"I would much rather hear it personally explained--the merest
outline,--please tell me, it might help me not to be such a rotter--."

She looked away toward the giant trees, her mouth had a slightly sad
expression, I could have torn those glasses off her blue eyes!

"We came up through the animal group soul--and finally were re-born
individualized, into man--and from then onward the life on this earth is
but a school for us to learn experience in, to prepare us eventually for
higher spheres. When we advance far enough we need not be re-born
again--."

"Yes--as a theory--I follow that--."

She went on-"Everything is cause and effect--We draw the result of every action
we commit, good or bad--and sometimes it is not until the next re-birth
we pay for the bad ones, or receive the result of the good ones--."

"Is that why then that I am a cripple and life seems a beastly
affair--?"

"Of course--You drew that upon yourself by some actions in your last
life--. Also it may be to teach you some lesson in the improvement of
the soul--."

"I don't seem to have learned anything--I believe I am rebellious all
the time--."

"Probably."

"Miss Sharp--you could really help me if you would. Please explain to
me--I will be a diligent pupil."

"Perhaps you were in a position of great power the last time, and were
lavish and kind to people in a way--or you would not be so rich now--but
you caused suffering and relied upon yourself, not on anything
divine--you must have caused much suffering, perhaps mentally even, and
so you had to be re-born and be wounded--to teach you the lesson of it
all;--that is called your Karma. Our Karma is what we bring on with us
from life to life in the way of obligations which we must discharge--so
you see it rests with each one of us not to lay up more debts to pay in
the future."