The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-18

There are very few people that DO not
look just a little bit beyond their noses.
Living from hand 90 mouth seems TO sat-
isfy some. but not many. our eyes are
adjusted 20 looking ahead. and our souls
to forccasting. As a consequence We
have. most of us, conceptions or visions
dim or clear OF the good things We are
looking for.
Mems good time. or Elysian Fields, or
Heaven. differ widely. And divine philos-
OIhy Fays that the character ol their QUE
look comes from the character of the
heart IL tho heart i6 right, the eye Is
single and rs cOutemplatiOus full OF light
and brightness. lf the heart IS wrong,
the eve liz evil and clouds and darkness
obscure and Gchle g. The difference Dee
tween men and their lives comes OF the
important question. How they hope 90 De
happy, ana what is 10 Doc the grand con-
summation q their being -their sum-
mum bOnum.
These ideas lcgin very low and run
vfry high, and are curiousiy varied.
There is am old saying. that measures the
bliss OF ignorance; AS nappy as cedd
pig" That absolute neeativtness might
Doe counted desirable by any man VINO is
worried to DEATH That's the hapIi-
ness Of humiliation. or utter oblivion or
Inconsistencies Of the Lotus Eaters, or
aEnOstics. so that ~ the pig was 60 De
roasted IL would make no difference WIN
him.
Tho happiness Of the old-fashioned dar-
key was. PLENTY 10 ear, good clothes, ana
nothing 20 do but eat and sleep rs much
as ne pleased. This was near 10 that OF
tie little boy who earoiled:
II / was only President
or these United states,
IA cat moidsses candy,
And I'll swing upon the gates.
Along with these Elysian conceptions
is that Of Sampson Brass IN his moment
OF triumph, when "the sull small voice
was singing comic songs within him. ana
all was happiness and joy" And yet am
other very pom lar condition Is plenty cI
money and no poor kin"
a little beyond these are other "swtet
fields OF Eden" on a small scale. sugses-
tive Of apparently great happiness. TO 'e
in the popular eye and the observed Ct al
Observers, whether Tor beauty or ueiiness
for crime or merit, 10 matters not Ire
thing Is 10 be looked at and talk III about
And with this is the seat upon the plat
form among the trustees and the vice
presidents, and be written down leading
citizens." O. II there be an Elysium on
earth. II Is this. II Is thisi
And still there are Oth@r "Chdmps Ely
SOS. and kingdoms OF heaven 10 Wnlcn
men aspii e-unreal and real
MahOmedans have theirs typined by the
vale OF Cashmere, Astounding IN nrmpns
and houris-rcses and bonbOns-and dear
delights unspeakabie. And controversial
reiigioufsts and scientists have their grim
hopes when their Arctic sun viii never
set, when they viii be pronounced right
and everybody else wrong, and they ap-
pear as iccles adjoining the earth with
their cold light, while they help TO freeze
IL. And along with these are all the Para
discs and Vanity Fairs OF idle and ambi-
tious Nteraturc-half and whole sensual
and a, best badly mixed soaring upwards
on paper wings only; its beautiful city
only In the air. its resting place the mo-
mentary grace OF mortal men: the phi
losophy OF which is I'VE apples"
Every trade profession. and pursuit
has It's IDEAL looks forward 10 its state
and level OF ease and bliss and the dream
that lures lightens. and cheers their ef-
fort. endurance, and progress.
The sweat of industry would dry and die
but for the end II aims at.