Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1904-12-16


which is so hateful, and to hold it
enchanted during all these diversions.
There is no greater kll-ioy than that.
Be good fellows, amiable, benevolent,
hide our medals, our decorations,
our titles, and put ourselves at the
disposal of others with all our hearts.
Let us live sometimes to make
others smile, even if for but an hour,
forgetting all things else. The sac
rifice is but apparent; for no one
amuses himself better than those
who know how to give themselves
simply to procure a little happiness
and forgetfulness for those around
them.
feel obliged here to make re-
mark of a particular kind, and to Of
fer to my well-intentioned readers
the occasions to harness themselves
to a magnificent work. My object
is to recommend to their attention
several categories of people too much
neglected from the point of view of
pleasure.
We think that broom can only
plants, coffee mill grind the coffee,
and in the same way we think
nurse is made only to cure for the
ailing, professor to instruct, a priest
to preach, bury, confess; a seminal
to mount guard. And they decide
that these, being delivered to the
most serious occupations, are vowed
to their functions as is the OK to
his labor. Diversions are mcompati-
BILE with this kind of activity. Push
ing this manner of seeing further for
ward, they believe themselves author
lied to think that the infirm, afflict-
ed, ruined persons conquered by life,
and all those who have a heavy bur-
den to bear, are in the shadow, like
the nothern slopes of the mountains,
and that it is necessary that it should
be so. From this they conclude gen.
orally enough, that these sedate men
need no pleasure, and that it would
be unbecoming to offer it to them.
AS to those who are afflicted, it would
be a lack of delcacy to break the
thread of their sad thoughts. 1t
seems thus to be admitted that GER
tain persons are condemned to re-
main austere forever, that we must
meet them with an austere mien, and
speak only of austere things to them.
And so they must leave smiles out.
side the door when they go to see
the sick, the unhappy ones, and adopt
somber face, a lamentable air and
choose heartbreaking subjects of con-
versation. Thus they bring dark
ness to those who are in black, shad-
ow to those who are in the shade
They contribute to the isolation Of
the isolated, monotony to mournful
lives. They enmure certain exis-
fences as in dungeon because they
grow grass around their desert asy-
lums; they speak low when they ap.
proach them as approaching a tomb.
Who can guess the extent of this in.
fernal work of cruelty accomplished
thus daily in the world? 1t should
not be thus.
When you see men or women con-
/ secrated to severe tasks, or the pain
| full Office of visiting human miseries
and binding wounds, remember
that these beings are made like you,
that they have the same needs, and
that there are hours when they re-
quire pleasure and forgetfulness. You
will not win them away from their
mission by making them laugh some
times-they who see so many tears
and pains. On the contrary, you
will give them new strength to better
continue in their labors.
And when you know families in dis
tress, or individuals in affection, do
| thnCn
the plague, with a sanitary Gordon,
which you will cross only after TAX
ing precaution which recalls to them
their unhappy lot On the contrary,
after having shown all your sympa-
thy, and all your respect for their
suffering, comfort them, aid them to
live, bring them a perfume from out
side; something, in short to show
them that their misery has not ex-
cluded them from the world.
Offer your sympathy, also, to all who
have absorbing occupations, and who
are, so to speak, riveted to their places
The world is filled with sacrificed be-
ings, who have never any rest or
pleasure, ant to whom the most mod
est respite does immense good And
minimum of alienation for them II
one only thought of it. But the
broom is made to sweep with, and it
seems that it cannot feel fatigue. We
must get rid of that culpable blind
ness which hinders us from seeing
the lasstude of those who are al
ways in the breach. Lift up the SEN
finals lost in their duty; procure an
hour for Sisyphus to breathe in. Take
for moment, the place of the mother
of family whom the cares of the
home and children enslave; sacrifice
little of our sleep to those who
watch long hours by the bedside of
the sick. Young girl. whom perhaps
walking abroad does not always a.
muse, take the cooks apron and give
her the key to the fields Thus
you will make others happy and be
| so yOurSelf