At all events, that seems to suffice for a
foundation. But I conceive duty to be quite a different thing. You
limit your view to self-culture, and have love for your fellow-
creatures, but no desire to instruct them. Now, I think that culture
should begin with oneself, but end with others. That is my idea of
love for humanity. One need hardly go out of oneself to do this. One
can influence things remote without disturbing oneself. Just think
of the magnet; it is an immense source of influence, called example.
It sets an astonishing example without moving out of itself--an
example which cannot be overlooked, and powerfully affects the
imagination."
"One illustration for another," said Schrotter, who had shown his
interest in the conversation by nodding his head now and then. "You
wish man to play the part of a magnet; that is not enough, I want
him to play the part of a cogwheel. He must catch hold of his
surroundings while he moves, he must also move all those round him.
Everyone cannot be a magnet; we are not all made of the same stuff.
But one can make a cogged wheel out of whatever one will--and
beside, a magnet only influences certain substances. It will draw
iron, but cannot attract copper, wood, or stone; but the cogwheel
takes hold of anything near it, of whatever material it is made.
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