Page:About people (IA aboutpeople00well).pdf/159

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
PERSONAL INFLUENCE.
153

occupation in another. Whatever strengthens the will-power or ennobles the character is an aid in the battle which the individual must fight for and by himself, — yet not wholly by himself; for the accidental causes foster the natural ones, and the help of the community is necessary in order to destroy the first. Only by universal action can successful war be waged against these accidental causes, and in proportion to the diminution of their number will the natural causes find a natural death. The accidental causes, on the other hand, are within the control of the community and of the individual; and, though not capable of immediate government, they can be met with counter-arguments and checks till finally adjusted or overthrown.

Among these reasons the most potent one for the existence of evil is the difficulty of obtaining remunerative employment. There are thousands of women in and around New York who do not receive over two dollars a

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.