may
conceal their feelings. After forty they are often so tired as to be
glad of any kind of a home.

Then there are women with special gifts. I am thinking now of one who
had a fortune, and yet chose to do the hard work of a physician. She had
the aptitude for the work and the means for thorough study. She was
among the most skillful physicians of her native city. She saved many
lives, and relieved much suffering. She gave her priceless services to
hundreds of poor people, but she did not give to those who could pay for
them. I think she was altogether right. The world was better because she
used her gift, and she was happier, as all are who exercise their
powers.

Perhaps she blocked the way of less fortunate physicians. But this was
because she gave a better gift than they could give. Certainly she had
a right to give it even to the rich whose money could only buy a part of
it. If she had served the rich without taking their money, she would not
only have sapped their self-respect, but she would have been a more
formidable obstacle in the way of poorer physicians. She would have been
offering a premium in money to those who employed her, whereas the only
premium she had a right to offer was her superior skill. It was because
she could give priceless services that she had so clear a right to fix a
price which she did not need.

Suppose another woman her equal by nature, but who had not had the means
for so complete an education, was set aside because she could not
compete with one who had both the nature and the education,--even then
the case would not be altered, for still the richer woman had a higher
gift to give than the poorer one. It would be a bitter trial to the
poorer woman to be met only by philosophy and religion; but if she were
a just woman, she could not say that her rich rival had not done right.

When a beautiful young society woman of Boston consents to play at a
concert every one feels it to be right, because few people can play so
exquisitely. When she gives her services for some charity there is an
especial fitness in it, since those who go to hear her wish to pay the
high prices for the rare treat, and would still wish to do so if she
were to keep the money for herself. But if she plays at a symphony
concert, she certainly has a right to be paid as others are. That is a
matter of self-respect. Why should she compete with other musicians on
any unnatural basis?

These instances will show wha