Chapter I
If I understand the idea,the BAZAR invites several of us to
write upon the above text.It means the change in my life's
course which introduced what must be regarded by me as the most
IMPORTANT condition of my career.But it also implies--without
intention,perhaps--that that turning-point ITSELF was the
creator of the new condition.This gives it too much
distinction,too much prominence,too much credit.It is only
the LAST link in a very long chain of turning-points commissioned
to produce the cardinal result; it is not any more important than
the humblest of its ten thousand predecessors.Each of the ten
thousand did its appointed share,on its appointed date,in
forwarding the scheme,and they were all necessary; to have left
out any one of them would have defeated the scheme and brought
about SOME OTHER result.It know we have a fashion of saying
"such and such an event was the turning-point in my life," but we
shouldn't say it.We should merely grant that its place as LAST
link in the chain makes it the most CONSPICUOUS link; in real
importance it has no advantage over any one of its predecessors.