Civic Helpfulness 89 



in the land ought to prize above almost every other 

 quality the capacity for self-help ; and yet every man 

 and woman in the land will at some time or other be 

 sorely in need of the help of others, and at some 

 time or other will find that he or she can in turn give 

 help even to the strongest. The quality of self-help 

 is so splendid a quality that nothing can compen 

 sate for its loss; yet, like every virtue, it can be 

 twisted into a fault, and it becomes a fault if car 

 ried to the point of cold-hearted arrogance, of in 

 ability to understand that now and then the strongest 

 may be in need of aid, and that for this reason alone, 

 if for no other, the strong should always be glad of 

 the chance in turn to aid the weak. 



The Young Men's Christian Associations and the 

 Young Women's Christian Associations, which have 

 now spread over all the country, are invaluable be 

 cause they can reach every one. I am certainly a 

 beneficiary myself, having not infrequently used 

 them as clubs or reading-rooms when I was in some 

 city in which I had but little or no personal acquaint 

 ance. In part they develop the good qualities of 

 those who join them; in part they do what is even 

 more valuable, that is, simply give opportunity for 

 the men or women to develop the qualities them 

 selves. In most cases they provide reading-rooms 

 and gymnasiums, and therefore furnish a means for 

 a man or woman to pass his or her leisure hours in 



