, 1888-12-20


task before us, which is to co-endure with
our existence, is rather one Of microscopic
hneness. and the heroism required is that
of patience. There ia no cutting OF the
! Gordian knots Of life; each Llust be smil.
ingly unravelled.
To be honest, TO be kind--to earn q little
and to spend u little less. to make upon
the whole u family happier for his pres.
ence, to renounce when that shall be
necessary and not to be embittered, TO
keep few friends but these without cap.
itulation-above all, on the same grim
condition, to keep friends with himself.
here is u task for all that man has Of for
titude and delicacy. He has an ambitious
| soul who would ask more; he has a hope.
ful spirit who should look ia such an en-.
terprise to be successful. There Ia indeed
one element In human destiny that not
blindness itself can controvert; whatever
else we are intended to do. we are not in.
tended to succeed; failure is the fate
allotted. 1t is so in every art and study;
1t is 10 above all in the continent art OF
living well. Here Is a pleasant thought
for the years end or the end of life. Only
self.deception will be satisfied, and there
need be no despair for the despairer.
But Christmas Is not only the mile mark
OF another year. moving US to thoughts OF
determination; it is a aseason from all its
associations, whether domestic or reli-
gious, suggesting thoughts OF joy. A man
dissatisfied with his endeavors is man
tempted to sadness. And in the midst of
the winter, when his life runs lowest and
he is reminded of the empty chairs of his
beloved, IL Is well we should be con.
demned to this fashion of the smiling face.
Noble disappointment, noble self.denial
are not to be admired. not even to be par.
doned, IL they bring bitterness. IL is one
thing to enter the kingdom of heaven
main; another to main yourself and stay
without. And the Kingdom of heaven is
of the childlike, of those who are easy to
please, who love and who give pleasure.
Mighty men of their hands, the smiters
and the builders and the judges, have
lived long and done sternly and yet pre-
served this lovely character; and among
our carpet interests and twopenny con.
Germs, the shame we're indelibie il we
should lose IL. Genteness and cheerful.
ness these come before all morality; they
are the perfect duties. Aud it
is the trouble with moral men
other. IL was The moral, the Pharisee,
whom Christ could not away with. II
your morals make you dreary, depend up.
on it they are wrong. do not say "give
them up" for they may be all you have;
but conceal them like o vice, lest they
should spoil the lives of better and simp. |
Ter people.
A strange temptation attends upon |
man: to keep his eye on pleasures, even |
when he will not share in them; to aim
all his morals against them. This very
year lady singular leo noclastD pro.
claimed crusade against dolls: and the
racy 'ermon against lust is quite a feature
OF the age, venture to call such moral.
lists insincere. At any excess or perver.
sion of II natural appetite, their Tyre
sounds of itself with reishing denun.
ciations; but for all displays of the
trnly diabolic-envy, malice, the mean
silence, the calumnious truth,
the backbiter, the petty tyrant the
standard is quite different These are
wrong, they will admit, yet somehow not |
quite so wrong; there is no zeal in their
assault on them, no secret element of gusto |
warns up the sermon; it Is for things not |
wrong in themselves that they reserve the |
choicest of their indignation. A man may
naturally disclaim all moral kinship with |
the Rev. Mr.. lola or the bobgobiin |
old lady of the dolls; for these are |
yet in each of US some similar ele-
ment resides. The sight Of a pleasure in |
which we cannot or else will not share |
moves us to particular impotence. 1t |
may be because we are envious, or be. |
cause we are sad, or because we dislike |
noise or romping-being so refined. or be-
philosophic-we have an
ever-weighing sense of life's gravity; at |
least. as we go on in years, we are all |
tempted to frown upon our neighbors
pleasures. People are nowadays so fond |
tott fap nj al iinns. bara 10 tf, k.
resisted. They are so fond of self denial;
here is propensity that cannot be too |
peremptorily denied. There is an idea
abroad among moral people that
they should make their neighbors |
good. One person have to |
make Rood-myself But my duty to
my neighbor is much more nearly expressed
by saying that have to make him happy
If may.
Happiness and goodness, according to
cantinR moralists. stand in the relation
of effect and cause. There was never
anything less proved or less probable;
our happiness is never in our own hands;
we inherit our constitution; we stand
buffet among friends and enemies; we
may be so built as TO feel sneer or an
aspersion with unusual keenness, and so
circumstanced as to be unusually exposed
to them; we may have nerves very sensi-
tive to pain. and he afflicted with disease
very painful. Virtue will not nelp us,
and it Is not meant to help US. 1t is not
even its own reward, except for the self
centered and-l had almost said--the un-
amiable. No man can pucify his con-
science; il quiet be what he want
he shall do better to let that Or
gan perish from disease. And to avoid
the penalties of the law, and the minor
Capitis diminutio of social ostracisu, is an
affray of wisdom of cunning, if you will
land not of virtue