South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-08-18
Observation-Disclosures.

In what do these consist? How may
they be attained? What is the secretG
With reference to this subject there are
"many men of many minds" The diversity
of opinion among men is as great as their
physiognomical expressions. There are
no two exactly alike; nor do any two
think precisely alike on all points. Each
seeks enjoyment; all desire happiness.
Many a man lives in his p~ropensities, and
seeks enjoyment in their qualification. He
rises no higher than his appetite and SEN
sual nature. His chief gods are wine and
women; next to these come the love of
lucre and of place. He seeks money and
position, not so much for their use as for
the love of them. In the pursuit of one or
all of these he forfeits his health, his
morals, and even his hope of heaven.
Still, he seeks enjoyment-happiness His
chief error consists in the fact that his
philosophy is all wrong; he has no yet
learned hat ones highest happiness consists
in making Others happy. He Graves SYM
pathy for himstlf instead of seeking to be-
stow sympathy on others. His purely sell
fish aims must inevitably end in failure.
Suppose he acquire the wealth of the As
tors, Stewards, or Rothschilds; suppose
he indulge in inordinate affection-does
this bring real enjoyment or enduring hap
piness9 No, no; up to this point OF his
existence he has not rlsen above the teach
ings of the heather philosopher who said,
do unto others as others do unto you"
He is yet to come up to the higher plane
of Christ's teachings, which were "Do unto
other as We so0uh that others should do
unto you" In this, and in this alone, We
have the secret of real enioyment-true
happiness. 1t is further illustrated in those
words so often spoken, so little practiced:
at is more blessed to give than to receive"
When mankind is educated up to this
high standard, there will be less self in
diligence and more self-sacrifice, and the
highest happiness. What enjoyment can
be more exquisite, what happiness more
complete, than is realized by the teacher,
preacher, and benefactor, who puts others
in the way of self-improvement and
growth in grace, and who relieve the
suff rings of the unfortunate? Is it not a
source OF real enjoyment to Mr.. Peter
Cooper when he meets a house full of
thankful hearts who express so much graf
itude for the privilege he has afforded them
for acquiring knowledge through his no
Bile Institute? Will not his last hours on
earth, yea, his very departing, be made
glorious and happy by the grace vouch-
safed to the cody? Reverse the picture.
Here is q close-fsted, mean and selfish
rich man He has earned little or moth
ing by personal labor or exertion. He
has become rich, perhaps, by selling whis-
ky and tobacco, or by specializing in
stocks; by shaving notes; or by distress
ing the poor wh0m circumstances placed
in his power. All these things are lawful;
but are they e~xpedient? do they bring
happiness? The physician who relieves
physical suffering enjoys exquisite sensa-
tons. The wise counselor, who advises
the way out of a difficulty, enjoys the fact
as much or more than the client. The
merchant who supplies a real want, at a
rate satisfactory to all concerned, enjoys
the act. The mechanic who makes a ma
chine or erects useful structure for the use
of others, is compensated almost as much
by thanks as by dimes and dollars. The
artist who produces a picture, a piece of
statuary, or anything enjoyable, can never
be paid in money alone. 1t is the thought
of ministering to others enjoyment that
he is made happy. In the same way we
might go through all the different human
pursuits, and we should find that the
highest happiness in each consists of the
ultimate desire to make others happy. Yer
lily lit is nor blessed to give than to re-
Let us thank God for the blessed
privilege of "doing INTO others as we
would that others should do unto u.s.
Ph7enolGQicdL Journal.