PRINCIPLE Every man should govern his life by principle, not by opinion or caprice. Here are some bed-rock principles which can safely and happily be adopted: 1. I will look upon life as a mission worthy of my best skill and endeavor. 2. I will consider the condition of those around me and help those who need help. 3. As far as practicable I will aid in promoting all well-being. 4. As I have opportunity I will gladly serve all good causes. 5. In claims of right and duty I will respond promptly, even at a sacrifice. 6. In exercising my right of private judgment I will respect the rights of others. 7. In morality and religion I will keep a clean record, a clear conscience, and a forceful advance. 8. In private habits I will avoid vice, an irritable temper, hurtful talk, and pernicious practices. 9. In home life I will be companionable, faithful, provident, charitable, congenial, hospitable, and well contented. 10. In secret life I will do right, think purely, shun suspicion, suppress jealousy, overcome faults, and fear God. 11. In business affairs I will follow the golden rule, live and let live, neither defrauding, stealing, misrepresenting, nor concealing. 12. In public life I will be civil, sincere, pleasant, serviceable, setting a wholesome example, looking the devil in the face, and doing the square thing though dying on the spot. WOMANLINESS Alert, not light; and keen, not bold; Reserved, yet ready; warm in heart; A quick, discerning, thoughtful mind; Mature, not old; and wise, not wild; In touch with wisdom born of years; Well-poised, not proud; and firm, not vain; A spirit of the finest strain; A beauteous form, expressive face, THE BARGAIN WITH SELF People delight to make bargains with themselves, and these bargains are usually the best of bargains for themselves, providing for all sorts of indulgences at a cost which they imagine will be only nominal. One person delights to indulge in questionable secret thoughts, and agrees with himself "never to tell, never," forgetful of the fact that as a man thinketh so is he, and usually the kind of a man he is is written in open letters upon his face. Such a bargain is a bad one; it gives away character. Another person is prone to bad talking, his motive being to make his hearers laugh, or to pass himself off as jovial good fellow; and he thinks that his vulgarity is excusable because he agreed with himself that it should be “just for fun" and not to harm anybody; but he finds in the end that he has hurt himself, demoralized many, and perpetrated a life-long very bad bargain. No matter what the bargain with self is, it always favors self both as to laxity in terms and the enforcement of penalties. All selfish people propose to get along in life without much penance or self-sacrifice. Now, it never seems to occur to these selfish people that it is entirely inconsistent to excuse in themselves what they roundly denounce in others, for that which they condemn in others as vice can not be virtue in themselves, however fondly they may dream of escaping punishment. Public sentiment, if nothing more, will mete out to them deserved wrath. Some one makes the point that "self-love is more cunning than the most cunning man in the world." So it is, and any man who yields to it inordinately is sure to be defeated in the game of life. Self-love is the greatest of flatterers, and is never sincere enough to tell the truth, even though peril awaits the self-delusion. The selfish man is his own most merciless enemy. "Do you want to know the person against whom you have most reason to guard yourself? Look in the mirror and see him.” |