Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-06-04
MISCELLANEOUS,
From the Philadelphia Inquirer.
THE DISCONNECTED.
THE TROUBLES OF LIFE.

"What miseries we are, and to ourselves"
"For who did ever yet, by human wealth,
Or pleasures of the sense, contenment find !
Who never ceas'd to wish, when he had health,
Or having wisdom, was not vex'd in mind 2"
According to an ncipent philosopher, ':if all
the misfortunes of mankind were cast into pub
lie stock, in order to be equally distributed a.
mong the whole species, those who now think
share they already possess, before that which
would fall to them by such a division.o Ano-
Their carries the idea still further and argues that
the @hardships which each individual hes under
are more easy than those of any other person
would be, in case conditions should be chang
ed.o 1t is difficult, however, to convince the
suffering, whether by bodily disease or pecunia-
ry diaster, Of the truth of this doctrine And yet
all who pay close attention to the history oftheir
fellow creatures, who not only observe results,
but trace out the analyZe causes must arrive at
the conclusion that apparent misfortunes are Of
ten blessings in disguise-that disasters and re-
verses frequently precede and lead to the most
gratifying results-while flushed prosperity ina
worldly sense, instead of being the source of
genuine happiness and prolonged health, often
produce exactly the reverse. ''Who,a says a
thoughtful observer, Hcan look back on his past
life without being sensible that the disappoint-
ment of his wishes has often been a real adyan-
tage to him % A very little attention must be
sufficient to convince us how apt we are to be
mlsled by our own passions and prejudlces, and
how little we know of the consequences of those
things which are at present the objects of our
hopes and fears. How often has prosperity PROV
ed fatal to innocence and virtue without bring
ing with it that happiness which it seemed TO
promise and how many have been reduced to
the painful conclusion that "al is vanity" when
perhaps it was too late to begin new course,
and choose the Abetter part p Could we look
INTO the hearts OF those whom the world calls
happy how different should we often find the
reality from the appearance. In the midst of
prosperity and success, some secret care, the dis
appointment of some darling wish, or even the
languor and disgust which sometimes attend sa-
tiety and destroy the relish of pleasure may be
as real evils, and as destructive of happiness as
those sufferings which are generally the objects
of compassion. We know not what we wish;
and the indulgence of our wishes would often
prove the source of misery. Not only reason
and observation of others, but our own feelings
and experience convince us of this.
One rule should be intallible. 1t is to deserve
blesslngs-to act In our intercourse with our tel-
low creatures so as not only to win the respect
and esteem Of upright men, but the approval of
our own consciences. If, when most of lis COM
plain OF the trials. and yicissitudes of life, we
could ascertain the real condition of our neigh
bors-their private as well as public griefs, we
would perhaps exercise more philosophy. s'Man
is born to trouble as the sparks to fly upward"
1t is our lot, our destiny. There is scarcely
human being, who, if his whole history could be
analysed, his heart and his mind laid bare, would
not be found to labor under some iniirmity of
body, mind or disposition-to be the victim of
some disease, weakness, persecution or nervous
apprehension. The whole family of man NAV
be said to be more or less affected. Only yes
terday we conversed with kind hearted, gem
erous and affluent citizen, who fancies-and his
best friends assure us that it is mere fancy
that he is laborine under an incurable disease
The malady is in the mind, and not the body.
He thinks himself ill, apprehends that he is short
lived, and thus he watches his health with such
care that he overacts his part, and renders him
self so delicate that his very excess of attention
Is the cause OF colds, coughs and aches, which
annoy, disturb and agitate him. He would give
halt his fortune to be convinced and assured OF a
fair condition of health for number of years.
He has resorted time and again to physicians of
the highest skill, but in vain for as already OBJ
served, his malady is a morbid, mental appre-
hension. Hesees condition of things that does
not exist, and this fancy is the bane Of his being
His relatives have reasoned with him time and
again, bnt in vain. Upon this point he is mon
onianiac. And thus the poorest laborer is hap
pier than oar millionaire-for in the one case,
the very necessity of constant labor, not only
occupies all his thoughts, but it brings appetite,
strength and health; while on the other, abun-
dance and affiuence cause idleness, ennui, and
apprehension as to the future.
We repeat--while we suffer, we are too apt
to contrast condition, not with the suffering
around us, not with those who have been more
unfortunate than ourselves, but with the high in