June 19

“ . . . What the woman is to be within her gates, as the centre of order, the balm of distress, and the mirror of beauty, that she is also to be without her gates, where order is more difficult, distress more imminent, loveliness more rare.
“And as within the human heart, there is always set an instinct for all its real duties, an instinct which you cannot quench, but only warp and corrupt, if you withdraw it from its true purpose; - as there is the intense instinct of love, which rightly disciplined, maintains all the sanctities of life, and misdirected, undermines them, and must do either the one or the other; - so there is in the human heart an undistinguishable instinct, the love of power, which, rightly directed, maintains all the majesty of law and life, and, misdirected, wrecks them.
“Deep rooted in the innermost life of the heart of man, and of the heart of woman. God set it there and God keeps it there. Vainly, as falsely, you blame or rebuke the desire of power! For Heaven’s sake, and for Man’s sake, desire it all you can. But what power? That is all the question. . . . Power to heal, to redeem to guide, and to guard. . . .
“Will you not covet such power as this, and seek such throne as this, and be no more housewives, but queens?”

RUSKIN

“Power is a gift of God, and may not be laid aside.”

H. MONSELL