Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy

Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire s

Foreword

HAD read yards of excellent literature concerning William F. Gable, but until I saw his fine face and magnificent figure, I labored under the impression that some of it might be allegorical so so

I saw him not long ago and I said to Ralph W. Chainey, our mutual friend, "William F. Gable looks and appears as Robert G. Ingersoll did, and the more I saw of him the more apparent it became." What higher compliment can be paid to any person?

I am not afraid of gods or devils, but I was afraid I could not give this great man his just dues, so I called on L. K. Washburn, the great writer and orator, to assist me and he said, "A well-known author was asked why he dedicated his book to his wife. He answered, 'Because in my wife I have found all of those qualities of human nature which I most admire."" That is why I dedicate this volume to William F. Gable.

Mr. Washburn also said, "I know what a big, kindhearted man Mr. Gable is, and I write this to show my appreciation of his great manliness.

"He has never said to himself, 'What can I get out of this world, but what can I put into this world?' He has lived to best help those with whom he has associated. Always has he been great enough to think of others; to do for others. If there is one word that expresses his life more than another, it is Kindness, the best word in our language, because there is no selfishness in it.

"He is not afraid of Nature. Long ago he put his hand in

the hand of Nature and said, 'I am ready to go wherever thou takest me.' There is no hypocrisy about him. Conformity has no charm for this rare man. He has used his own head, his own hands, his own heart and has made himself the type of the highest kind of man. He is too big to kneel to a silk hat, to cross himself before a dress suit or to surrender the independence of his mind to save his soul."

In my opinion, if greatness has birth anywhere, it is outside of organizations. Nothing should circumscribe the human mind but the outer walls of the universe. It is in this large freedom that William F. Gable has grown. I admire the man because his feet have never been caught in any trap and I put this book in his hand in token of that admiration do

William F. Gable said: "Robert G. Ingersoll, appearing in public as he did, and bringing before the people the facts, arguments and principles of science and free thought as against emotion, hysteria, superstition, ignorance, theology and religion, did more to convince the doubters, encourage the timid, enlighten the ignorant, entertain the intelligent and confound the religious hypocrites and theological pretenders than any other individual in any age.” William F. Gable certainly has done much to free the brain of man from the ghosts, the miracles, the superstitions, the belief in the divine rights of tyrants, both of Church and State, and all other degradations of belief which chain mankind to the barbarism of the past. He who aspires or dares to know something different or more than the theologians, is an infidel. He who discloses principles in Nature which antagonize the geology of Moses, the astronomy of Joshua, and the mathematics of the Trinity, is an infidel. I am proud to stand by the side of William F. Gable and declare that I am an infidel.

99

Of all the fine things written concerning Mr. Gable, I have seen nothing about his farming ability, consequently I want to mention that he has a fine farm and works on it himself. Probably that is why his figure is so magnificent. "Loving labor applied to land will do much for us all.' "Loving labor and thrift go hand in hand." So we can all understand why William F. Gable is a successful businessman. He cultivated the habit of thrift in his early days. One of the great writers of this country was Elbert Hubbard,

and he said that the thrift habit was a sister to a good many other beautiful habits.

William F. Gable "saw" the American writer Hawthorne and went him "one better," for he has eight Gables to his house, all of whom any man should be proud. But I still feel that to dedicate this little volume to such a man as William F. Gable, for whom I have the greatest admiration and affection, is like trying to put a little boy's hat on a great man's head.

Dover, New Hampshire

MARILLA M. RICKER

December, Nineteen Hundred Seventeen