The Chilhowee echo. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1899-19??, 1899-12-23
MISTAKES.

ICCoHCilC youloCil VI Jou arc W lC-
main in this world at alb to the condi-
tons of your being; do not vex your
self and break your heart struggling
against what is irremediable. Do not
look to find here what is not to be
found. Do not fancy that wiser and
luckier folks have found it, and that
you would have found it, too, but for
some unhappy mistake you made at
critical turning in your life. The mis-
takes you have made, if you be an Or
binary mortal living an ordinary life,
have not, in fact, done your life much
harm. You are making just about as
much of things in this world as it was
in you to make at all. Make the best
of the bargain you have made in this
or that. Doubtless you see it was not
perfectly wise bargain. You would
not make it again. Had you been con-
siderably wiser than Solomon you
might never have made it at all. But
: ! you, arg IN for it now Make the best
of things, in good nature and cheerful
ness. Do not NOPE and keep thinking,
thinking, how much better you might
have done, and, Qike Mr.. Bumble)
how cheap you went. So doing, you
will be making the very worst of
things. You will be deliberately black
ening the sky under which you must
live if you are to live at all; you will
grow into curse to yourself and a
nuisance to your neighbors. There is
plenty for you to do. Go and do it.
There are people thousand times
worse off than you. Try and help
them. And for any sake, do not be al
ways thinking about yourself. Get
away from that unsatisfactory subject
of contemplation. And be quite sure
that if you have told your special
friends about ten times each, how I'M
happy you are and how many blunders
you have made, they are by this time
most uncommonly sick both of you and
them.
Being what you are it is quite certain
that if you had not done the foolish
things you did, you would have done
something else as bad or worse. You
married early, when you could not at
ford it; you had some anxious years
days have been when it seemed the
poor head was to 60 under water alto
gether. Well, but it did not. Yor
have lived through these anxieties
why recall them? You have got upor
firm ground. Be thankful. 1t is fal
more and better than you deserve
And the burden which lay on you 81
heavily may have saved you from max
ing an inexpressible fool of yourself
A man of sixty dangling after some
silly girl of twenty is an amazing anc
humbling object of contemplation
Even he suspects himself of being ,
fool; everybody around knows it. Nov
you, with your seven grown-up chill
dren, and with your masterful wife
are safe not to make a fool of yoursel
in that particular way. Other way
are open to you. But not one whicl
leads to manifestations quite so de
plorable and contemplate. 1t is likel,
enough you would advise friend no
to make the turning you did. A mai
who has mother-in-law will generall
counsel any mortal man to marry al
orphan. But this comes of your know
ing the evils you have, and being una
ware of those which are waiting roun
the corner, and from which no earthl
: lot is free. You must take all thing
here, your profession, your wife, you
house, horses, your servants, your ma
: tive country with its climate, all you
) environment, for better for worse.
: friend worries you by little weakness
Y es, but he is better than no friend a
all. He may be likened to gift of
thousand dollars, subject to a deduc
ton of two hundred and fifty. 1t is