Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-03-06
Less ons frcm Corot and Ruskin on Daily All !.
iu &c Of Mind.


III e Of Mind.
Mankind would probably agree that
life as we find It is not entirely salts
Tying. Ask any woman whether she
is perfectly contcnted with the house
she lives in; if her acquaintance with
1t IS not very recent, she viii probably
answer an emphatic No" The house
OF her dreams, despite all the suffer
ings of the architect on her behalf.
still cludcS her: something forgotten or
i'll done Is always the thorn IN the
Hcsh. Nor Is II better with choice "i
location. In the ely the eye ytarvc3 for
wide reaches of sky and the orcitdN"d
nerves cry out for quiet; in the c"nh-
try there Is dcarth of artistic beauty,
and the br. I'm and tongue grow rusty
for lack of good company. WITH -
much in most lives for which To BE-
thankful. there Is usually present the
great or triiinc annoyance. TO be car
ricd as bosom companions 10 the jour
ney's end. The interesting question
becomes What manner OF face shall
we wear? Shall we fashion our out-
ward aspect in harmony with the
good that falls to our lot moving at q
cheerful pace, and showing a smile. or
| shall our nabitual mood in its outward
| expression take shape from the knots
| in our stick of timber. the rarity Of
| plums in our cake"
The idcalist chooses the first of thcS"
| alternatives.
Corot is a good remedy for Olsen
| chantei mood. Go sometime when the
| horizon has contracted to an iniinii-
csimal round. when the music nf ~"
| march has reduced Itself :" rests and
| drum beats, and see how one Of his
simplest themes bring back lii that
was wanting before. Only bit OF
! river with willows FOR company. I'M
! inevitable sky and foreground. but
! that glimpse suggests the long peaceful
sweep beyond widening To tn" sea.
| and We are walking there with spring
| in the air and in the heart We turn
! from the picture 10 that which II ipr
US the familiar daily scene. ami hni
that cnrot's mood IL again ours. that
| though winter rules the hour II is
| magic sunshine within. thnt whatever
common sight meets h,u>ctops In
chimney stacks. bare twics against thu
Sky, shadow dance of boughs M brow u
! IltiiS tlit tl.tlit ~ tlltif bll'f bl'ti-
! Nothing needs idcalizinE more than
the work we do. There are many
| views of the task that help tu -iurify
it; one IL the thought of it's future
! possibilities. Probably RuSkin $
mother thought little of day when
her boy. grown to ,hc il man, would
sum up the Impressions NJ his home.
ana speak Of its orderly serenity in
terms that read like a dream " what
might b. rather than a record of mem
cries.
Any high. brave resolution 'arly
formed, faithfully followed. ctevntcs
the life unspca kahly. 'Thc insupport-
able thing is TO have the daily round
Il iinalitv IN unrelated fragment. I7irc
tho boys heart with a superb. auInc-
ious wish. aud he submits paticntI,- ~
the drudC"ry necessary for It's fulfill
mcnt His whole life is hcautifip,i hy
III" purpose cnShrined in his. hope ~
~ the allotted task simply because NJ
mrst. must bo intolerable scrvitudc. AZ,
add thovoluntary element ny connecting
il with some plan for future D achievement
ana thus perform il with fidelity
beyond the demands of any task
master. When the hoy Ara~siz r"su. y-.-d
10 hccomc the first naturalist ~ his
time. who would not have said hc
nursed M Impossible dream" Eut ~
dream made the life great. ana man
hood reached the goal set FIR ii hy
youth.
When We speak Of idcaiizing our
fellow creatures. NC mean taking tine
most favora blc view nf them: ANA 81"
need never hope to know exactly how
much truth this view contains: re.-
haps more than is commonly thoucht.
II we ask why we bless those y no iind
it possible thus to take uS at our n"s,t
the answer docs not lie in mere plea scd
vanity. Whoever attributes to u:
virtues that we fear exist only III his
imagination sends a challenge to br
what hc believes us. Though he Dycr-
rates us. his faith gives as new
strength and We resolve to To worthy
of such trust. No great friend shin,
seems possible without such an atti-
tudc. An author whose name il a
household word wrote in a letter tp q
friend: The mother Of my children
adorcS them-therc is no mildrr term
for il: and they Worship her. they
even Worship anything which the
touch Of her hand has made sacred
They know her for the best and tr,Icst
friend they have ever had or ever will
haNc-who never told them a lie ol
the shadow Of onc-who never rayc
them ar unroa sonablc command nor
ever contcntcd herself with anything
short oI perfect obedience" This IL
fine idcalizinS; founded. We must he
sure. on reality beautiful enough 10 |
Justify il. and made daily moro bcaEti-
ful BY such appreciation.
AS temper in which t. meet tin |
story Of the day. the idcalizinc mood |
IS certainly the one FOR happiness. Its |
essence is apprcciatinE the best. ig- |
norinS or passing lightly over the !
worst; throwing imagination ana none |
INTO our thoughts of life: and he Who |
mas INC habit need not be troubled by |
gray skies. for he carries his rainbow |
with hm.-Fannic A. Comstoc k in New |
York Post.