They
never, at their work or away from it, heard themselves contempt-
uously spoken of on account of their occupation, except by the
ignorant or weak-minded, whose comments they were of course to
sensible to heed.
We may as well acknowledge that one of the unworthy tendencies of
womankind is towards petty estimates of other women. This
classifying habit illustrates the fact. If we must classify our
sisters, let us broaden ourselves by making large classifica-
tions. We might all place ourselves in one of two ranks - the
women who do something and the women who do nothing; the first
being of course the only creditable place to occupy. And if we
would escape from our pettinesses, as we all may and should, the
way to do it is to find the key to other lives, and live in their
largeness, by sharing their outlook upon life. Even poorer
people's windows will give us a new horizon, and people's windows
will give us a new horizon, and often a far broader one than our
own.
X.
MILL-GIRLS' MAGAZINES
THERE was a passage from Cowper that my sister used to quote to
us, because, she said, she often repeated it to herself, and
found that it did her good:--
"In such a world, so thorny, and where none
Finds happiness unblighted, or if found,
Without some thistly sorrow at its side,
It seems the part of wisdom, and no sin
Against the law of love, to measure lots
With less distinguished than ourselves, that thus
We may with patience bear our moderate ills,
And sympathize with others, suffering more.
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