looking only to the end or reward, and affording no employment for the higher faculties in the pursuit.
" It is impossible to fancy any artist attaining a high degree of inspiration who thinks solely of the money he is to get for his work. I see how it is with me. In this, as in all my other engrossments, I have been seeking for the absolute. It seems to me a species of atheism to say that there is no infallible system, even for playing monte. The remark that 'in the long run nothing is impossible, because the events do not depend on each other,' seems capable of being applied to a very different line of thought. If in tiie long run of events all things can happen, there can be no demonstration of a special providence, neither can a man who believes in the absence of a controlling will or character have any reason for objecting to any system of religion on the score of its improbability. However great niay be the chances against an event, those chances are only against its occurring at any given moment. If the opportunity be repeated exactly as often as there are chances against the event, it is an even chance that it occurs once in that number of times. If oftener, the chances are actually in favor of its happening. It is an even chance every time whether red or black wins; yet I am told that one has been known to win thirty times together. The odds against such a series are over a thousand millions to one; but in that number of attempts it becomes an even chance that it occurs. And, inasmuch as the past and future are entirely independent of each other, the most improbable event may show itself directly the game begins, and may be repeated many times in rapid succession. Moreover, an event is brought no nearer to happening after the game has gone on for an indefinite time without its comino:. It does not become more likely after, or less likely before, many hands have been dealt. Under the government of chance, therefore, the most violently improbable event not only may, but must, sooner or later occur."
