National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-09-24
Life is UHdt Ne udHc 1t.

One of the most prolific sources
of complaint and secret discomfort
is the apparent inequality of the
human lot i'll life. In proof of this,
we are pointed to the outward diff
ferenceS SO palpable to all. Wealth
and poverty. health and sickness,
education and ignorance, ability and
teehleneSS. success and failure, Ger
tainly present very opposite appear
anCeS; but that .heY are either the
fixed and inevitable lot of those who
now possess them, or that they are
themselves the true clements of lite'S
happiness or misery, are erroneous.
though very. prevalent ideas. The
truth that ought to be impressed on
every mind, and especially upon the
young, both to prevent rcpiniug,and
to animate the energies to their full
est capacity. is that life is what we
make it. Two men stand side by
/ side, gazing Oh the same scene III
nature. To one, who has a bright
and cheerful disposition, it reveals
only beauty and gladncsS while to
| the other, gloomy and sad. the seen,
| is spread over with II leadcn pail
/ II is our own state mind that ere
atcS for US. even Nature herself, and
paints the same scene in beauty on
/ in gloom.
Still more is our social world what
we make it ourselves. The selfish
and cold hearted will ever find self
| iShneSS and cOdncSS in others: the
proud will be treated haughtily. the
angry and passionate will receive
| rudencSS and violence, and thOSt
who diSh0nor themselves will bc dis
honorcd by others But society, tc
the good, the gentle, and the benev
olent is different. Their example
wins others to similar virtues ant
develops the germs Of good, which
though they may be hidden, yet eX
iSt in every heart. From a man,
estimate of society as whole. W,
may gain very fair knowledge o
his own character, for as he is, 5,
will others appear to him. To Thu
pure, all things are pure, bccaus,
their purity. like the magnet, at
tracts the same quality in others
while the heart that is itself es-
trangcd from virtue, can find non,
else where.
Equally true is it, that our worlt
of circumstances and events is wha
we ourselves make it. The luXurie
of wealth, the triumphS Of success
the scintillationS of genius. and Tho
blessings of health, may be convert
ed into bitter evils if the wcllspring
ol nature are corrupt while tn,
Severest trials and temptations can
to a pure and noble heart, be chang
od into blessings. The power of tri
al to harm us does not reside III it
self, but in our own iccblcncsS to re
Sist or endure it. Every temptation
resisted purilies ami clcvates TIN
heart, and every suffering right,
borne strengthens our nature. Busi
ness life seems % dry up some IA
lures, and lead them away lrou
higher things; while in others, l
creates virtuouS independence, mau
lihcSS, and integrity. Pleasure f
one proves poisonous dlaught
whlle to another IT is a lcalthful re
frcshment. Thus life is what "
make it. 1t is not made up, in it
intrinsic nature, of the matcria
world, nor Of the society ia whicI
we move, nor of the external cil
cumStancrs which surround us. |
is our own internal character tina
moulds and fashions all these out
ward things, and extracts from then
the bitter or the sweet that best a'
, similatcs with itself These outwaf
circumstances contain the csscuc
Of both happincssand misery bot
' good and evil. Happy is the ml
who can extract the sweet and lcav
the bitter--who can develop til
GOOD aud cxtinguish the evil. y
the chemist works up the element
into the desired condition, and ol
tains flesh knowledge from all tn
difficulties they exhibit, 80 in I'll
moral, everything external may i
resolved into good, and all that
most adverse may bc endured so "a I
troVc "A ptcatpr blessing than tl