the mind or body.

Then there is still another law at work. Restless people make all beholders uneasy. The jury, the congregation, the school, the friends in a social gathering, the business circles, the patient or client, all are made more or less irritable by being compelled to watch the restless man or woman. The brain is soon fagged by such irritability, and a fixed desire to get free from the cause takes hold of every one. Instead of controlling others, they are driven away, and after years will hardly serve to regain the confidence that is thus lost, unless better methods are adopted.

Magnetic people are not restless.

Restless people cannot become magnetic.

Magnetism is a charm, not an annoyance.

Until you learn to hold the body still, as far as involun­tary motions are concerned, you cannot become magnetic. You may try any and every method you please, but the power attained will ooze out from the nerves just as a leaking bat­tery will let its energy escape when subjected to influences that draw away the fluid that is stored.

Some persons get the idea that all that is necessary to ac­quire magnetism is to practice some affirmative exercises. On the same principle, if you buy the best locomotive boiler, and puncture it with a hundred small holes, you would deem the makers of the boiler at fault because it did not maintain its power.

Affirmative acquisitions in this world must be supported by attention to negative influences, or the latter will neutralize all that the former may seek to accomplish.

Habits, good or bad, are quickly formed, and the brain will execute them. At first it is necessary to study and think of the many small involuntary motions you make; but in a few days you will find the mind performing this duty for you. We recommend that each student of these lessons ask some friend to act as a critic. You cannot see yourself as you are seen, and a critic should mention only your faults.

Praise to an ambitious person makes it difficult to tell the truth when the truth is most needed. It flatters the vain, while honest advice is welcomed by the sincere student.

FOR SCHOOLS

The value of this lesson in the training of young men and young ladies, can be seen at once. Children are never magnetic, for nature encourages their restless activity as a means of growth. But when they pass the age of fourteen or fifteen, the strength of youth should manifest itself in a form of demeanor that assumes to be culture and gentle deportment, although in fact it is the quietude of magnetism.

Education in schools along these lines is useless until the ages mentioned.

But at that time, and all through the years that follow, it is of the highest importance to train the nerves to steadiness, and the muscles to their voluntary uses only. Mere quietude is hurtful. It should be the covering of an accumu­lated power within; and, for this reason, the affirmative course of instruction in magnetism should accompany these lessons that are only negative.

This volume must, of necessity, include both sides of the training. The weeds must be removed from the garden, for nothing will make progress when counter influences are choking out all good impulses.

The removal of weeds is not enough. The destruction of enemies is not enough, either in war, or in life. There must be a progressive and aggressive growth of affirmative power. Nothing is so undesirable as the man or woman who is still or quiet or self-contained because of deadness in the nature, or lack of energy or power. The world is full of such people. Churches, organizations and all departments of social and governmental life are already over-charged with dead folks who still live. They are useless and in the way.

Magnetism gives life.

But first it is necessary to make room for that life, and therefore we must continue these lessons with the enemies of magnetism.