The Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1850-1852, 1851-08-07
"CIRCCMxTANCEs."

The worst misfortune that ever be.
fel man, is the conceit that we are
born under particular stars, that there
is fataIism in our destiny, and that
good or evil genii shape the course,
distribute the fortune Of our lives. In
this pervading and over',nastering
idea lies the secret Of the misery Of
thousands in our midst, and every.
where around US. The notion is prev.
alcnt, vastly more than our phlloso-
piers have dreamed, that no matter
how we exert ourselves, whether we
are honest, industrious, temperate or
religious, we can make no hold in the
world until VIC obtain our lift Of luck.
The poor cry luck while they gaze up
on tho possessions Of the rich, and the
idle echo luck. when their rags come
in contrast with the garments Of the
thrifty.
The real causes Of differences in
classes Of society, and between the
tasks, cnjoyments Of individuals are
overle aped by the easier. more con
soling exclamation, it is all luck. Sat.
isfed with this explanation, the beg
gar, though stout Of limb and able to
cast Of his mcndicity, clings to his
staff, and accepts the charity Of those
whom he calls the fortunate. Nor
the bcggar alone, but men in all the
marts and professions Of life. drag
themselves along, faint hearted, mis-
cradle and murmuring against the ap'
parent evil destiny that denies to
them the prosperity, ease and luxury
Of their neighbors. Protesting to be-
lieve in Providence, they ascribc the
success Of those whom they envy but
will not initiate, to some stroke OF
chance, and like the tabled teamster
whose cart ran into the ditch, cry.
"IIclp rs Hercules" without think
ing of putting his own shoulder to the
wheel.
Fatal and delusive idea. There is
no such thing as luck in tie aggregate
arrangements Of conditions, no good
nor evil gcnii shaping our destiny,
nor no particular STAR full of bale
ful or happy influences under which
VIC are born. If there are genii and
stars influencing us, they are in our
physical and mental constitution, and
the luck of the prosperous may be
traced to industry, shrewdness of cal.
culstion, and firm faith in the ON.
impotence Of well used means; and
90, too, the i'll luck OF the thriftless
comes from the absence of~en6se ere
atiyc elements. 1t is libelling the wis
dom and goodness Of God to say that
these contrasts in human condition
arc mere haphazard results
Free society of mankind are its own
articles, and it will be seen that God
has dispensed his gifts equally to all
and if one man has managed to con
vert more earth, ocean, air, and their
good things to himself, than anothe,
man, it is the work of that mans prov
idence, not Gods distribution. The
houses and lands of the rich, ii the
matter is sifted, have been accumulated
oy intelligence and industry, upon q
fixed and immutable principle, while
the hovel and squalor of the poor ar,
the result Of ignorance. incidence ,and
the vices that follow these dcbasers o.
humanity. In the majority of cases
the "fortunc seeker" might have ac
complished the position Of the fortune
pssscssor, if instead Of "waiting for
tide in his affairs" he had studied th'
steps by which the fortunate man as
cendcd, and followed after him. Blu
no, chance, luck must do the work
the fortune must come.
Some men sit on logs and trus
Providence to raise their potatoes
but Providence keeps account onl.
-uish those Who dig the field, plant tn
seed, and gather the harvest. Les
star gazing, searching for ''gold bugs
and murmuring at ih4aek, and NOR
industry, faith in self and the mean
at hand, and men will find that tn
differences in their conditions are nc
natural but artificial. We have n
sympathy with the eternal grumollp
about luck. Fortune is the handmai
Of certain PRINCIPLES, and will a'way
answer to them; misfortune, In th
common sense, is the same. Unt
man comes to see that be is the arb
ter of bis own temporal destiny an
takes his fortune into his own hand
be will have both room and disrosl!'o
70 find fault with Providence and oo'