every individual even now has of himself as a social being, tends to
make him feel it one of his natural wants that there should be harmony
between his feelings and aims and those of his fellow-creatures." The
life of love is in itself a constant realization of this deepest and
strongest desire of our nature. Love is the essence of social and
spiritual life; and that life of unity with our fellow-men which love
creates is in itself love's own reward. "Life is energy of love."
Oneness with those we love is the only goal in which love could rest
satisfied. For love is "the greatest thing in the world," and any reward
other than union with its object would be a loss rather than a gain.

THE TEMPTATION.

+Kant remarks that a dove, realizing that the resistance of the air is
the sole obstacle to its progress, might imagine that if it could only
get away from the air altogether, it would fly with infinite rapidity
and ease.+--But in fact, if the air were withdrawn for an instant it
would fall helpless to the ground. Friction is the only thing the
locomotive has to overcome. And if the locomotive could reason it might
think how fast it could travel if only friction were removed. But
without friction the locomotive could not stir a hair's breadth from the
station.

In like manner, inasmuch as the greater part of our annoyances and
trials and sufferings come from contact with our fellow-men, it often
seems to us that if we could only get away from them altogether, and
live in utter indifference to them, our lives would move on with utmost
smoothness and serenity. In fact, if these relations were withdrawn, if
we could attain to perfect indifference to our fellows, our life as
human and spiritual beings would that instant cease.

The temptation to treat our fellow-men with indifference, like all
temptations, is a delusion and leads to our destruction. Yet it is a
very strong temptation to us all at times. When people do not appreciate
us, and do not treat us with due kindness and consideration, it is so
easy to draw into our shell and say, "I don't care a straw for them or
their good opinion anyway." This device is an old one. The Stoics made
much of it; and boasted of the completeness of their indifference. But
it is essentially weak and cowardly. It avoids certain evils, to be
sure. It does so, however, not by overcoming them in brave, manly
fashion; but by running and hiding away from them--an easy and a
disgraceful thi