Moods of life; popular psychological studies of affairs of every day

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1921 Excerpt: ...signal at Trafalgar, "England expects every man to do his duty." The contrast, I submit, is artificial. The sailors of Nelson interpreted their duty as the desire to do well in the eyes of a beloved leader; Napoleon appealed to the same sentiment. I have used the expression "childish vanity." Children are vain because their elders, their guides and mentors, are vain. They should not be too severely reproved for displays of vanity, for in this there is usually a great spice of affection and a fine spirit of aspiration. Vanity should be reproved when it causes a man to forgo a principle of honour or a duty of good citizenship. Poets, actors, musicians and singers are notoriously vain. Vanity is easily forgiven, for we are all vain, and even as we laugh at the weakness of others we feel that their vanity has touched the responding chord of our own. POINT OF HONOUR IN contrast with vanity is the point of honour. The motive here is less a desire to please than to put a high valuation on one's own code of conduct; yet if it be looked at closely a spice of vanity is nearly always found. A point of honour is excellent when it is the high peak and sign of honesty. In many cases, however, it is an excuse for evading ordinary duties. The point of honour has been always most in vogue in dissolute courts, from Henry II of France to Charles II of England and to George IV. Sheridan, the improvident, was notorious for his debts, and for the devices to which he was driven to avoid payment of these vulgar obligations. One day his butcher called on him. Sheridan put him off with the usual excuses. "But," cried the butcher at length, "you pay your gambling debts." The wit replied, "Yes, they are debts of honour." Thereupon the ...