character, compared with obedience to our lawful authorities; "Ay, there's
the rub!"

Is not this very necessity in home life--this "I must"--just the thing
which makes it akin to our Lord's life? Is there not in that Holiest Life
a continual undercurrent of "I must"? His earthly life was a course of
obedience, not a succession of self-willed efforts; its keynote was, "Wist
ye not that I _must_ be about My Father's business?"




Esprit de Corps.


While I was away, I was present at a discussion on _Esprit de Corps_, and
whether it was a good thing in girls' schools. What is _esprit de
corps_?--The feeling that we are one of a large body of which we are
proud. A soldier has it when he is proud of his regiment and is proud of
belonging to it.

Now, is it good or bad for girls to have a strong feeling of this kind for
their school? Many opinions were expressed at the meeting. My opinion is
that it is a good thing--a necessary thing. But every virtue has its
defect--if you overdo it, you fall into some fault; if you are too
amiable, you may fall into being untruthful; and so with _esprit de
corps_. I want you to have it, but I want you to be on your guard against
some faults connected with it. I want our School to be full of it, but I
want it to be of the best kind.