ional
tortures to the seemingly more worthy object." Such ideas need not be
flung in so many words at a woman, but she may be gently led until she
sees clearly for herself the mistake, and will even laugh at the morbid
sensations that before seemed to her terribly real.

How many foolish, almost insane actions of men and women come from sham
emotions and the nervous excitement generated by them, or from nervous
excitement and the sham emotions that result in consequence!

Care should be taken first to change the course of the nervous power
that is expressing itself morbidly, to open for it a healthy outlet, to
guide it into that more wholesome channel, and then help the owner to a
better control and a clearer understanding, that she may gain a healthy
use of her wonderful nervous power. A gallop on horseback, a good swim,
fresh air taken with any form of wholesome fun and exercise is the way
to begin if possible. A woman who has had all the fresh air and
interesting exercise she needs, will shake off the first sign of morbid
emotions as she would shake off a rat or any other vermin.

To one who is interested to study the possible results of misdirected
nervous power, nothing could illustrate it with more painful force than
the story by Rudyard Kipling, "In the Matter of a Private."

Real emotions, whether painful or delightful, leave one eventually with
a new supply of strength; the sham, without exception, leave their
victim weaker, physically and mentally, unless they are recognized as
sham, and voluntarily dismissed by the owner of the nerves that have
been rasped by them. It is an inexpressibly sad sight to see a woman
broken, down and an invalid, for no reason whatever but the unnecessary
nervous excitement of weeks and months of sham emotion. Hardly too
strong an appeal can be made to mothers and teachers for a careful
watchfulness of their girls, that their emotions be kept steadily
wholesome, so that they may grow and develop into that great power for
use and healthful sympathy which always belongs to a woman of fine
feeling.

There is a term used in college which describes most expressively an
intense nervous excitement and want of control,--namely, "dry drunk."
It has often seemed to me that sham emotions are a woman's form of
getting drunk, and nervous prostration is its delirium tremens. Not the
least of the suffering caused by emotional excitement comes from
mistaken sympathy with others. Certain peopl