The Woman of to-Morrow by Helen M. Winslow

Marcus Aurelius says: "No man can do me an injury unless he can make me misbehave myself. " An older authority than he said: "Love your enemies. " And a good way to love them is not to recognize them as enemies. The old Roman was right-as usual. The greatest harm any one can do us is to disturb the harmony of our souls. There is a serenity which is like an armor. It protects us from the stings of petty jealousy and the stabs of secret foes. Reports, false or true, of these things may come to our ears, but we shall possess our souls in large patience and refuse to be ruffled in spirit or worried by small fears. We shall not "misbehave ourselves."

My mother-the best and wisest woman I ever knew, God bless her! -used to tell me that the person of whom it could be said, "He or she has not an enemy in the world," never amounted to anything. Few who accomplish any real good in life escape the attacks of the envious. No matter how disinterested our purpose or how high our ideal, somebody is going to misunderstand; somebody is going to impute a selfish motive. Experience with the world will teach us to expect and make allowances for these things; but we need not be soured by them, nor lose sight of our own standard, provided it be a right one. Only by lowering our own ideals, by giving way to jealousy, envy, fear or discouragement can we really be touched by these outside things. Let us keep single to the purpose of pressing straight forward to the goal of right living and right thinking, not expecting every one to understand or even appreciate our motives, and our enemies can do us no real harm.