thing is there stronger than I._ In so saying, the men of all times
and places have designated a power that is above humanity, but which may
dwell in men's hearts. And everything truly lofty within us appears to
us as a manifestation of this mystery beyond. Noble feelings, like great
thoughts and deeds, are things of inspiration. When the tree buds and
bears fruit, it is because it draws vital forces from the soil, and
receives light and warmth from the sun. If a man, in his humble sphere,
in the midst of the ignorance and faults that are his inevitably,
consecrates himself sincerely to his task, it is because he is in
contact with the eternal source of goodness. This central force
manifests itself under a thousand forms. Sometimes it is indomitable
energy; sometimes winning tenderness; sometimes the militant spirit that
grasps and uproots the evil; sometimes maternal solicitude, gathering to
its arms from the wayside where it was perishing, some bruised and
forgotten life; sometimes the humble patience of long research. All that
it touches bears its seal, and the men it inspires know that through it
we live and have our being. To serve it is their pleasure and reward.
They are satisfied to be its instruments, and they no longer look at the
outward glory of their office, well knowing that nothing is great,
nothing small, but that our life and our deeds are only of worth because
of the spirit which breathes through them.

VI

SIMPLE NEEDS

When we buy a bird of the fancier, the good man tells us briefly what is
necessary for our new pensioner, and the whole thing--hygiene, food, and
the rest--is comprehended in a dozen words. Likewise, to sum up the
necessities of most men, a few concise lines would answer. Their regime
is in general of supreme simplicity, and so long as they follow it, all
is well with them, as with every obedient child of Mother Nature. Let
them depart from it, complications arise, health fails, gayety vanishes.
Only simple and natural living can keep a body in full vigor. Instead of
remembering this basic principle, we fall into the strangest
aberrations.

What material things does a man need to live under the best conditions?
A healthful diet, simple clothing, a sanitary dwelling-place, air and
exercise. I am not going to enter into hygienic details, compose menus,
or discuss model tenements and dress reform. My aim is to point out a
direction and tell what advantage would come to each of