The hydraulic press. (North San Juan, Nev. Co., Cal.) 1858-18??, 1858-09-11
What are we all Living For!


This is a question, that, at some
time Or other, every person asks him
self, who does not idly drift along the
stream of existence, careless of his
course as of his destination. tits
question that arises with especial
frequency in the minds Of Californi-
ans.
Most of US came here under the
spur of excitement-full of vague
but ardent hopes that here we should
find the key to happiness, that here
we should discover the potent princi>
pie which, from the hitherto clouded
waters of our souls would precipitate
all impurity and leave them clear and
sunny existences, glassed in the trans
parent media Of still but useful lives.
Raised by competence above the ne
cessity for sordid toll, we thought to
return whence we came, to realize
our various ideals Of happiness, and
pass TRANQUILITY to the grave amid the
fearful benedictions of friends and re-
.latives. We assume this to be SC, for
we believe all men are radically alike,
and that however our schemes as
connected with California may have
differed in particulars, they generally
pointed to one end-the procurement
Of happiness for ourselves and others,
and the opportunity for leading purer
lives. These schemes have been re.
allied by very few, and this is conse-
quently land Of disappointed men.
Awakened from our dreams, we
sigh languidly and proclaim the futil-
ity of exertion. We are mostly
content to procure the means of main
tanning without striving to ennoble
existence, and individually assist to
swellthe social evils which all deplore.
Why is this? Are usefulness and
happiness possible under only one
condition, and that the possession Of
material abundance
How much gold does it cost to say
kind words to one another-to cool
the brow of sickness-to preserve a
cheerful temper-to cultivate the
heart and the brain-to worship na>
ture-to be tolerant, liberal, and obe-
dent to the higher motives ? Is a
pure life impossible except under ma
tive skies? Is virtue the growth of
forms, and benevolence the fruit of
social compulsion? Are not all these
things inherently possible without ex-
traneous aid? 1t is quite probable we
have all made the mistake of deferring
too much to the future. There is a
world of wisdom in the common pro-
verb which tells US to make the most
of the present, and even those whose
instincts lead them to seek enjoyment
in present degradation, are wiser, if
less virtuous, than we who malign the
purpose of our being by an Incidence
which We conveniently call hopeless
ness.
Life is a round of infinitely recur-
ring chances, which only he who
stands on the alert ever catches and
makes his own.
If we complain that our plans have
all been defeated, we do no more than
the most successful can do, for it is
the experience of nearly all such that
success did not so much result from
their. plans as from their alert grasp
ing Of unexpected opportunities. The
game Of fortune is oftenest shot on
the wing. Nearly all men, if they
look coolly back upon their lives will
observe that whatever they possess
now of good or desirable came to
them by some unlocked for process,
the very reverse of their brave plans;
just as, after years Of patient toll and
search, inventors have found in an
accident the solution of their enqui-
ries. We lie down to sleep, depressed
by our inability to effect some end,
and a capricious dream affords the
clue to success, which starts US into
ecstacy.
But if we lie down with no strong
doa:.aa 4ha ;aGa;Aa za.ld &C ,aaec;h;-