Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-05-30
FALSE CONTEhTMENT.
philadelphia Ledger.

virtue of contentment, there is one specie
OF 1t that lies like worm at the core oi
all human progress. 1t is that which rem
ders man satisfied with mis- own achieve
ments, content to remain where he is in
the different spheres of activity, or thought
| or usefulness, instead of ascending into
others which are open to him, and for
which he may be fitted. Some men, it is
true, are too eager to press on beyond their
powers, and become victims of "vaulting
ambition which o'erleaps ITSELF" but others,
| for various reasons, shrink from new tasks,
new duties and new responsibilities, and
| thus greatly retard th cir own development,
| and lessen their value to humanity.
There is certainly great temptation to
certain class Of minds to this holding
back, in the fact that in every forward
step, though real gain be made, there is
always an apparent loss. In the school
each promotion into higher class brings
with it a certain sense of inferiority. The
boy who was even with or superior to his
fellows now finds himself behind many of
them. His work was easy before, and he
was conscious OF doing it well; now it is
difficult, and he stumbles and perhaps
often fails. So when he completes his
course and enters college or begins busi-
ness life, he who was at the top, and looked
down upon others, is now at the bottom,
and is looked down upon by others. Last
year he easily excelled and felt victorious;
this year he has every thing to learn and
feels inferior Yet it has been long step
upward, and, having taken it, he would
not willingly 60 back. His present stumb
ling Efforts are better than his past
triumphs
Life is full of such changes. AS fast as
one succeeds in some enterprise another
OF ems up before him He has grown ac-
custOmed to the first, and is conscious of
doing fairly we'll in it. The next is yet
untried and involves not only fresh exer-
ton and energy, but a fair certainty of
many mistakes and failures. The feeling
of power will be replaced by the feeling of
weakness, and the pleasure Of success will
be exchanged for the disappointment of
shortcoming Many shrink from these
painful sensations and remain satisfied
with the. peaceful and quiet discharge of
the duties to which they have be,on
habituated. They have, perhaps, succeed
ed we'll in their business and their domes
tic life. Every one respects the industry,
energy and fidelity which they have
PuU luUO UuClI WOih, oAu thCy3 tOO, dIC
satisfied. But in some way they are in
vlted to new and untried paths. Some
needed reform claims their activity and
judgment, or some political crisis calls
upon them to arise and espouse with all
toeir might a cause which they have
hitherto held but languidly. Our humanity
in some of it's many forms of suffering de-
mands OF them more practical aid than it
has ever occurred to them to bestow. Or
some truth, to which they have given only
passive assent, now needs the active en-
deavors of every one of its adherents to
promulgate and uphold it. But they hesi-
tate to obey the call, whatever it may be,
and find plausible reasons for not respond
ing. 1t is all new TO them, and they doubt
their powers; some one else, they think,
can be found better fitted than they; their
present duties claim all their time;
they are contented as they are, and have
no ambition to extend their sphere or null
tiply their obligations. Now, this kind of
contentment is the one that works harm
instead Of good. To be content with the
condition of life in which we are placed,
and the circumstances which surround US,
is q wholesome frame of mind; but to be so
cOntented with our achievements as to be
to attempt Others-to be so sat-
isfied with the height we have gained that
we refuse to asce nd further, to be so well
well pleased with cur small successes tina
we decline to risk our reputation in fur
ther endeavors-this Is an apathy which
will crush all advancement and prevent
the healthy growth of human power.
There Is another practice which grows
out of this iEdolent, self complacency, and
is the source of much cruel injustice. Such
persons very often criticise, In cold and
unteeliDg manner, those v no are trying to
do the very things which they have them
selves refused to attempt. They seem to
imagine that, because they will not touch
q burden that is to be borne, they are ab-
solved from all obligation concerning it,
and that those who do try manfully to
carry it are expected neither to faint nor
to falter. They will look cody on
while some brave reformer or gen.
trous philanthropist is struggling to
help mis- fellow men, and criticise
his methods of manner, and declare how
differently they would conduct the affair
ii they attempted it. They do not see
that, with all the blu ders and failures he
can make, he is far nobler than they, who,
assuming to know better, yet refuse,
through incidence or pride, to put forth a
single effort in the matter. His feeblest
attempts ought rather to fill them with
shame and humiliation that they have
fallen so far behind him.
No past success or perfe ctness can be any
excuse for such remissness. 1t only affords
more reason why men should press on to
further efforts. As fast as any new duty
is revealed to o man, or any great need OF
humanity appeals to his heart, or any
truth or principle requires his assistance,
an obligation is at once created which he
can by no means repudiate or reason away.
1t stands there, either to welcome him to
q higher life in its fulfllment than he has
ever known before, or to reproach him for
neglecting its rightful claims.
Unless above himself he can
Er, ct himself how poor ing Is manv'