The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1879-09-17
A Letter of John Ruskin to a
Young Girl.

Keep absolute calm OF temper under
all changes, receiving everything that is
provoking or disagreeable to you as COM
ing directly from Christ hand; and the
more it is like to provoke you, thank him
for it the more, as young soldier would
his general for trusting him with a hard
place to hold on the rampant And re-
member, it does not, in the least, matter
what happens to you-whether clumsy
school-felIow tears your dress, or shrewd
one laughs at you, or the governess doesn' t
understand you. The one thing needful
is that none of these things should vex
you. For your mind at this time Of your
youth is crystalhzing like sugar-candy;.
and the least jar to it flaws the crystal,
and that permanently.
Say to yourselves. every morning Just
after your prayers, Whose forsaketh not
all that he hath, cannot be my disciple
That is exactly and completely true;
meaning that you are to give all you have.
to Christ, to take care of for you. That
if he doesn't take care of it, of course you
know it wasn't worth anything. And if
he takes anything from you, you know
you are better without it, You will not
indeed, at your age, have to give up
houses, or lands, or boats, or nets; but
you may perhaps break your fayorite tea
cup, or lose your favorite thimble, and
might be vexed about it.
What, after this surrender, you find
intrusted to you, take extreme care of,
and make as useful as possible. The
greater part of all they have is usually
given to grown-up people by Christ
merely that they may give it away again;
but schoolgirls, for the most part are
likely to have little more than what Is
needed for themselves; of which, whether
books, dresses, or pretty room furniture,
you are to take extreme care, looking on
yourself, indeed, practically as a little
housemaid set to keep Christ's books and
room in order; and not as yourself the
mistress of anything.
If you make the aim Of your life amuse-
ment, the day will come when all the
agonies of a pantomime will not bring
YOU an honest laugh. Play actively and
gayly; and cherish without straining the
natural powers of Jest in others and your
selves; remembering all the while that
your hand is every instant on the helm
of the shipof your life, and that the Mas
ter on the far shore of Araby the blest,
looks for its sail on the horizon.
Well, do you want to be better dressed
than your school-fellows? Some Of them
are probably poor, and cannot afford to
dress like you; or, on the other hand, you
may be poor yourselves, and may be NOR
tilted at their being dressed better than
you. Put an end to all that at once, by
resolving to go down into the deep Of
your girls heart, where you will find, in
laid by Christ's own hand, better thing
than vanity-pitY
You may become Christs lady If you
eoilZ-but you must will vigorously
there is no possible compromise Most
people think if they keep all the best
rooms in their hearts swept and garnished
for Christ, with plenty of flowers and good
books in them, that they may keep lit
tie chamber in their hearts wall for Be
hal, on his occasional visits, or three
legged stool for him in the hearts count
ing-house, or a corner for him in the
hearts scullery, where he may lick the
dishes. 1t won't do, my dearest! You
must cleanse the house Of him, as you
would of the plague, to the last spot You
must be resolved that as all you have
shall be Gods, so all you are shall be
Gods; and you are to make it so, simply
and quietly, by thinking always Of your,
self merely as sent to do this work, and
considering at every leisure time what
you are to do next. Don't fret nor tease
yourself about it, far less other people.
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