As a Matter of Course (eBook)

In climbing a mountain, if we know the path and take it as a matter of course, we are free to enjoy the beauties of the surrounding country. If in the same journey we see a stone in the way and recognize our ability to step over it, we do so at once, and save ourselves from tripping or from useless waste of time and thought as to how we might best go round it. There are stones upon stones in every-day life which might be stepped over with perfect ease, but which, curiously enough, are considered from all sides and then tripped upon, and the result is a stubbing of the moral toes, and a consequent irritation of the nervous system. These various stones in the way do more towards keeping a nervous system in a chronic state of irritation than is imagined. They are what might perhaps be called the outside elements of life. These once normally faced, cease to exist as impediments, dwindle away, and finally disappear altogether.

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Think of As a Matter of Course as a philosophical manifesto for women who embrace traditional roles and values in the family and in the wider world. In this collection, the popular nineteenth-century magazine columnist Annie Payson Call addresses a broad range of issues and matters spiritual and practical in nature, issuing advice that is both thought-provoking and timeless in its wisdom.