The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1867-08-08
For the Lancaster Gazette.
Philosophy Of Life.
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w. u
ft
In common parlance We take
i;ho,.;os Iai,o,oti s..
so'ne''neS') NiIn tue scnooi uenhi-
tions affixed TO words by dlction-
ary makers. In fact, / suppose
that nine persons ont of every Ten
nevor oive ,bou.ol,o. o,,v ,roub,o
70 ma out what tne dictionary
man has to say about it. So that
the word employed conveys the
the. idea, or thought, that is sufi-
cient. Thus, words arc used in a
wider range than photographers
have left them perhaps sumelimes
for the want OF agreeable syno-
nyms; or, perhaps from the mere
habit of associating thought with
words, But SO that intelligence is
conveyed, and understanding
the MUD is satisfied
Thus the general lqHS or principles
Of science do not hold us back, un.
less we are content TO call every
thing science that We, use the word
philosophy to illustrate. We use
the term in very extended sense.
We say philosophy Of life philos-
ophy Of religion philosophy Of a
future statey philosophy of morals,
&C., DC. perhaps these are all
scientific subjects al last. Let il
be so. We understand ourselves.
1t might be as intel 'gibIe to
say, economy Of life, since the sue.
cessful management oflife's affairs,
so lar as we are concerned, requires
the employment Of our economical
resources. But we choose to say
philosophy OF life" which embod-
les the idea OF making The best use
OF life. And, after all, there is
is nothing concerns us so much, so
far as our brief scjourn here is
considered, as how to manage SO as
to be good, wise and happy. |
never renounced the belief that all
these ends can be attained, and
l believe as well that the means
are at our individual control. l
have been astonished and unset
tied a thousand times when | have
seen people frctting, and despair
ing, and lamenting, and in every
visible way making themselves just
as miserable as lite could bear, and
all too about the common every
day occurrences that none can go a
long without meeting; and when
if common sense could have sat
supreme, a single moment of re-
hection would have revealed the
sense, that there was really moth
ing to complain about. | have al.
ways felt the instructive impulse TO
ask such persons if they expected
TO make things better by storming
Why, it is exactly augmenting all
the troubles complained of, when
a little philosophy nationally en-
ployed would have ca!med the
whole thing down. 1t we fret and
use irritating and boisierous words
TO day about that which cannot or
has not been managed properly,
we will be inclined in an increased
ratio to DO the same tomorrow,
with less ability to deport ourselves
nationally, and thus, with many,
life is a continual turmoil, Il bed
lam.
Such is the nature OF our COM
mcrce with men and things, that
we every day, need our philosophy,
need to call up ourselves. But to
get excited, and manifest impa-
tience, or anger, or to rctort. or
use caustic words, is to surrender
ourselves wholly or partially, into
the hands of our adversaries 10
lose all our advantages. | don
want to be understood as recon-
mending cunning, or stratagem, or
to gain advantages, or
even 10 hold our own. l most
heartily despise all such resorts.
l despise expcdients. l don't rec
ognize their necessity or their a.
pology. Their employment, is to
me, an indication OF a weak, or an
nworthy cause. A just cause,
and an honest intention, is all the
we want. Firmness is in
But keep still and
see what is to come. Our sweetest
enjoymehts, and tranquil, pleasant
hours, and joy, come TO us unbid-
den, and when we least expect
them, often. We can be earnest
and patient too. "Least said is a
maxim that we cannot too often re-
cur to. A blusterer is one who has
30 authority, and who has not the
! aspect or confidence of anybody,
Tho shadows of to day are gone
tomorrow, il We don't hug them;