The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-05-05
TYPES OFMEN AND WOMEN.
The pesslmist and the Optlmist.
No. ~.

The heart of pessimist has ever been
likened to closed door, presumably
because it can never be entered into or
be made to see the brightness of the
world outside. But it is mistake to
suppose that the heart of the pessimist
is unalterable. There are many men
born pessimists, perhaps, to great ex-
tent, theirs is hopeless bitterness.
Sorrow very often turns mems hearts
to stone; disappointment also produces
pessimism. But whatever the cause,
pessimism is as a rank poison, blight
ing and crushing the hearts of men.
There is nothing that so often turns all
the sweetness of life into gall. The
pessimist looks out over life with dis
torted, imaginative eyes. He sees only
treacherOus shoals and drifting wrecks;
white, dead arms drifting on the break
ers, and lifeless forms tossing helpless
ly to and fre, with piteous, pleading
eyes and tear-wet lips. He sees lonely
little maidens watching and waiting at
vine-draped easements for him who
"cometh not, until the fair sunny
tresses are white with the winters snow,
the pleading eyes sunken and dull,
and the childish form aged and bent.
He pehOlds wild-eyed, miserable men
crying out for gold, for the past that
gone forever, for the love that has been
denied them, and praying for release
from the miserable, unlighted failure
that stretches before them. For him all
is darkness, despair and the white faces
OF dead things. They cry out and tor
ment him, they glide through the dim
ness and the silence to lay their dead,
cold fingers, upon his heart. He looks
behind him, silence e-coldness- despair
he looks before him-gloom and sor-
row and lonliness. Like hunted
fawn, he has nowhere to turn. Dark
ness, anguish, everywhere. For him
thdre is no sunlight; the golden, gilt
tering sheen falling over the world is bu'
a transient brightness thrown down
around him to mock his sorrow. Even
the mountains rising round about him
in silent grandeur seem to his distorted
vision to be rising in sharp appeal will
a silent cry, to the mocking heavens
above. Ths twinkling stars in those
dim, glorious blue spaces above are on
ly plotting against him, their light il
but sneer.
In his bitterness lie cries out for hell
there is no answer.
"Oh, God where art Thou?" ht
cries aloud. The echo of his own voice
startles him, He goes down on hi
knees amidst the darkness and thu
gloom.
ooh, God, dear God! Where ar
Thou?" And when the Son of MAJ
does not appear in the flesh, he erie
aloud, in the sudden, fierce bitterness
} of his soul: "There is no Godr"
And this is the burden of the pessi
mist's soul. He never tries again t.
find Him. Darkness fingers and en-
velopes him forever. Sometimes, lik
one Of old, he wrestles with God AM
will not be denied until puncture,
Hand rolls away the stone from th
door of his heart and Easter mornini
breaks there. Blessed be he who ca
thus fight the Powers of Darkness
Too many fall when the first cry is ne
) answered. God is q just God, but Ii
often tries the fainting heart when
seems that it can bear no more. 0
what greatness is that which neve
knew test? The greatest souls al
those that have been through the fer
furnace with here's bravery. Low
that fails at the supreme test is nc
love-it is fancy. SO it is with th
hearts strength. God knows it an
purposely tortures the bleeding heal
with q fiery brand to prove its faithfu
ness. It is only the pure in heart an
the great of soul who understand whit
what it is to be faithful. When ii
pessimist fails to find God, he seems
gather strength from his very failur
but it is a superficial strength, game
from bitterness and despair. He +
volts against all goodness and cries o.
against Fate. We are oftenest our ow
fates; we map out our futures for on
selves, and when they fall short of OF
expectations, we cry out that Fate HI
been too strong for us aud against u
and wrecked our lives.
Poor, weary, broken-h hearted crea
ure, who beats out his life against &
!, iron bars of fatality and God he CT
!, not alter, and believes that it all aris
II from the fruitlessness of living and Il
y Grass perversity of Fate
There are two sides to life and livin
Is one, full of darkness and bitterness,
ID the other, sunny, happy, gracious. th
reveals silver lining to every clou
" The pessimist resolutely turns his ia
st against the light and gropes blind
ut through a valley of tears bitter hor
60 less tears that know no ceasing.
~ = And is he happy in this self-impos
ID ostracism from all that is fair and &C
ID in lifeP One glance at the Pessimis
face answers us. That drawn, sco1
ing brew, darkened eyes fierce W