The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-04-06

..
oREKNE9.
titt,oR TEE
FORTUNES OF JULIET CLAYBURN.
CONTINUED. K
''Miss Claybnrn has known sorrow; but
the enemy nquished-instead of
being conquered she is the conqueror.
There is something irresistibly fascinat-
ing in that internal peace. whose exist
ence is portrayed in snoh graceful cha
raoters on her fcontenance-that calm
and cloudless serenity. which ebreathes
melodious music from every lineament.
in the golden ore Of herr perfect charac-
ter" .. "a aaiss 80 =, II
"That is true" replied his cousin; .'for
whatever regrets Juliet may have in the
past, and I think she has many, she has
nobly laid them away in those secret
chambers of the soll, whence their
ghostly faces never re.appear; she has
nobly buried them in the far away
sepulchres of the dead, and placed no
weak memorial to commemorate their
lost delight. Though she is no longer
careless and gay, and seldom has fits of
what the world calls vivacity and high
spirits, she is Spevertheless uniformly
cheerful, and appears to be at peace with
herself aud all mankind"
''Then she's the happiest and the
most highly favored of all created
beings" said Mr. Lyle; "for though it
is an easy thing, by the exercise of rigid
prudence and self-control, to keep on
terms of peace with the rest of the world.
to keep the soul at peace with itself is
the hardest task allotted to mortals."
''This, then, is your idea of happiness,
Theodore? a. state of quiescence. in
which we are free not only from bioker-
ings and outward disturbance with our
fellow-creatures. but also rid of all men
ings-graspings after the unattainable-
searchings into the mysterious-an that
inward inspection. that plunging into
the depths of self.scrntiny, which con-
fess is sometimes almost maddening."
''Do you wish to hear my idea of hap
piness?" asked Mr.. Lyle, striking spe-
culative, thoughtful attitude; "that ignis
futums, at which oil mankind have been
vainly clutching and grasping since the
fall Of fAdam2 Then listen: Happiness
arises from no external circumstances
for the peasant may be happier than the
monarch-the sick man than the robust
the ignorant than the learned-and o
Lazarus than Baron Rothschild. In
its highest state, it is the perfect subjec-
ton of our desires to our necessities-of
the carnal nature to the spiritual-of
matter to mind-of the intellect and the
passions to the moral nature. Happi-
ness is the pang which has lost its
venom-the quiet after agitation-the
power of placid enduranoe--the peace
after the storm-the delicious agony of
conquered sorrow. When we can look
back to the past, without shuddering at
its spectres we can look forward
to the future, without feverish antioipa-
tions concerning what it may have in
store for us-when we Gun perform our
duties in the present, without painful
retrospection or painful longings, then,
Eugenia, we possess our souls in peace
in other words, we are happy. It Is
evident that none can know happiness,
who have not taken draught from the
bitter cup of sorrow; and perhaps the
deeper the draught, the greater the capn-
city for happiness. For it is not the
quiet man, living in unbroken repose all
his days, who appreciates the blessings
attendant on his situation; but the storm
tossed, weather-benten mariner, who
having known tumult and disaster, can
feel tue delightful sensation OF Tranquil.
lity."
''Whnt an ideal" DRIED Eugenia. "Let
<here be an end to this unmeanipg vel
bocity. I suppose you consider it a pro.
foundly critical disqnisition on the sub
ject; but notwithstanding yonr profuse
dealing in poetical decoration and
imagery, it is neither sententious mol
sensible. Theodore, you describe ar
impossible state for feeling humanity
You make knowledge of misery neces
sary to a knowledge of happiness. Yo,
make man to know wsorrow-the heave
the better, 30 you say-and then 20,
proceed to divest him of all feeling
when he has become Indifferent to pros
perity or adversely: pleasure or pain, an.
mounted to scale of perfected callous
ness, then You derisively call him happy
Though know little of Zeno, of Cypru
and his teachings, it seems to me you
doctrine savors strongly of the princi
pies Of his scot. Happinessl HEAVIER
help us! I Ireprobate such system. fo
to be apathetio is worse misery than tn
unhappiness resulting from over-acut
sensibility."
.IRut vou wi1fu1ly comfort nv words