Dorothea Deakin

“ She stopped.
"Unselfishness," I suggested. Rosette shook her head rather forcibly.
"I have my doubts about unselfishness," said she. "More often than not it's selfish to be unselfish."
"Rosette!"
"People do unselfish things generally for purely selfish reasons,—to be liked, or to please themselves,—and it's almost always bad for the other person. It's certainly more blessed to give than to receive, and the unselfish person goes on collecting blessings without giving other people a chance. There's my sister Jane." ”

“ For there are times when I want people to think me sweet-natured as well as pretty, and then Jane slips in to guard her monopoly."
I laughed.
"If you love people," Rosette went on firmly, "you take a pleasure in doing things for them. That's not unselfishness ; but I can't move a finger for Daddy or Mother without Jane being jealous and injured. Unselfishness, indeed!" ”

“ She's never been able to do a thing for Jane and me, and every now and then she tries to borrow money from Daddy. He does n't lend it to her, of course; but it upsets us all to hear how they never can make both ends met.
I was silent, for I had less money even than her cousin Dick, and I wanted to marry Rosette.
"You see, Jerry, life's a very difficult thing, and even the simplest virtues are complex when you come to look into them, are n't they?"
"I never do," said I, truthfully. "It's a mistake—like inquiring into motives."
"Well, you beware of unselfishness," said she, with a half-smile. ”