The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-07-17

What 5 more reasonable than that they who
take pains for any thing should get most in that
particular for which they take pains They have
taken pains for power, you for right principles; they
for riches, you for the proper use Of the appearance
Of things. See whether they have the advantage of
you in that for which you have taken pains, and
which they neglect
These few words embrace the whole philosophy
Of the battle of life, for life IS a battle, a %continu-
GUS struggle. The contest is going on all around
US. Every man has his own particular objects
IN view, the goal Of his desires-if We may
except possibly a few who have no aim in life,
and who struggle for bare subsistence. But will
it not recur to the thoughtful mind, that in this
life journey Of ours, unnecessary griefs and
troubles are often entertained which, it properly
considered, would be much relieved If no. alto
gether abated? Reflection win convince US that
much Of the unhappiness Of life arises rather
from disappointed desires than from positive
evil. 1t is very important therefore, that we
should arrive at just notions Of ourselves and
surroundings, in order that We may not annoy
ourselves with f~ruitless desires, or give way to
c~auseless or unreasonable discomfort. The lessons
afforded by nature are generally well understood
by men, and they seldom lead to mistakes or dis
appointment. They are yielded to as to necessi-
ties, and contrary wishes subside when the i'm
possibility Of their qualification becomes apparent.
So also on inspection it will be found that in the
moral government of the world, and in the Sc
quences of the intellectual system, there are laws
quite as fixed and immutable as those Of nature.
The progress Of vegetation is not more certain
than the growth Of habit in man, nor is the
the power of attraction more clearly proved than
the force of affection or the influence Of example.
Those therefore who carefully study the laws of
mind and matter, will not be liable to disap-
pointment in themselves or others they will act
with precision, expecting that effect alone from
their efforts which they are adapted to produce.
We not infrequently hear men of merit finding
fault with the order of things whereby unworthy
characters are permitted to secure and enjoy
advantages in life. But they forget that them
selves having refused the price, they cannot
expect the purchaser Whatever end a man sets
himself about securing,-be it riches or knowl-
edge,-such is the force Of well regulated industry,
that a steady e~xertion of his powers to his end
will generally insure success. If wealth is his
aim, and he is willing to sacrifice everything to
this one point, the probabilities are that he will
become rich. He must pay the price Of toll and
diligence, and give up the pleasures of leisure
and a free and unsuspicious temper,-Iearning to
do hard, if not unjust things. If, on the other
hand, knowledge is lis aim in life, that must be
purchased by earnest application, study and re-
Election, spending the s~prightly years of youth
with books and growing pale over the midnight
lamp. But to succeed in the battle of life, the
aim must be chosen and persistently followed to
the end and let us not, like children, having
purchased one thing, repent because we do not
possess another which we did not purchase.
IL = a
ancient philosophers, that they never consented to
lower the tone of philosophy, to make it conform
to the tastes and habits of the INDECENT and SEN
sual. Their whole teaching was 8 if you would
be a philosopher, these are the TERMS A man
must be one thing or another, and no quality
confers more dignity than consistency of conduct.
The most characteristic mark of a great mind is
to select some one important object and pursue it
through life. This made Cesar great. He
chose ambition, and steadily pursued it, always
ready to sacrifice to it every intervening passion
or inclination.
In one of those fanciful fables in which the
Greek and Latin mythology abounds, and which
we often find so full of Illustrations and instruc-
ton, Jupiter is represented as complaining to
Cupid that he was never sincerely beloved. I" In
order to be loved, - says Cupid, % you must lay
aside your egis and your thunderbolts, and you
must curl your hair and place a garland on your
head, and walk with a soft step, and assume a
winning and obsequious demeanor." But
replied Jupiter, "I am not willing to resign SO
much of my dignity "Then,'' returns Cupid,
81 leave off desiring to be loved" He wanted to
be Jupiter and Adonis at the scme time.
The REMARK has frequently been made, that
H. =1--1z - 49,. zGto-o- -r,,kko- oho,,k o~l |
described than any other bit of earth of the like
extent and we believe it is true. But while the
climate, the mountains and valleys. the volcanoes
and coral reefs, have been faithfully described by
admiring tourists, no writer-with the exception
of Jarves, and he but meagerly-has ever under
taken to give a thorough description of the peo-
ple,-the Hawaiian race,-tbeir social life, man
ners, habits and customs, prior to the introduc-
ton of civilization among them. A book that
should reliably do this, giving also the originals
and translation of ancient metes or 1" sagas," and
traditions of the chiefs which are still extant,
would unquestionably be of great interest. We
have been surprised that the more recent Kings
have not taken an interest in this subject, and
that the task has not been undertaken by some
qualified person. We did hear, several years
since, that a gentleman now residing on Maui had
accumulated materials for some such work, intend
ing, it was understood, tc bring the history down
to and into the transition period, but we are not
informed as to whether the undertaking has been
abandoned.
We are led to these remarks from having read
in a late New ICELAND paper (the OtagO WitneSs)
a review of a book recently published in London,
entitled IT Rou, or the Maori at Home,' which
does for the native race of New Zealand what we
should like to see accomplished for the Hawai-
ians. The author is 4 Mr.. John White, " Native
Interpreter, Auckland, and formerly Resident
at Whanganui, and Native Land
purcbase Commissioner We ouote from the