THE THREAD OF LIFE

THE
THREAD OF LIFE

BY

H.R.H.  THE  INFANTA
EULALIA   OF   SPAIN


WITH A REMBRANDT PHOTOGRAVURE FRONTISPIECE,
FOUR FULL-PAGE PLATES, AND A NOTE ON THE
AUTHOR AND HER BOOK


CASSELL AND COMPANY, LTD.
London, New York, Toronto and Melbourne
1912


ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PREFACE

Some preface, however short, is needed to this book, the mirror of someof my ideas, and, first of all, I wish to put my readers on their guardagainst a false interpretation of the motives by which I have beenactuated.

In publishing these opinions of mine, it has not been my wish toaccomplish a literary work. I have not aimed at any display of learning,and I make no pretence of forcing on anyone my different points of view.

As a spectator in close enough contact with present social problems tounderstand all the points under discussion, yet at the same timesufficiently removed from them to analyse them coolly and judge themwithout prejudice, I bring forward my evidence unshackled byconventions. It has seemed to me that such fair, exact evidence mightinterest those who seek to glean, amongst all classes of society, thethousand dissimilar and contradictory elements whence proceed thelessons needed both for the present and the future.

Those who care to glance through the short chapters of this book willsoon see that they have been written with the sincere conviction withwhich I always express my ideas and opinions, or perform any workindependently undertaken.

I only ask my readers to excuse any faults of style, which I have triedto make up for by straightforwardness of tone.

EULALIA
Infanta of Spain

CONTENTS