The times., 1899-04-08
Our Ambitious Period.


In current magazine appears an article
by Prof. William James on The Gospel of
Relaxation" AS anyone may understand
from the title. the authors argument is
that Americans need TO stop worrying and
abate their excessive activity. II is a sig
nifcant fact that when anything at all is
said in print on this subject, the plea is
sure to be for more rest and less hurry,
worry, and nervous strain. More signif-
cant still is the general direction of con-
versation in these days. Nine people out
of ten are excusing their failure to do
something or other that they know they
ought TO do, because they have been so
busy" And the doctors who are making
a specially of nervous diseases are on the
road to wealth.
The life of nations is reproduced in that
of individuals and each human being is
in his own little way a microcosm. Sci
ence and art are now recognizing the fact
that mankind, instead of being divided
into types, is made up of individuals, and
that in each OF these exists, in infinite
variety of combination, all the possibili-
ties of human nature The grandest
character ever known TO earth had. some
where an infnitesimal flaw which might
in a less perfectly balanced nature result
in vice. The lowest OF human beings has
a soft spot somewhere which, under favor
able circumstances, might have developed
into virtue And each individual, in some
way or other. furnishes an analogy to the
life of a race.
Most Americans have, at some time or
other in their lives, had an ambitious
period a time when 1t seemed to them
that they were capable of anything and
everything. Sometimes the young man in
college passes through this period. and
after doing more work than three men
ought to do at that stage % growth,
emerges with wrecked nerves, or, If he has
a strong constitution, with immense con-
fidence in himself. Sometimes a business
man finds. unexpectedly, that his business
offers chances OF immense wealth if he is
willing to put forth every effort of body
and brain to secure 1t. Sometimes the am
bilious man breaks down under the strain;
sometimes he keeps on until he reaches his
limitation and knows il, and in rare cases
ne GtlElDs uSlEDl OF MS hInDltlOu, ana,
satiated with money and power, begins 10
wonder why he ever worked so hard and
what he is going TO do with it all.
The American nation is passing through
precisely this experience in the present
generation. The life of a nation is i'm
mensely longer than that of an Individual
but it is subject to the same laws and the
same causes which wreck the life of the
man will eventually bring about the down
fail of the nation. We are just beginning
TO understand ourselves and our own pos
sibilities We had our hohbledehoy stage,
when spread eagle patriots made great ado
over some achievements which were not
so very great after all. There was a time
az which We were fairly dazzled by the
extent and magnifcence OF our own work;
we had our period OF vanity, when things
were made all for show and nothing for
use, and We were the prey OF every new
fashion maker who happened to come
along. The time has come now for us to
measure ourselves fairly with the other ma
tons of the world, and do the work of
maturit. wisely. carefully. and thorough
iy. w have tried on various literary.