Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-02-10
CHAPTER VII.

10 ycu find life amusing IN
these days? For my part, on
the whole. II seems rather de-
- pressing, and / fear that my
opinion is not altogether personal. AS
l observe the lives of my contempO-
raries and listen to their talk l find
myself unhappily confirmed in the
opinion that they do not get much
pleasure out Of things. And certainly
1t IS not from lack Of trying. But it
must be acknowledged that their sue
cess Is meager. Where can the fault
be?
Some accuse politics or business,
others social problems or milltHrism.
We meet only an embarrassment of
choice when we start to unString the
chaplet Of our carking cares. Sup
pose we set out in pursuit Of pleasure.
There is too much pepper In our soup
TO make 1t palatable. Our arms are
filled with multitude Of embarrass-
ments. any one Of which would be
enough to spoil our temper. From
morning till night, wherever we go,
thC PCOplC We lilCSt uiC hdiAiCb, " vi
ried. preoccupied. Some have split
their good blood in the miserable con-
f1icts of petty politics; others are dis
heartened by the meanness and jcnl
ousy they have encountered in the
world Of literature or art. Commercial
competition troubles the sleep Of not
few. The crowded curricula OF
study and the exigencies Of their open
ing careers spoil life for young men,
The working classes suffer the cOnSe-
Quences of a ceaseleSs struggle. 1t Is
becoming diSagreeable to govern be-
cause authority is diminishing; to
teach. because respect is vanishing.
Wherever one turns there is matter for
discomfort
And yet history shows us certain
epochs Of upheaval which were as
lacking in idyllic tranquility as is our
own, but which the gravest events
did not prevent from being gay. 1t
even seems as If the seriousness OF af-
fairs, the uncertainty Of the morrow,
the violence Of social commissions,
sometimes became a new source Of
vitality. 1t Is not rare thing to hear
soldiers singing between two battles,
and think myself nowise mistaken III
saying that human Joy has celebrated
its finest triumphs under the greatest
tests of endurance. But to sleep peace
fully on the eve of battle, or to exult
Mt the stake, men had then the slim
ulus of an internal harmony which
we perhaps lack. Joy Is not in things:
1t is in us, and hold to the belief that
the causes Of our present unrest, Of
this contagious discomfort spreading
everywhere. are In us ut least as much
as in exterior conditions.
To give oneself up heartily to diver
sion one must feel himself ON solid
basis, must believe in life and find 1t
within him. And here lies our weak
ness. So many Of us-even, alas, the
younger men are at variance with
life, and do not speak Of philosophers
only. How do you think man can be
amused while he has his doubts wheth-
er, after all. life is worth living? Be
sides this, one observes a disQuieting
depression Of vital force, which must
be attributed to the abuse man makes
of his sensations. Excess Of all kinds
has blurred our senses and poisoned
our faculty for happiness. Human ma
ture succumbs under the irregularities
imposed upon 1t. Deeply attainted at
its root, the desire to live, persistent In
spite Of everything, seeks satisfaction
| in cheats and baubles. In medical sci
J ence we have recourse to artificial res
| piration, artificial alimentation and gal
vanism. So. too. around expiring pleas
ure we see a crowd Of its votaries ex-
erting themselves to reawaken 1t, to re.
animate it. Most ingenious means
have been invented; 1t can never be
said that expense has bsen spared
Everything has been tried. the possible
and the impossible. But In oil these
complicated alembics no one has ever
arrived at distilling a drop Of veritable
Joy. We must not confound pleasure
with the instruments Of pleasure. To
be a painter, does 1t suffice to arm
oneself with q brush, or does the pur.
chase at great cost Of q Stradivarius
make one q musician? No more, II
you had the whole paraphernalia OF
amusement in the perfection of it's in
genuity, would 1t advance you upon
your road. But with q bit of crayor
q great artist makes an immortal
sketch. It needs talent or genius to
paint; and to amuse oneself, the facul
~ nf being happy-whoever possesses
1t is amused at slight cost. This facul
ty is destroyed by skepticism. artificial
living, overabuse; It is fOstered by con
adence, moderation and normal habits
Of thought'and action.
An excellent proof Of my proposition
and one very easily encountered, LEI
in the fact that wherever life is sim
pie and sane true pleasure accompa
MES 1t as fragrance does uncultivated
flowers. Be this life hard, hampered
devoid Of all things ordinarily consid
cred as the very conditions Of pleasure
the rare and delicate plant, Joy, -four
fishes there. 1t springs up between the
flags Of the pavement, on an arid wall
in the flssure Of a rock We ask our
selves how II comes and whence, but 1,
| AlVcos WAO0 Al LIZ bOAk WdI0IlA Va NOA
servatories or in fields richly fortified
you cultivate 1t at a golden cost to SEA
IL fade and die In your hand.
Ask actors what audience Is happies,
at the play. They will tell you the pop
ular one. The reason is not hard te
grasp. TO these people the play is OIL
exception. They are not bored by 1,
from overindulgence. And. too. t.
them 1t is a rest from rude toll. Th'
pleasure they enjoy they have honestl,
earned, and they know its cost al
they know that Of each sou earned By
the sweat Of their labor. More, they
have not frequented the wings, they
have no intrigues with the actresses
they do not see the wires pulled. I,
them 1t is all real. And so they fee
pleasure unallOyed. l think l see tn,
stated skeptic, whose monocle glisten.
In that box. cast disdainful glanc,
| over the smiling crowd.
Poor stupid creatures. ignorant and gross