  No is next to the shortest word in the English language. It is the concentrated Declaration of Independence of the human soul. It is the central citadel of character, and can remain impregnable forever. It is the only path to reformation. It is the steam-gauge of strength, the barometer of temperament, the electric indicator of moral force. It is an automatic safety-first device. It has saved more women than all the knights of chivalry. It has kept millions or young men from going over the Niagara Falls of drunkenness, profligality, and passion. It is the updrawn portcullis and barred gate of the castle of self-respect. It is the dragon that guards beauty’s tower. It is the high fence that preserves the innocence of the innocent. It is the thick wall of the home, keeping the father from folly, the mother from indiscretion, the boys from ruin, and the girls from shame. It is the one word you can always say when you can’t think of anything else. It is the one answer that needs no explanation. The mule is the surest footed and most dependable of all domestic animals. No is the mule-power of the soul. Say it and mean it. Say it and look your man in the eye. Say it and don’t hesitate. A good round No is the most effective of known shells from the human howitzer. In the great parliament of life the Noes have it. The value of any Yes you utter is measured by the number of Noes banked behind it. Live your own life. Make your own resolutions. Mark out your own program. Aim at your own work. Determine your own conduct. And plant all around those an impregnable hedge of Noes, with the jaggedest, sharpest thorns that grow. The No-man progresses under his own steam. He is not led about and pushed around by officious tugboats. The woman who can say No carries the very best insurance against the fires, tornadoes, earthquakes, and accidents that threaten womankind. Be soft and gentle as you please outwardly, but let the centre of your soul be a No, as hard as steel. |
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