“Who was it that said, ‘Know thyself’ came down from heaven? It is quite true—true as Gospel. It came straight to whoever said it first.”—Life of Sir Edward Burne-Jones. POSSIBLY we fail to give ‘effective moral training based upon Christian principles’ to young people because our teaching is scrappy, and rests mainly upon appeals to the emotions through tale and song. Inspiring as these … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Preface

PART IV VOCATION           Plans.—‘I’m going to be a chimney sweep and wear a tall hat,’ says the little Frankfort child (who rarely sees tall hats excepting on chimney sweeps), ‘I’m going to be a cabby and drive a hansom,’ ‘I’m going to be a general and fight a great battle,’ ‘I’m going to be a great nurse and mind a dear little baby,’ ‘I’m … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Book 1 Pt 4.

CHAPTER XX JUSTICE TO OURSELVES: SELF-ORDERING           My Duty to Myself.—We know that we owe justice to our neighbor, that is, to those about us and those beneath us, and those on our own level; to our own family, our servants, the people we employ, and at whose shops we deal; and to all those whom we know as relations and friends; to a gradually … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Book 1 Pt 3. Chapter 20

XIX PRINCIPLES: JUSTICE IN MOTIVE         Principles, Bad and Good.—There is a certain class of opinions of which we must take special heed. Sometimes we get them from others, sometimes we think them out for ourselves; but, in either case, we make them our own because we act upon them. These opinions rule our conduct, and they are called Principles because they are princeps, first … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Book 1 Pt 3. Chapter 19

CHAPTER XVIII OPINIONS: JUSTICE IN THOUGHT           Three ‘Opinions.’—When we say, ‘I think it will be fine to-morrow,’ we express an opinion. When we say, ‘Jones is first-rate; you should hear his lectures on the Anabasis,’ again we express an opinion, though the ‘I think’ is left out. Even if we say, ‘Let us walk to Purley Woods,’ what we really mean is, ‘I think … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Book 1 Pt 3. Chapter 18

CHAPTER XVI SOME CAUSES OF LYING           Malicious Lies.—Scrupulosity, rash generalization, exaggeration, amusing representation, are, as it were, the light skirmishers which assault the defences of the fortress of Truth as chance offers; but there are also the sappers and miners who dig under its foundations, and these ask for our more serious attention. There are, as we have seen, Malice and Envy, which lead … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Book 1 Pt 3. Chapter 16

CHAPTER XV SPOKEN TRUTH WE have not yet come to ‘telling the truth,’ because no one can tell the Truth who does not see it and know it in his heart, and who does not believe, with Sir Roger de Coverley, that “there is a great deal to be said on both sides” of most questions. Veracity.—First among the handmaidens of Truth, that is, spoken … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Book 1 Pt 3. Chapter 15

CHAPTER XIII JUSTICE TO THE PERSONS OF OTHERS           We begin to understand this Duty.—The reader may have heard sorrowfully the story of that young German officer who fell lately in a duel on the eve of his marriage-day. It is not so long ago since in England also men thought it right to wipe out a slight offence by the death of the offender … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Book 1 Pt 3. Chapter 13

LORDS OF THE HEART:  II. JUSTICE CHAPTER XII JUSTICE, UNIVERSAL           We must know the Functions of Love and Justice.—We have said that two potent personages hold rule in the House of Heart—Love and Justice. The question occurs, do not the claims of the two clash? They do sometimes. Love leans to leniency, and injures where it should sustain. Justice leans to severity, and repels … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Book 1 Pt 3. Chapter 12

CHAPTER XI LOVE’S LORDS IN WAITING: GLADNESS “It is a seemly fashion to be glad.” “The merry heart goes all the day.”           Gladness enough in the World for all.—Yorkshire people say their bread is ‘sad’ when it is heavy, does not rise. It is just so with ourselves. We are like a ‘sad’ loaf when we are heavy—do not rise to the sunshine, to … Continue reading Ourselves Volume 4 Book 1 Pt 3. Chapter 11