The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-23
Orestes and I.

"What are you looking forf' said / to
Orestes, who was fumbling among the
books on the library table.
"F'or n jewel | have lost"
''Was il diamond z" sad l.
MOI; pearl above all price. 1t was
my belief in human nature"
"Oh now, Orettes, | cannot help you to
search for that, for | do not believe you
ever had much Of az ownership in it.
mo; was an enthusiast, no perfection
ist but | did believe little in the dignity
of human nature until the last two years y
"Wel there has been some reason for
dslusion Still one must turn TO the
bright spois-one must read of the sublime
courage of those Sisters Of Charity over at
Brooklyn the other day, who ran TO the
rescue of their poor people, and were
wounded and burned themselves. Think
of delicate woman taking blind old
pauper from his bed, and carrying him
down STAIRS on her back 1t is more beau
tiful picture than that of the stalwart b.
hemian princess who carried her lover out
of the courtyard, lest his feet should print
the snow. Pity and compassion are nobler
than love; 50 do not despair, Orestes-all
s not lost"
"NO; but | do not like to think that vir-
tue hides itself in hospitals; it is easy for
a woman TO be good when she bas renounc-
ed the world and shut out the passions.
want people to be decently honest and good
who have done neither
"You are quite sure that one does shut
| out the passions ia converts, hospitals, and
monasteries!"
Eyes such passions as ambition, and
avarice, love of spendor, love of show, and
the pride Of life"
"But people have not often to contend
with all these at once"
"Some had, and have fallen"
"Yes; and some have encountered all
| this, and more, and have stood fiuTly.
Count up your unwounded and your living
and they outnumber your dead.
'Yet weep more over one dead char
acter than | rejoice over a hundred living
| ones"
THAT is natural, but still it is absurd.
Here we are fighting the battle of life, the
air full of unseen foes, our own hearts trail
tors to our best intentions, life as much a
scene of combat from the cradle 10 the
grave as was Waterloo and yet we are as
tonished that few fall while we ought to
wonder that any or half of the combaants
survive"
ono" replied Orestes; 81 do not agree
WIFI YOU. AllGI ullt IL Is nut VII AilsbN-
ieve in human nature-it is you. | be-
lieye we are given sufficient backbone, a
noble integrity, by nature, brain which
has the power TO hold the passions in
check. | think we are intended to be
strong, and good, and decent people
and when, one, two, three of my friends
go down, and that at mature age, after
the passions of youth are conquered, sf-
ter reason has reached maturity, then |
weep. and lose my faith in human ma
ture."
''Your tears, Orestes, ! confess, would
be those of strong man and such are al
ways wrung with difficulty from the heart;
| they are painful to see. | do not feel any
| too well myself to-day about the downfall
of character; but think the saddest part
Of it all is to see pleasure that it causes TO
certain other, not yet found out. That, to
| me, is the worst of it. The human heart
is deceitful and desperately wicked, and |
am only too glad when | lind have con-
CURED temptation to be happy when hear
that another has yielded to il.
81 never had a temptation to commit GER
tain low and mean crimes" replied Or
! estes.
mo. you had not; but you have had a
| temptation, and have yielded to 1t, TO be
| very carpng and critical, very severe ana
very much inclined TO look down on the
| Sins you have no mind to-
"Thanks, gentle critic You are very
amiable this morning. Haven't you lost
something-let us say your temper p
"Yes, Orestes am convicted ! have
lost my temper. First, have lost friend
of twenty years standing, man knew,
respected, believed in. lie has gone OIL to
the land of dshonor; that makes me eai ;
and then those friends of his who change
Immediately into enemies, they make me
angry. have not lost my faith in human
nature. however but am sorry to see this
exhibition OF its weaker side. Why not
hate the sin and love the sinner do not
Immediately turn away from the love felt.
ri cannot suppose the young woman whose
soft hand held last week, whose beauty
l admired, whose amiabillty | loved, does