Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-09-14
WHAT IS pEsslMisMa
a rneory Ia the AIR ss unsubstnntia' Ne
Many othcr silly Theories

! Wa have heard Sbf commentators
darkeuing with many words the sub
loot they set out TO illumine. trust
! ~, no sucb misfortune Is to result
from the labors OF the browning
societies in this country ana England.
To class the keen-sighted, but large
n,;ndaa and cenial-hearted Browning
,rnonr the ressimists seems n mistake
hard to account for to one VINO mas
found in his hopeful philosophy, a
greater encouragement than almost
anv other single writer. teacher or
preacher of to-day has TO give.
confess to being skeptical as TO the gen
u;neness of much that calls Itself pes
simism. or, rather ms to the existence
of many thorough-going pessimists.
question the propriety OF CHASING
Pascal among pcssimists called re-
lioious." for to my mind the ideas OF
religion and pessimism are incom-
patible-even religion as Pascal under
stood it. 1t were truer to say OF
him that, in the struggle of his
intellect between faith and under
mining doubt, his mind Mt times lost
hold on religion. and then, for him. the
universe was darkened. and chaos came
AGAIN. If to recognize that in this
world sorrow outbalances joy be pes
simism. then take it that the major
itv of persons past theiryouth, who have
minds to think with and hearts to feel
with. are pessimists. But such recog-
milton of the fact of life does not settle
the question whether it is worth living.
Browning says. in the person of
the pagan poet Clcon: "Life's made
quate to joy. rs the soul sees it that
is. in unalloyed fulness of perfection;
vet the pagan could imagine state OF
being above the present i'll which the
"ioy-hungcr should be satisfied. if
Zeus the all-wise were the all-loving.
too. 1t seems to me that the true
pessimist, like the true skeptic, is
nothing if not thorough-going. and
that to be one requires greater hard
ness of head and GOODNESS of heart
than belong, thank Heaven, to many.
A genuine pessimist should 90 out and
drown himself, AS the practical out
come of his belief; if he does not. it is
because, in spite of theory, he con-
trives to find life tolerable-and if for
him, why may it not be for his fellowsP
The formula of pessimism is, or ought
to be, that this is the worst of all pos
sibe worlds, and therefore let us each
, and all get out of it. Schopenhauer
the great apostle of pessimism. so
, far as he was sincere and consistent,
5 was so in virtue of his GOODNESS of
5 heart. the luminous seliishness which
t guided him through life" He was
A never guilty of really associating with
anybody, we are told. But, granting
the existence of few convinced and
: more or less consequent contemncIS
t of the world and mankind. | think il
Y remains true that pessimism is mostly
n theory in the air, IT'S unsubstantial
= and harmless rs many other theories
e that men have manufactured in all
= ares of the world. 70 return to the
d point whence started-that Browning,
n of all men. should be called a pessi-
n mist seems wonderful, most wonder
8 full, and yet again wonderful. To rec
# ognize the force of circumstance and
e the fatality of chance in the life OF
!, man, the observation-disclosures of his mis-
/ takes. his capacity for suffering, the
# possibility of his deepest joys trans
/. forming themselves into his mos,
II poignant griefs, the Illustration of hope
Y and the heartsickness of unfullilled de.
1t sire, ''infinite passion and the pain oi
:. finite hearts that yearn to see and
s. feel all this does not make a mar
t, a pessimist. To put into a WORD
9 that Numerically opposite view take
IS OF Browning, it seems to me that, +
l. few great names apart, no poet witt
m SO wide and deep knowledge of hu.
n man nature and life has SO uniforml,
id maintained tone of steadfast and
" lofty hope. His world is not made n,
it OF saints and heroes, but of struggling
IN SHINING, sorrowing men and women
n yet IN his creed they have always tho
e. power to erect themselves above them
tn selves. Many of them find victory ever
m IN defeat, JOY in the midst of pain, anc
f. honor, faith, and love worth, even i,
e this life, more than easy-gong com.
ut iort and the satisfaction of selfish pas
10 sion. The confidence of Browninp'
tone contrasts with the uncertain utter
nnce OF most of his brother poets since
ID Wordsworth. Even the latter spoke
Is as 1t were, from the lonely height O.
e. abstract contemplation, while Brown
II ing voice comes up from amidst the
.e throng OF active human life. He say.
lie of it
s. This woild-it means intensely, and mean
l. good;
ii 10 ma Its meaning is my meat and drink"
n Ana the facts of existence which NOV,
IL the shallower thinker to lamentatio,
a. and doubt, namely, the mutabilitv o
to all things and the disappointment o
nope, stir and stimulate Browning :,
"a mat he cries, of this "old woe of III,
re world tune to whose rise and fall w,
> live and die
an MISC with 1T, then! Rejoice that man is bur,a,
=, FROM change to change increasingly"
~ Attdnttc Monthly.
n. 9lTh AND POINT.
IL among the books that have halnoJ