AUGUST 435 



almost everything takes a ridiculous aspect ; to the man 

 of thought, almost nothing is really ridiculous.' 



I quote Jowett's strong condemnation of useless learn- 

 ing, as it should put us on our mettle to learn in such a 

 way as is most likely to be useful to fill the vacuum 

 in our individual lives. But we must remember that 

 Jowett lived in an atmosphere where learning for learn- 

 ing's sake surrounded him, and the choice for him lay 

 between well-directed and misdirected learning. I 

 cling, however, to the idea that even somewhat useless 

 learning is better than none, as the mere effort to learn 

 does good. 



Mothers who like keeping their girls at home, and 

 who see them content in a round of empty gaiety and 

 excitement, often say : ' I am in no hurry for my girls 

 to marry; they are happy and merry at home.' As 

 men's bachelor lives often unfit them for marriage, so 

 girls' lives are just as apt to do the same. They have 

 to fit themselves for either marriage or old-maidism, 

 and this is not- done by prolonging unduly the life 

 described in one line by La Fontaine : La cigale ayant 

 chanU tout V4t4, etc. I remember my mother telling me 

 that she had rather pitied a sad-looking, elderly girl at 

 a Newcastle ball. Her partner remarked : ' Yes, no 

 wonder, poor girl ! she is just recovering from her 

 seven -and -twentieth disappointment.' This, of course, 

 is an exaggeration, but it is characteristic of what may 

 happen. After a certain amount of rushing about, a 

 girl should herself realise that she can no more live on 

 social excitements without deterioration than her body 

 can thrive on sal-volatile. These remarks must always 

 apply only to the large average. "Women who are very 

 attractive to men, as I said in my first book, have the 

 ball at their feet, and, as regards the other sex, can do 

 as they like. . 



