The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-01-23
WHICH Is THE HAPPIESr
PERIOD?
BY THE REV. GEO. II. HEPwoRTH.

been disputed question, and ever since
the world began the majority Of people
have misjudged. Thoroughly dissatis-
fed with any present time, we cast
about for a golden age. We cannot
fnd it in the future, as the cloud OF un-
certainty hangs on the horizon in that
direction. We are compelled, there-
fore to explore the past. The immedi'
ate past, with its facts and dsappolnt-
ments, is too fresh in our memories to
allow us to throw the required halo
about it; and 80 we continue our jour-
ney until we get to point where MEM
ory grows dim, and the imagination
works actively, and we call that the hal.
cyon period OF life. The distant future
and the distant past are both creations
OF the fancy.
To say that childhoo1is the happiest
period OF life is to offer an insult to
Providence. The child is, at best, hut
a bundle OF possibilities. He is crea-
ture OF unframed impulses, OF uudevel-
oped affections. His mind is like .
crate in a we'll ordered house. The coal
is there, the kindling is there, and the
whole thing will break into blaze
when touched by match. Now, until
such a CRATE before the match has
touched it, is a plessanter and more
profitable sight than halls dozen Jumps
of camel coal enveleped with q royal
blaze and filling the room so full OF
light and heat that one forgets the
wintry sleet without, childhood, with It's
sugar plums and it's toys, will be infe-
rior to manhood, with its burning en-
thusiasm and ts 10 ty ambition.
hear people sigh for the days Of
their childhood, and / grow impatient.
All poets have uttered their rhythmic
wall over middle age and sung their
sveetest strains over the dimpled days
Of babyhcod. What they say on this
subject may be very good poetry. but it
is wretched religion. Itan unconcious.
ness OF the great struggles OF life, which
is one OF the peculisrlties OF childhood,
constitutes happiness. then Darwin's
theory, taken literally, is evidently the
one TO be accepted. He tells US OF the
descent Of the race from animals; and
we are quite right in making the perfect
uucousiousness Of the animal the very
perfection OF happiness, while next iu
order will come the blurred conscious-
ness of the child, and lastly the perfect
consciousness OF the man, which is the
equivalent OF Wretchedness and misery.
Childhood is certainly well enough to
begin with but think we should all
be sorry to end with it. There is
place in every human life for China dolls
and Japanese tops, but there is also
plsce for mental culture, for struggle,
for hard work, and for reasonable
faith. Bsbyhood is beautiful, but man.
hood is heroic and divine.
Neither do l think we should draw
our magic circle around maturity and
claim Tor it the hours Of Our supremest
happiness. A strong man is certainly q
magnificent spectacle To be in full
possession oiripe powers is a great prI-
vilege. To cope successfully with ad-
verse circumstances, as a brave knight
fights with an equal foe, and compel
them to unconditional surrender must
open q hidden fountain OF SATISFACTION
in the heart, whose waters have a pscu.
liar taste. Not every one drinks at this
fountain; but the happiness OF those
who do must be quite iudescribable. To
be conscious Of mighty energies, 10 set
those energies at work to achieve sac
cess, TO grspple with giants Drawn
With the disapointments aud tne mis-
fortunes Of life, which like an army OF
furi.s sometimes beset one, and 10 stand
, at fifty an honorable victor, must fill 3
man so full OF happiness that, like
strong perfume 10 rose, it will per-
meate every fiber Of his being. Such
happiness is DO more to be compared
to that OF childhood than
is The physical bulk OF COLOSSUS to
be compared to the tiny body OF the iI-
: fant in swsddling clothes. It's not only
greater 10 quantity, but also richer and
= better in kind.
Nor am yet convinced that silver
haired old age, with an enviable past
, aud a glorious future, is the hapDiest
!, period OF life. There is, to be sure, q
charm about the autumn Of life which
is all it's own. The spripg-time struggle
for existence, the summer heat and
drought are over, aud the :ull grain
stands 10 the field in the geneal Sep
t.mber day, waiting for the reaper. The
satisfaction OF q soul that knows no re-
grets concerning the years which are
gone and mas no fears for the time to
, come, is q possession beyond sll price.
baT. seen \ good man sink to biz
r ren. TWAS my father. His death bed
It taught me more OF the religious he
e than sll the books have ever resd'
e He was no more afraid OF death than
e Won are afraid OF your mother. de 10
b more besitated to close his eyes In the
long ,l.ep than l do to close mine every
r night. To die was to 90 out of one
d room, somewhat small, uncomfortable
; and dimly lighted, into another Of larger
y nroportious and better furniture
!. through whose windows the light o.
j endless day poured itself in food o
glory. Every morning for the last week