Advice from Laura, Lady Troubridge

Following yesterday's rather dubious suggestion

for a simple supper,

Running a House without Help

offers this, in the chapter entitled Good Health for Mind and Body:


NEVER BE AFRAID


Never be afraid. Be sad and sorry sometimes, 
because we must all be that way now and then. 
Be perplexed because life is not all plain-sailing. 
But never let life be too much for you. 
It won't if you take as your motto these three words 
which I'll repeat again:
Never be afraid.
Imagine yourself equal to any and every call 
that can be made upon you. 
Instead of seeing yourself mentally as poor, small, defeated and inadequate, 
it's just as easy to see yourself as adequate, conquering,
 doing and being all the things you wish to do and be.


Never let such words as "things always go wrong with me" or 
" it seems I can't do anything right" get into your brain, 
and so emerge on your lips.


I looked her up. 
Here she is aged about 14 in 1880. 
Portrait by George Frederick Watts.

She was the wife of the 4th baronet and a writer of romantic novels 
and books on etiquette.
One of these is on its way, because it has a beautiful cover.