Miss Corliss is to be commended for her attempt to interest Susan’s
classmates in her behalf. It is unfortunate, however, that she dropped
the matter upon learning that Susan herself preferred to be left out of
their sport. There is no incompatibility between innocent fun and a
devoted religious life. To sacrifice entirely the one is to make the
other onesided in its development. Sunshine as well as shadow is
necessary for healthy growth in any of the _higher_ types of life.
Susan’s habit of isolating herself from her associates might easily
become so fixed as greatly to injure her future prospects in life.
Coöperation, rather than isolation, is to be the watchword of the future
and ability to coöperate with one’s fellows can be learned only through
actual experience—an experience that Susan was failing to get.
Finally, Susan’s own physical health required a more vigorous and varied
type of life. It is highly significant that the account, as it comes to
us, describes Susan as anemic. This pathological condition of the body
was undoubtedly, in part at least, both cause and effect of Susan’s
mental attitude—one by no means to be encouraged to the exclusion of all
recreative activities. If not strong enough to indulge in the more
vigorous sports of her classmates, Susan should at least be led to feel
it incumbent upon herself to share in such activities as did not tax her
strength too severely.