Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1849-06-01


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are more easy than those ol any other person
would be 10 case conditions should be changed"
Il is difficult however, 10 convince the suffering.
whether BY bodily disease or pecuniary disaster,
Of the truth Of this doctrine. And yei. all who
pay close attention to the history Of their fel.
low creatures, who not only observe rssHlis. but
trace out and analyse causes. must arrive AZ the
conclusion. thar apparent mislouunes are often
\ blessings in disguise"-IhaI disasters and re.
verses frequently precede and lead 10 the most
/ gratifying resulIs-whils flushed prosperity
10 worldly sense, instead Of being the sources
Of genuine happiness and prolonged health, Of.
len produces exactly the reverse. who"
says thoughtful observer, "can look back on
his past life without being sensible that the dis.
/ appointment Of his wishes had often been a real
advantage 10 him! very liue attention must
be sufficient 10 convince US how apt we are To
be mlsled by our own passions and preudices,
/ how iu,e we know Of the consequences Of those
things which are al present the object of our
! hopes and fears.
j How often has prosperity proved fatal 10 in.
nocence aud virtue, without bringing with il that
happiness which il seemed TO promised and how
many have been reduced TO the painful cou.
cluston that "all is vanity" when perhaps il
was too late 10 begin new course, and choose
the better parIp Could We look INTO the hearts
Of those the world calls happy, how different
should We often find the reality from the ap.
Pearance! In the midst of prosperity and sue.
cess, some secret care, the disappointment of
OF some dar.iag wish, or even the languor and
! disgust which sometimes attend safety and de-.
slroy the relish OF pleasure, may be as real evils
and as destructive Of happiness as those suffer.
ings which are generally the objects ofcompass.
ion. We know not what we wish; and the in.
dulgence Of our wishes would often prove ,he
source Of misery. Not only reason and obser.
vauon oil others, but our own feelings and ex.
/ Perience, convince US of this"
! One rule should be inlallible. II 10 deserve
! blesslngs-to act in our intercourse with our
fellow creatures, so as not only to win the re-
sPect and esteem Of upright men, but the aDDro.
val OF our own conscIences. IT, when most of
US complain Of trials and vicissuudes of life.
we could ascertain the real condition Of our
nelghbor-IheIr private as well as their public
grels, we would perhaps exercise more philoso.
! ply. "Man is born 10 trouble as the sparks Ay
upward" 1t is our lot, our destiny. There IS
scarcely human being who, if his whole his.
tory could be anay wed, his heart and his mind
laid bare. would not be found to labor under
some lntlrmIty OF body, mind or disposition-to
be the victim Of some disease, weakness, per.
secution, or nervous apprehension. The whole
family Of man may be said to be more or less
affected. Only yesterday we conversed with
a kind-hearted, generous and affiuent citizen,
who tancies-and his best friends assure US that
1t Is mere lancy-ihat he is laboring under
an incurable disease. The malady IS in the
mind not the body. He thinks himself i'll, ap-
prehendsthathes short-ived, and thus he watch.
es his health with such care that he overacts his
part, and renders himself 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 half his fortune 10
be convinced and assured Of fair condition of
health for a number Of years. He has resorled,
time and again, 10 physicians Of the higest skill
Gut in vain, for, as already observed, his mall
ady is a morbid. mental apprehension. He
sees 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, but in vain. Upon this point he is
monomaniac. And thus the poorest laborer in
the land is happier than our millionaire-for in
the one case, The very necessity Of constant la
Dor, not only occupies his thoughts, but it brings
appetite, strength and health; while in the other,
abundance and afluence cause idleness, ennui,
and perpetual apprehension as TO the future.
We repeaI-while we suffer, we are TOO apt
TO contrast our condition, not with the suffering
around US, not with those who have been more
unfortunate than ourselves, but with the high in
health, the happy in future, and the prosperous
in every worldly sense. How few. as they pass
through our public highways, and observe the
lame, the blind, and the deformed, fellow-crea-
lures whose faculties are impaired and for life,
who are shut out as il were, from many enjoy
ments of taste, Of sight, Of sound, and Of sense
how few step aside 10 utter word of sym.
pathy or consolation to cheer and gladden. the
pathway of the unfortunate! How few offer
silent prayer to Heaven, in behalf of the mis-
erable, or because of their exemption from
wreIchedness, and the full enjoyment of all
their faculties. 1t is-we repeat-only when
we suffer, that we appreciate the sufferings Of
others. 1t is only when our own faculties are
endangered or impaired, that we pause, reflect
and look up to the Great Source of all powers
and privileges, for succor and assistance, Pros
perity is too apt TO harden the heart. High
health is 100 apt to render US forgetful Of our
dependence upon Providence. The free and
full use of all our faculties, is too apt to render
US unmindlul Of the inestimabe value of the
gifts, powers and blessings that we hold at the
mercy Of the Creator. The troubles of life,
the petty grievances Of existence, are, in many
cases, exaggerated-are borne in an impatient
and rebellious spirit. We see only the evil, but
do not recognize the gOOd We feel only what
we experience, but do not consider what we
have escaped. We imagine that we alone are
particularly unfortunate, and forget the ihous-
ands who are raving ir Warehouses, who are
groaning in hospitals, or who are furnishing for
common means Of sustenance. Is it not so.
unntla raaday1 Is moi thie 1o1tr case1 Apa WI,