s of a
woman to the serene strength of a man, he is best fitted for the task;
but the truth lies in the fact that the qualities for the exercise of
such an influence are to be found far more commonly among women than
among men, though accompanied as a rule by less consciousness of it,
and little desire to exercise it officially; indeed it is the very
absence of egotism among women, the absence of the personal claim, that
makes them less effective than they otherwise might be, because they do
not hold an object or an aim dear enough. They desire to achieve,
rather than to be known to have achieved; and yet in this unperceptive
world, human beings are apt to choose for their guides and counsellors
people whom they know by reputation, rather than those whom they know
familiarly. And thus mere recognition often brings with it a power of
wider influence, because people are apt to trust the judgment of others
rather than their own. In seeking for an adviser, men are apt to
consider who has the greatest reputation for wisdom, rather than whom
they themselves have found wisest; and thus the man who seeks for
influence often attains it, because he has a wider circle of those who
recommend him. It is this absence of independent judgment that gives
strength to the self-seeking priest; while the natural priesthood of
women is less recognized because it is attended with no advertisement.

The natural priest is one whom one can instinctively and utterly trust,
in whom one can deposit secrets as one deposits them in the custody of
a bank, without any fear that they will be used for other purposes. In
the true priest one finds a tender compassion, a deep and patient love;
it is not worth while to wear disguises before him, because his keen,
weary, and amused eye sees through the mask. It is not worth while to
keep back, as Ananias did, part of the price of the land, to leave
sordid temptations untold, because the true priest loves the sinner
even more than he hates the sin; it is best to be utterly sincere with
him, because he loves sincerity even more than unstained virtue; and
one can confess to him one's desires for good with as little false
shame as one can confess one's hankering after evil. Perhaps in one
respect the man is more fitted to be a confessor than a woman, because
he has a deeper experience of the ardour and the pleasure of
temptation; and yet the deeper tenderness of the woman gives her a
sympathy for the tempted, whi