Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-24
Hard Times.

| HOW the RHe tnluI COulQ nave produce
two such opposite plays as "othelIo" an
AS You Like II" is wonder OF won
! ders. The first is very concentrate
OF disgusts and horrors; and taking on
that infatuated young woman. the hero
| inc. we would not be sorry TO see all tn
| balance presented 10 the king of Dahomey
or scattered through the Libraries OF tn
Ethiopians or slowed away among III
Becchers. On the contrary. the play o
AS You Like II" is an honor TO the En-
gllsh race and language full OF fresh Gn'
beautiful delights. To our mind there Il
hardly anything more beautiful in poem
than the speech OF the baniJhed Duke IL
the Forest OF Arden:
Now. my co-mates. and brothers In exil'
Hath not old custom made this life mor'
sweet
Than that OF painted pomp? Are no
these woods
More free from peril than the envioui
court!
Here feel we but the penalty OF Adam
The seasons difference. as the icy fans
And churilsh Gliding Of the winter:
wind.
Which. when It bites and blows upon my
body.
Zen til / shrink with cold. smile anC
say:
This ls no Hattery-these are counsel
Iors
That feeIingly persuade me what / am.
Sweet are the uses OF adversely.
Which, like the toad. ugly and venomous
Wears yet "A precious jewel in his head.
And this our life, exempt from the public
hauuts
Finds tongues in trees, books in the run
ming brooks.
Sermons in stones and good in every
thing!
! would not change It; happy is your
grace.
That can translate the stubbornness OF
fortune
Into so quiet and so sweet a style.
Such jewel set in the memory will
be a rich and charming possession TO
any soul: nnimating. eleyatng, stimulat-
Ing. Frightening enlarging. Whitherso-
ever IT bIrncth It prospereth. And what
more can any work OF art do for man?
And what a condensed and eloquent
discourse is It upon the words Of the Son
Of Man. blessed are We poor! Marvellous.
that 1t took nothing less than n divine
man 20 tell the world that what was ac-
ccpted as a curse carried in it a blessing.
The greatest Of all human writers has
nounct ment.
This town Of ours has many beautiful IL
lustrations that commend he blessing =
Of Hard Times. while even they will not
join In praise Of that condition. Nobody
will praise poverty. Very few will praise
hard work. But everybody (almosO ~~.ll
praise wealth and tease. And yet thes-
people that we refer to have only poverty
to complain OF. while It has forced upon
them the best joys Of life. They all have
TO think they all have 10 deny themselves;
they all have to use every power. faculty
nerve and muscle Of their being TO keep
good hearts, to fight off complaints ami
doubts. ana fears; ithey all have 10 keep
c'ose 10 God. And these that we nave seen
have done all these things, and have shOne
III ulciI llatt. 4 utlI houses are inc
brightest and happiest. while the GOODNESS
OF poverty is under their feet, and It,
honorable stimulants are all about them.
They wear their troubles on their outside.
They will not praise poverty; but they
have tender sympathy for all in trouble,
and try to help them They VIII not pre-
tend to despise riches; but they know
not nor care for them at the expcn,e
OF self-respeCt Along the ways of drti-
ness, lowness or dishonor; they greatly
prefer a low condition of honor without
Dragging. With these that we speak Of
honorable nature Is free to grow, exercise
ITSELF expand, flourish and rejoice I'm the
fun glory OF MONDAY light. And none
can know rhem without honoring them.
and being moved almost 10 praise poverty
and hard times, that have helped to make
them what they ARE.