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THE CONGRESS OF WOMEN.

this aid comes to a life which earnestly desires improvement, it may make of that life a royal province. But when the goal is finally reached it must be by innate strength that we stand or fall. The power by which one conquers will ever be a profound secret to the world. The drop which the Divine Alchemist added to the blood, in order to impart individuality to each being, is a secret known only to the Great Life- giver. It is this personal element which we ought to prize as the one thing that dis­tinguishes each from every other being. We owe a sacred debt to every heart which has rightly influenced our lives—a debt which can only be repaid by imparting the vigor of our genius to our successors. It is right culture which determines right devel­opment. As soil, air, water and sunshine all have their effect upon plant growth, so in the development of human characters there are certain environments which must be secured and controlled. But do not for a moment suppose that all desirable things are also necessary elements of culture. Travel does not change one; scholastic training does not produce contentment; neither is there bliss in ignorance. The advantage of travel lies in the fact that it teaches us in various ways how to know and estimate ourselves—the acme of all true knowledge. Travel and study combined develop the sense of beauty, and aid in the cultivation of the element in us which may be called the sense of appreciating the beautiful. They show us in what manner we differ from others, and that we are not alike because we are incapable of being so.

The personality which leads us to differ need not be deplored. Each one has his own world, which is to him his castle. If, unnaturally, the fern and the violet seek to grow in the burning sun; if the rose and the sunflower choose the shade; if the golden-rod and the lily seek the arid plain, how dwarfed will become their devel­opment! Let us recognize and accept this personality, and cultivate it as a most pre­cious thing. Let us recognize the likeness to, and the difference from, our ideal of perfect humanity. But let us not be so anxious for the development of the higher faculties that we neglect the happiness which comes to all from pure sense of enjoy­ment. It is good for the most learned mortals to come back from the straining abstractions of speculative thought and to indulge in the common emotions and innate sensibilities of life.

People of one idea are, no doubt, very interesting when expressing themselves con­cerning that idea, but upon any other topic they may be exceedingly uninteresting. A musician believes that music lies at the base of everything, and that all happiness is developed through harmony of sound. The painter casts his enthusiasm along the line of color, while the electrician believes that electricity is the all-in-all.

Is it not because much of our training fails of effect, because success surprises us and seems like a venture, that we need to broaden our views of life in order to gain some standards of excellence, and obtain correct ideas of our own merits and demerits? Have we not placed for ourselves some ideals, and are we not unhappy because we cannot attain them?

And as to forms and faces—well, some of us must forgive Mother Nature for her mistakes, and solace ourselves with the fact that no two faces are alike, and that, con­sequently, there can be no common standard of beauty. We are not dolls and do not live in dolls’ houses. If this were our condition, there would arise another Ibsen who would so dramatize our social errors and our weaknesses that they would appear odious.

A few well-established tenets of faith each one must have for himself, and when he has reasoned them out and relies upon them, what more does he require? Some one has aptly said that a few strong instincts and a few plain rules are sufficient. Why not keep our intellectual lives clean and healthful, and allow our lives to be easier, simpler, and happier than they are? Nature teaches us many things, if we would only observe them; for the simplicity of the universe is infinite. Let us consider what daily takes place around us, and we will learn that painful labor is unnecessary. That which can be done readily and spontaneously usually evinces most strength. There are many people who, moved by sudden impulses, thoughtlessly attempt first one thing