The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-11-19
Notes from Myra's Portfolio.
A Family Reunion-The Uses OF Adversely
The ImperfectiOns and Virtues of Carlyle.
OAK LAWN, La, Oct. 1881.

A Family Reunion-The Uses OF Adversit,
OAK LAWN, La, Oct. 1891
DEAR AUNT CHAT:
If you knew just the condition o
affairs in our little world, ut this partic.
ular epoch, you would appreciate the
silent halfhonrs thought and intercourse
l am about to dedicate to you this morn.
ing. ltrequires All effort, l must confess
to break away from the cnmpanionsbi, !,
of those very dear to us, when the mo-
ments are so fleeting and a few days will
bring another long separation.
At last the mem bers of large family
are gathered together under the old roof
tree-a cherished sister from distant
lands, and others most dear and near.
Still, Aunt Chat, is it not strange how
invariably blending of shadowy hues
tlarkens the fairest life-canvasf Even
now, when the anticipation of months
is finally fulfilled, the lurking thought
of the transformers of all earthly joys
dims the marvellous brightness that else
would glorify each passing honr. May
1T not be, that as in art, so in nature, the
pictures of our lives need darkened
back ground and Il contrast Of subdned
tints and touches, in order to bring out
more fully and reveal to the highest adj
| vantage the brightness thereof. Itseems
to rs in many of our moods, one of the
| paradoxes of life that there should be
necessary an alternating of storm aud
sunshine, sorrow with joy, in order to
produce the best result and constitute
the finest discipline in any life. Is it
true, then, that grand character is no
more to be made without trial, than
bricks without fire
A distinguished musicians criticism of
a famous European cantatrice, was
" Yes, yes, she is very fine, but her voice
lacks something. If l had my way l
would marry her to some one who would
maltreat her and break her heart, and in
six months she would he the greatest
singer in Europe" The goldfinch is sand
to sing more swectly after its eyes are
scared with i; red hot iron, and SO in our
own human experience, the soulful utter
ance, the deep impassioued feeling and
exquisitely sensitiye and delicate emo
:
minor strains and miscreres.
We look before and after,
Aud pine for what ia not,
Our sincerest laughter
With some pain is frtught
Our sweetest songs are those
Which tell of saddest thought.
If, then, troubles in some form are i'll
cidcnt to mans imperfectionA, Is it not
the very wantonness of folly to brood
over and magnify theme There is moth
ing like heart-varnish to cover up innu-
mcrable evils and defects of life. If we
cultivate checrfulrcss, the spectrcs of
neglect, nnkinlness and despair will fly
before it as foys before the sun. "Com-
mon sense, says Wendell Phillips, "plays
the game with the cards it has. It bows
to the inevitable and makes use Of it.. 1t
does not ask an impossible chess board,
but takes the one before it and plays tho
game" Instead of complaining, as we
are oft-tlmes apt to do, that the circum-
stances of our lives are discouraging, We /
would accomplish most difficult aud |
wearsome tasks if we brlvely and cheer |
fully placed ourselves en- rapport with |
those circumstances. Then, too, when /
We reflect that most Of the evil that |
nverta kes us is the result of our own |
folly or wrong~doing, it is not quite fair
to decry the adverse and illfav"rins |
winds, and sentimentalize about an I'M
fortunate destiny. You remember the
old French ploverb which embodics SO
much penetrating truth as we'll as keen
satire, viz: "Le bien, nous lc faisons;
le NAL, cest la .fortune!"
The tendency to blame Heaven, Fate,
Or each other, for the F." tangled ends" in
the web Of our lives, is almost universal,
while all tho time we are utterly oblivi-
Dns to the fact that by most blessed
alchemy Of Heaven, the evil results of
our own wrons-doiny and error may be
into richest blessings
l have been very much amused at the
procedure Of a certain friend of mine.
Carlyle has long been one of my heroes,
md this friend, knowing how l derive
strength and sustcnance from his writ
hgs, and failing to share my ardent en-
.hnsiasm OF him, undertook to dispcl tho
Illusion and create a distrust Of his char
,cter by sending me, faithfully, every
adverse criticism of him that has been
in paper or magazine during
he past months, whc, all the periodicals.
rave been flooded with Carlyleana. II.
vas quite nonplusscd and surprised al
ny tenacity Of belief, when he was in
ormed that had not taken my hero
Town from his high pedestal, but on the
contrary, discerned the man more clearly
han ever, through all the n1ists that en-
'eloped him-irregnlarities of temper,
rsjudice, and unreason.
Fhcse Llenishcs are like spots upon the
mn, and do not obscure tue greatness of
lis character.
l can not but regard the hypercri'ic,.l
ensure Of him that has been going the
onusls of the press. as superficial, pre-