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Speaker 1: The unseen hand, the consciousness of the hand when it

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first was felt, always there, now as the hand of

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a father, now as that of a mother, a lover,

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a brother, always guiding, always leading a mystery. Some day

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we will know the owner of the hand. I have

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felt the unseen hand, have been guided by it, have

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felt the kind but steady urge in the direction which

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it knew to be best. Though my intellect failed to

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see the beauty of the road toward which the hand

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was directing me. For a time I rebelled against the

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impertinent interference of that which seemed to be a thing

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apart from me. A meddler and unasked for helper. I

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had emerged from the dependent state, the state in which

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I thought it necessary to lean upon us. I gloried

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in my independence, my freedom, my ability to stand alone,

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finding that it was good to stand alone, reveling in

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the joy of my new found freedom, rejoicing in the

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fact that the I am within me was a reality,

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feeling within me the ecstasy that comes from the recognition

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of the reality of individuality. I resented any interference from outside,

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but the pressure of the hand was still here. It

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would take my unwilling fingers within its own and lead

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me on, and lead me on. Finding that I could

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not yet rid of this unseen helper, realizing that it

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was intent upon guiding me in spite of my repeated

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assertions that I was able to take care of myself,

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that I was big enough to walk alone, I began

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to study the something that was so determined to take

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an active part in the affairs of my life. I

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started in to become acquainted with it. I found that

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it had always been with me, more or less, but

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that I had not before recognized its presence. So long

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as I felt that I was not able to stand

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erect upon my feet, so long as I feared, so

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long as I failed to recognize the I am, I

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was scarcely aware of this invisible helper. But when I

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began to realize what I was, what was my place

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in the universal order of things, what were my possibilities

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my future, the presence of this unseen hand began to

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be manifest When I at length threw off the last

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fetter that had bound me, When I threw back my

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shoulders and drew my first free breath, when I shouted

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aloud with joy at my freedom, and strength. When I

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realized the power that was within me and at my command,

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when I started out to accomplish that which my awakened

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mind told me was possible of attainment, when I started

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to do these things all by myself, Then I felt

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for the first time the firm clasp of the unseen hand,

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now gently guiding, now leading, now kindly restraining, now giving

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a gentle urge toward people, things, and conditions, Now drawing

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me back from the edge of a precipice, now directing

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toward a better path, now giving me a gentle, firm

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pressure to reassure me of its presence when I doubted,

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now allowing me to rest my weight upon it when

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I felt tired. Always there. At times this hand has

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placed before me conditions that seemed to me to be

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anything good. At times it has brought me pain, but

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I have learned to trust it. Have learned to trust it.

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The conditions that have seemed to me to be undesirable

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have brought me to desirable things. The pain that I

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have suffered has brought me pleasure. The experiences that have

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come to me I would not wish to part with.

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The more pain, the more experience, the more experience. The

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more knowledge I have learned to love this hand, and

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the owner of the hand seems to feel and return

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this love, and now and then, by a sympathetic little clasp,

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lets me know that I am understood. This hand sometimes

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seems to be that of a father, strong and firm,

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leading on with a confident air. Again, it seems to

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be that of a mother, gentle and calm mind, leading

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me as does the mother lead her child. Again, it

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seems as the hand of a woman who loves me,

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clinging and warm, neither leading nor being led, just moving on,

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clasped in mine, no words, but with a perfect understanding.

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The owner of this hand seems to combine within itself

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the qualities of both sexes. Seems to have within itself

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all the attributes of father, mother, lover, brother, sister. It

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seems to respond to the human need in every direction.

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It seems always the hand of love, even while giving

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me pain. I have never seen the face of the

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owner of this hand. I have never looked into its eyes.

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I have never seen its form, if form it has,

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But I have been conscious at times of being lifted

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up in its arms and being pressed close to its breast.

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I have felt the impulse of the child at such times,

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and have felt for the breast of the mother, and

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have been conscious of the answering mother pressure as I

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was drawn up close to the body of the owner

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of the hand. And at times have I felt rebellious

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at the confining clasp, and have struggled, and have even

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beat against the breast with my puny fists as I

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insisted that I be released from the clasping arms. But Mother,

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like the owner of the hand, only drew me closer

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to the breast until I could feel the very heart

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throbs within the mother body, could feel the vibrations emanating

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from its life, could feel the warm breath upon my cheek,

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as the invisible face bent over me, impelled by the

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mother love Again, it takes on the father form, and

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I place my little hand within it, and, feeling like

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the boy whose father is taking him on a journey,

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I say, lead thou me on, and go cheerfully and

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with faith into new lands, new surroundings, new fields. Why

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should I fear? Have I not hold of my father's hand?

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And the hand at such times rests upon my shoulder

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every once in a while, and I realize that the

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father feels a pride in his son, and sees him

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growing in strength, and knowing that the father looks forward

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to a time when he will be able to talk

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with the boy, who will then have grown in knowledge

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and will be able to understand some of the secrets

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of life that the father will then unfold to him.

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And still again, the hand is that of the loving

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woman who is walking along the path of life with

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the man she loves. It is a tender clasp, the

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fingers tingle with love. The arm presses close to mine.

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I hear no voice, No words are needed. Soul talks

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to soul in the silence. We walk on and on

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and on we understand. And still again, the hand seems

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that of a brother, a twin brother. Neither the protection

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of the father, the loving tenderness of the mother, the

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thrill of the lover's touch is there. I feel not

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that the hand is that of a stronger being. I

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am conscious only of the brotherly clasp, the touch of comradeship,

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the presence of an equal. I feel by my side,

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a helper, some one who will back me up in

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time of need, and I stroll along his side and

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laugh with joy. The joy of the boy is again mine.

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The joy of companionship is again mine. And lo, the

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hand of the brother seems to grow. He and I

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are again men, And something in his hand clasp seems

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to say to me, Come, brother, let us go forth

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into the unknown future. Let us have faith. There are

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lands awaiting our coming. Let us enjoy them, let us

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explore them. Let us be filled with the spirit of adventure,

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and go forth. Let us see, let us feel, let

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us know. And I return the clasp and say, ay, brother,

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let us go forth. Whither thou goest? There will I go?

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Thy joys shall be my joy, thy pain, my pain.

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Let us go forth, Let us go forth to the

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divine adventure, and so manifesting the attributes of all human

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relations in turn and at the proper time. The owner

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of this unseen hand is near me. I feel his presence,

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I am aware of his nearness. At times faith grows faint,

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and I think it all a delusion, a phantasm, a dream.

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All seems lost, and I weep. But Lo, in the

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midst of my despair, I feel the hand upon my head.

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I know that it is of reality, and through my

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tears I smile. Shall I ever know the owner of

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this hand? Shall I ever see its face? Shall I

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ever understand the mystery of its existence? I know not,

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but faith whispers in my ear. Wait all is well.

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When the pupil is ready, the master appears. When you're

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eyes have a clear vision and can bear the sight.

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Then shall you see the face of the owner of

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the hand. You have entered the path, and there is

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no turning back. Go on, go on in faith, courage

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and confidence. Why should you doubt? Have you not felt

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the pressure of the hand? I? Why should I doubt

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or question? Have I not felt the pressure of the

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unseen hand? Open your hands, friends, that the hand may

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clasp yours as it has mine. While your hand is

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clenched in anger and hate, while it clutches tight the

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gold it has snatched from the hand of another, while

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the fingers are drawn together with fear, it cannot receive

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the unseen hand. Open it wide, reach it out, Offer

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it in friendly clasp, and you will feel within it

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the touch of that which you seek. The unseen hand

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is waiting to clasp yours. Give it welcome, Give it welcome,