The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-06-10
THE OPTIMIST.

It is astonishing 70 find that so many
people believe that optimism consists
largely Of shutting ones eyes to the I'M
pleasant things of life, by determining to
be happy ones self regardless Of what
others may be. Dr. David Starr Jordan,
of Indiana. has written in his Philosophy
Of Hope:
Optimism in life is good working hypothesis
To be optimistic is not necessarily to BE- foolish.
70 lose the cearuess II horizon the sense 4 value
by centering all on self The true optimism IS the
open-eyed faith that all is worth while. and that
our own part IN il is worth PLAYING 20 the end
What If there are so many q us in the ranks q
humanity What 4 the individual be lost IN the
mass as a pebble cast into the Seven seas
Would you choose a world 80 rs 70 leave room
only for you and your satellites. Would you ask
for problems Of life 50 tame that even you could
grasp thcmi Would you choose a fbericss uni
verse 10 be 'remolded nearer 20 the hearts de-
sire IN place = the wild, tough, virile, man
making environment from which the attraction q
gravitadon lets more Of US escaped!
OF course not, 70 be optimistic is to
be truly happy, and no one can hope 70
be truly happy IN this world without
striving There is no JOY in mere living
one has 10 enjoy the consciousness OF
having justified life by work. There is
a world Of truth in the Scripturel, Faith
without works is dead
We live in deeds. not years, in thoughts. not
breaths;
In feelings, not IN figures on a dial"
One great difference between the pessi-
mist and the optimist lies in the fact
that the pessimist is all the time looking
for content. He pauses between whites
to count over what he has done; so much
work. so much wages-and constantly
moving nearer to the tomb. That is no
way 20 find peace Of soul or glory In the
heart. Your true optimist is a care-free
fellow who leaps at life with bound.
The work is 20 do he sets about IT, and
knows that when the task is done there
will be others sill calling TO his hands.
Are there 10 be wages for the work?
Well and good; if no wages, or inadequate
ones. why then. was there not a great
JOY In being able 20 do the work? The
stream was hard 20 cross; look. we have
built a bridge BY that. az least. the
world is so much better The road is
miry, and many "A weary traveller halts
in pain. We have smoothed IL, made it
fair, and the songs Of those who traverse
the way lght-foOted shall find echo in
our hearts.
II is wages such as this that make life
not only endurable, but glorious TO live.
There is no faint Of selfshness here; no
desire to stay aloof from ones kind.
And we know. too. that our friends the
pessimists hold life itself at too high
calculation; as II # were d thing 20 be-
coddIed and cherished and wrapped IN
flannel If We could all use life al its
highest, then Il might. indeed. be worth
/ treasuring with infinite care. But at our
very best. so are the wisest Of US con
stituted, our mistakes shall Outrun our
/ best endeav0rs and the balance on the
. ledger shall be against us.
/ This IS a hard saying, but it Is true
outlook on life Not for US TO hold b ok
I from any circumstance or imagined
peril II one has 20 boil the water he
drinks think scientifically about his food.
/ be hyEienic about his clothes, see Moth
T ing in the rain but the danger Of taking
cold fear the north gale with thoughts
/ Of ilfueuza-wby. then. indeed. life be-
comes sad burden and hardly worth
F the living Then. indeed. the tomb doth
yawn and cast SIS gloomy shadow over
an our work. But the Optimist has no
/ room FOR such thoughts, life is life and
/ 10 be lived. and it is as joyous on a
I swaying yard-arm with bowling seas be-
meath or on the m0untain-side with a
gaping precipice into which it takes all
ones manhood not 10 fan, as IL is by n
warm fres.de with the medicine bottle on
/ the table. To 1--we for the day. for ones
work for the happiness Of others-that
/ is the way 90 live fully.
Life IS 200 short f-r logic. what do
] must do simply. Cod alone must ud-s-
/ For tod alone shall guide and Gods elect"