Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-05-11
How to Bear Pain.

We know the case Of a man, who lay groan-
inc with the toothache, all through one summer,
and declaring that he would not submit to have
it extracted, yet who afterwards subhlittedtothe
amputation of leg, and bore the operation so
stoically that lady, who sat in the next room,
could not hear a lnurmur, though she heard dis
tincty the ticking of the old fashioned clock that
stood in the corner Of his chamber
Nor is this remarkable case by any means.
We all endure pain great deal better than we
bear to contemplate it. In fact we conjure up
"thc mps that torture u.s." The sharpest bodl-
" agony which :cience can inhict, is nothing
compared to the suffering that it steps in to re-
lieye; and yet many person, rather than sub
init to the former, has groaned under the tooth
ache for weeks or allowed a limb to gangrene
1t is the imagination that does all the mischief
Children, who have 10 knowledge Of what is to-
come, shame manhood by quietly agreeing to
operations whose mere name would tcrrltv the
adult; and persons stupifed by fever. or coma
tosc from severe wounds, allow themselves to be
tortured with blistcrs, or trepanned, without a
murlnur.
And us it is in reference to physical pain, 50
also is it as regards mental suffering. Two-thlrds
of the misery in this world springs from the fan
cy. Thousands of meii, who have become in.
yolycd in pecuniary difficulties, have endured
more agony of mind, in the contemplation OF
being some day possibly forced to become inso-
vent, than if they had stopred payment and
faced disgrace at once. Thousands more, in 9TH
er situations have suffered tcn-fold as much from
suspense, as they could have endured from the
most cruel reality. We always imagine disaster
to be more terrible than she proves Oh acluant-
ance Nature it would seem, has that kindly
affection for her children, that she comes to their
assistance in the very crisis where they expected
to he wholly abandoned. The dark clouds that
appa us in the distance, fade into a twilight
mist as we approach them, and grow thinner and
thinner vet the further we penetrate within them.
Or, like seeing ghosts that frees the traveller
with horror, miSfortunes when we boldly march
| to meet them, turn out to be but creatures OF
the brain. In word, pain, whether bodily or
mental, flies as we approach it, in this respect
resembling an ignis tatuus, that is but deluslon
aftcrall
Would you go through life happilyl Then
conquer pains by bravely meeting it. Physical
pain, if you have healthy organization, will
trouble You but little, and therefore advice on
this point is scarcely worth treasuring up: but
mental suffering must be your lot, moro or less,
no matter how wealthy YOU may be, or how nu-
merous the blessings surrounding you. No man
can escape the uncertainties, much less the sor-
rows of life. 1t is a cup that all have to drink
of, and the longer it is delayed, the more bitter
will it be when it is mixed for you at last. But
though we cannot teach you how to avoid mis-
fortune, we ran at least inform you how to en-
dure it. Waste no idle tears over 1t while it Is
vet afar off, or even ON its way to your dwelling;
for it will be time enough to be cast down when
it knocks at your door, and forces an entrance.
1t is no crime to be gay, even under impending
| poverty nor is it a sin to be cheerful, when
grief is nigh. The world has actual sorrows
enough, without our making them greater,
through the aid of the fancy.
If this philosophy Of bearing pan was better
understood, mankind would Be tho happier---
Of all nations, we Anglo-SaSrns perhaps have
less of this philosophy aud the freaee the most
for We, never satisfied with doNasy are always
tormcntinc ourselves about sHSssoEfe%, wheress
they are content TO eHNy the present. They
NAV not be Ms energetic ~ we, eGs they sre tar
enough happier: and perhaps, "" might i"'sste
them, in srn,e ,ies,n>, " s>lvsptsga
eA&, sallrts.