Part 123 (1/2)

”You” are weak and ill; ”you” are half educated: ”you” don't know how to work--Just put ”we” for ”you.”

”We,” thousands and millions of us, are at present suffering from various wrong conditions. Taken separately, personally, these wrong conditions overwhelm us; each sits down in his or her own little circle of pain, and suffers.

Taken _collectively_--faced, understood, met, overcome--those wrong conditions can be removed and forgotten.

The writer of this interesting letter (thanks for its kind appreciation!) sees the trouble of living clearly enough, but does not see the joy of living.

In the first place, accept your own pain and loss, whatever it may be, as merely a part of the general pain and loss. Your own, singly, you may be unable to help; but ”ours” you can help. Never mind what ails ”you”--you can stand it--other people do? The human soul is a stronger thing than you think--_you don't use enough of it._ Unless the mind is affected, so that one is irresponsible, it is always open to a Human Being to change the att.i.tude of the mind, and enlarge its area of consciousness.

Human Life is a huge Immortal Thing.

It has been on earth for many thousand years.

It is bigger, stronger, better, than it ever was.

It is on the verge of a new consciousness, a new power, a new joy, which will make our poor past seem like a lovingly forgotten babyhood; and our future a progressive Heaven--growing under our hands as we make it.

And our present! _This_ is our present! Get into the game! You are human life. Human life is You.

It's a big thing. It's worth while to be alive--if you are human!

To get a lively sense of historic movement read ”_The Martyrdom of Man_”

by Winwood Reade. To get it of life today, read what you like of the rising flood of sociologic and humanitarian books and magazines of today.

When you are socially conscious--a live Human Being--your ”personal problems” will take on different proportions. There is no personal trouble so great as the trouble of the world--which we have to face and conquer.

There is no personal joy so great as the joy of the world--which is ours to feel, to make, to steadily enlarge.

Change your own condition if you can, but if you cannot, spread out your life--your Human Life, till your burden is no bigger than a biscuit--to such huge consciousness.

”When my children were little and at home it was easy to guide and direct, but now they are in the big man-made world without judgment enough to know that the _world_ standards are wrong, and the _home_ standards of helpfulness and co-operation right.

I believe we are going ahead, and I'm willing enough to help build the road for others to pa.s.s over, but must my children hunger and thirst in the wilderness?”

A. This is a wide-spread problem. The trouble lies in our confounding personal and social relations. Our children are in direct connection with us physically and psychically--but not, of necessity, socially. A musician does not necessarily have musical children; a reformer does not necessarily have reforming children. There is no reason why our children should be expected to see things as we do. They may never see the way out of the wilderness as we see it.

They are to love and serve, to shelter, guard, teach--and set free!

We must do our work--and they must do theirs.

Here is a question from Detroit.

”I entirely agree with you in believing that children should be governed by reason, and that coercion is a mistake; but how would you suggest dealing with a child before it can possibly understand reason?”