The Washington herald., 1907-05-23
THE OPTIMIST.

One Of the things tuat has come to
make us. a a nation. regarded first Of all
commercially, is that we as individuals
are always regarding the rewards that
We are 90 get from our business. Il is
no what We are doing that is the ques-
ton with us, but what We are making
from it, We have az heard OF that IE-
happy youth who committed suicide be
cause be had been born 10 be a man
and had been condemned 20 be a grocer "
It can never be the work that degrades
the man. it is the man who may degrade
his work. AiI work that accomplishes
things is honorable. whether it be work
OF the hand or the head. Even if the
fingers are soied. the heart and mind
may remain pure; material dirt can never
dedle as moral dirt does; greed is more
degrading than Crime.
II is only through work Inat We can
hope for better things, and for this we
have the warrant Of many of the great
men Of the 9ast who did not disda'n
while holding high ambitions in the
realms Of thought, % earn their bread in
the meantime TEales. the first OF the
seven sages, Solon the second founder OF
Athens. Hyperates, the mathematician
an these were traders Plato sold oil to
defray the expenses of his trip 10 Egypt
Spinoza polished glasses 10 earn money
with which 20 conduct his philosophical
Investigations. LiIuaeus found money for
botanizi0g while making shoes; Chaucer
was a soldier before he could become a
poet. Spenser gas q secretary; Milton a
schOOlmastcr. Wordsworth a distributor
o.. stamps. and Scott a clerk Of the Court
Of Session.
II is related Of the Marquis d. SpinoIa
that he inquired Of Sir Horace We're Of
what mis- brother died Sir Horace re-
piled, 'He died. sir, Of having nothing 70
do Alas" said Spinola. that Is enough
TO kill any general OF as all Work is
absolutely necessary 20 an Of as. but it
IS the work we must think of. not Of its
rewards. The consciousness Of duty Wei
done is a fine thing 20 carry about with
one, it makes that fatal thing. pessimism,
impossible; # brings good cheer incites
TO further effort. invites to self-secrif1c
and kindness. and 20 gentleness toward
the weakness Of others.
Nothing is much more hopeless than the
man who IS above his work, or who thinks
De- Is. for no man really above the
work which his hand finds 90 do. If 10
is not given him % write books. then let
him handle the pick and shovel with
cheerful ease or else sell groceries with
"a smile. Whatever it may bn. Dot him
take IL for granted that IL suits such ca
pacities as God has given him. and let
him resolve % put his whole heart in 60.
so as 10 be worthy Of better things
There are some Of us. you know. who
have 20 write % make living Some OF
us could, perhaps. DO as well selling gro
cerles-rh5t Is IN commercial sense.
But what Of that? The rewards Of liter
AIRY effort are not % be found I'm the
weekly wage. I like 10 think of what
dear old Thackerav. that gentle master
of the craft. wrote at time when Lord
Ma~aulay and Washington Irving had
died Surely this is enough 20 make any
writer optimistic and proud.
II arv ~arr- man ~ letters rra1s This little SEP
m~r-ard 20 Iiw. indeed Dr. IS adlrrsrd-I urlIi
say IN him. Bear ScE-ts words in yrH7 mind. and.
Pc good wr deer Here r-a Two literary wrr
gore ta their account. and .ar= Dec as far as we
H"u. ir i5 fair and open aud clean. Herr IS r7
r.tt f.r ag#HEisz frr Shortcomings ur rzl'9-a-sr-
~ vira-. Hgrs sra fv1 example ~ men most Iii
frr1-rl~ gifted, each pursuing Dis calling. each
zraEr~ tHr truth r7 God r7i- iiU- each honest
iH his hfe Just and rrrr-raclah'e i1 DTS fra.I~c=
dear r1 hfs friends. h-u.-I br his country. beloved
af IBIS trie r. has been the far'rra'. Ial af
beth fr Er. Hrsr1.8l'0 iElTIrr-s and delight '1
fhr world vHirh -Eara7 thrI iG return vith sr
immense Ei-I.iHr-s -rrr' affection r. m7v
u.' Dr. rrr chance, brother scribe. 20 bz endowed
with T10t merit or rewarded with ych fame Br-
THE rewards 0f these men arr the rewards paid rr
ru service We may not win tlr baton rr the
eUsul.frs=. lut Gad give ms strength o. guard the
honor q ,re fagl