126 PSYCHOLOGY. 



enou<;li to take it in a purely intellectual way, Las probably 

 a relaxing effect upon the character. One becomes lilleJ 

 with emotions which habitually pass without prompting to 

 any deed, and so the inertly sentimental condition is kept 

 up. The remedy would be, never to suffer one's self to 

 have an emotion at a concert, without expressing it after- 

 ward in some active way.* Let the expression be the least 

 thing in the world — speaking genially to one's aunt, or 

 giving up one's seat in a horse-car, if nothing more heroic 

 offers — but let it not fail to take place. 



These latter cases make us aware that it is not simply 

 particular lines of discharge, but also general forms of dis- 

 charge, that seem to be grooved out by habit in the brain. 

 Just as, if we let our emotions evaporate, they get into a 

 way of evaporating ; so there is reason to suppose that if 

 we often flinch from making an effort, before we know it the 

 effort-making capacity will be gone ; and that, if we suffer 

 the wandering of our attention, presently it will wander all 

 the time. Attention and effort are, as we shall see later, 

 but two names for the same psychic fact. To what brain- 

 processes they correspond we do not know. The strongest 

 reason for believing that they do depend on brain-processea 

 at all, and are not pure acts of the spirit, is just this fact, 

 that they seem in some degree subject to the law of habit, 

 which is a material law. As a final practical maxim, rela- 

 tive to these habits of the will, we may, then, offer some- 

 thing like this : Keep the facility of effort alive in you by a 

 little^gratuitoiis exercise every day. That is, be systematic- 

 ally ascetic or heroic in little unnecessary points, do 

 every day or two something for no other reason than that 

 you would rather not do it, so that when the hour of dire 

 need draws nigh, it may find you not unnerved and untrained 

 to stand the test. Asceticism of this sort is like the insur- 

 ance which a man pays on his house and goods. The tax 

 does him no good at the time, and possibly may never bring 

 him a return. But if the fire does come, his having paid it 

 will be his salvation from ruin. ScLwith the man who has 



* See for remarks on this subject a readable article by Miss V. Scuddei 

 on 'Musical Devotees aud Morals,' io the Audover I^eview for January 

 1887. 



