Page:The Social War.djvu/9



F late years my enemies have driven me to conclude that fixed truths are stumbling blocks to the consummation of established usages and modernized human life. Whenever I have advertised a lecture, sermon, book or apparatus of a useful, scientific character, I have had only a few patrons; but, when I made an impression, by my advertisements, that I was going into the veriest mysteries of human nature, was going to teach the public how to enjoy the feeling propensities without danger of exposition, was going to shake the devil by his horns and knock particular thunder out of ordinary things, I have always had an abundance of customers!

Therefore I have drawn a heavy picture in the novel before us; and, whilst all phases of humanity are portrayed, I think I have not overstepped the modesty of nature, nor left any thing undone to satiate all classes of people; whilst sensation, history, comedy and tragedy loom up truthfully, and I hope to the