But our aversion to such a course is deep-rooted. We say, “That is not my way,” as though there were some integral honesty in using no other. We take in their exact location, and if we decide it is within our limitations to get there (every one has a sacred regard for his limitations and would not overstep them for worlds), we deliberately go our own round-about, puttering route, bumping over corduroy roads of prejudice and up hills of self-satisfaction and down dales of indecision; after much suffering and toil and enough breaking of fresh ground to give us a pioneer feeling of having deserved our destination when it comes, we finally bob up beside our patiently waiting friend, saying, “Hullo! you here?”
We beg to be forgiven so many things on the ground that we meant nothing by it, it is just our way...
—
ex Florida Pier, “On Resembling Oneself,”
one of some 165 of her “The Gentler View” essays that appeared in Harper’s Weekly in the years 1909-13,
this one in the issue of February 12, 1910
a full transcription and links to scans of this piece is available among my Florida Pier pages : link
an annotated list of her writing, ever in progress, is at Florida Pier Scott-Maxwell : writings and about : link
10 August 2026