The sun., 1897-03-14
II.

Is there another lifet Touching this query
the author reminds that there are those who
think they display their good sense in bidding us
give up these speculations. which thcy tell us
arc beyond the range Of our understanding, and
cultivate our pleasure and happiness In the pres
ent world. One element Of our pleasure and hap
pincss. however, is the qualification OF curiosity
on the highest subjects. Our curiosity has been
or Ia being gratifed as to the origin OF our spe
cics. and surely the destiny of our species Is a
question not less interesting oven to science
while It Is inevitably set on foot by the
other. Moreover, pleasure and happiness are
different things. Pleasure may be felt by
the condemned convict In eating his last
meal. Happiness. on the other hand. seems
TO imply the sense OF security and pegmanence,
which can hardly be prcdlcated OF u being
whose life Is never safe, and. at most, cndures
but for an hour. There are those who think to
console themselves for the shortncss OF life and
its final extinction at death by saying that it's
very shortness makes 1t all the more precious
while 1t lasts, and that pensivc, or. to use
their phrase, an idyllic tenderness is impaired to
Il by the prospect Of its extinction To Mr. Gold
win Smith such all argument seems open to an
easy reduction TO absurdity since 1t implies that
the moic brief and prccarous the possession, tho
more valuable Is TIA, ,himg possessed. "A great
deal OF poetry, no doubt, has its source In our
mortality. But suca poetry Is not an expression
OF enjoyment or gladncss; II is II me!odious sigh,
In which sadness finds relief"
In the Judgment OF the author OF this book, the
mere existence OF desire In man to prolong his
being. even II IL were universal. can afford little
assurance that tho desire will be fulfilled. or
desires that will never be fulfilled mans whole
estate Is lamentably full. IL to each OF us his
ewn little being is inexprcssibly dear. so is its
ovn little ba!ng to the insect, which neYerthe.
iess, Is crushed without rcmorso and without
hope OF o future existence. Al to the suggestion
that II is sad that man should perish. and perish
Just when he has reached his primo, Mr.. Gold.
win Smith acknowledges that this seems like
cruel wastefulncss In nature But Is not nature,
no ADDS full OF wastci He reminds us that
Bishop Butler rather philosophcally finds an an.
alogy to tho waste OF souls In the waste OF
seeds. 1t Ia pointed out that he might have
found ono In the destruction of geological races,
In the redundancy OF animal life. which involves
elimination by Wholesale slaughter, in the mul.
titude Of children brought into tho world only
10 die Tho deaths OF children, OF which a largo
number appear inevitable, seem to present an
insurmountable stumbling block TO any optimism
which holds that nature can never DO guilty OF
waste, even In regard to the highest OF her
works. Waste there evidently is In nature both
animate and inaninlate and 10 an enormous ex.
tent II our intelligence tells us truly. The earth
is full OF waste places. as we'll as OF blind agen-
cies of destruction, such as earthquakes. vol
canic fires, and floods, while her satellite. the
moon. appears to 10 nothing but waste.
Can we. tontinues Mr.. Goldwin Smith, rest on