Diary of a Drug Fiend

Towards Madness 215 whole thing into ridicule. There are numerous other examples in Isterature of the same conflict between the genius and the mind which is its imperfect medium. For instance—at the other end of the scale—Mr. W. S. Maugham, in ‘The Magictan,” does his malignant utmost to make the “ villain’’ objectionable in every way, an object of contempt, and a failure. Yet in the very moment when his enemies succeed in murdering him and destroying his life’s work, they are obliged to admit that he has ‘‘ Accomplished the Great Work’’—of creating Living Beings! “ Every man and every woman 1s a star.” —B. K. L. I don’t like that room. I said nothing about it to Peter ; but the old man was there walking about as large as life. You have to be specially prepared to see these things. Cockie was never spiritually minded. September 18 An alarm of burglars last night. We roused the house—but no traces could be found, The servants here are frightfully stupid. They irritate me all the time. One can’t sleep in this house. It’s too old. The wood cracks all the time. Just as one is on the verge of sleep some noise makes one more wide-awake than ever. I can’t bear the idea of being touched. My skin is very sensitive. It’s part of the spiritualising of my life, I suppose. I’m glad, though, that the new honeymoon didn’t last more than three or four days. It is irritating to one’s vanity. But that is merely a memory. How can vanity co-exist with the spiritual life? e I saw the Spirit of heroin to-day when I went up to the magic room. It is tremendously tall and thin, with tattered rags fluttering round it, and these turn into D.D.F. P