The Washington herald., 1907-10-24
THE OPTIMIST.

No thought Will be found more helpful
to the optimistic view Of life than the
beautiful thought Of compensation, the
thought so well expressed by Emerson,
that There is a remedy for every wrong,
and a satisfaction for every soul To
believe in the doctrine Of compensation
that reaches through life into eternity is
TO be surcharged with that fine spirit of
hOpefulness and belief in the ultimate
good without which man Is bound TO
fall into the pool Of pessimism, and with
which he is enabled 10 reach heights lin
tied only by the nobleness Of his soul
The old axiom that Every cloud has
silver lining" is one Of those truths that
are verified with our experience In life.
The more we have suffered, have been
disappointed or grieved. the more we
must come to see-in the very fact that
we are still living and still are privileged
TO wait for other opportunities-and be
convinced Of the verify of Whittier's-
And light is mingled with the gloom,
And Joy with gri5f;
Diyinest e0mpensations come.
Through thorns Of Judgment mercies bloom
In sweet relief.
The trouble with all Of us is that we
count II failure Il we do not happen 10
reach the goal for which we have striven.
And yet il was we who selected the goal
We whose vision is faulty, and who can
not really know whether, in the winning
OF our particular aim. lies the best for US
for our happiness or for the worlds.
One launched n ship and she was lost at sea-
He built a bridge. but foods have borne II down
He meant much good. none ceme; strange destiny
His corn lies sunk. bis bridge bears none % town,
Yet good be had not meant became his crown;
For once az work. when even as nature, free
From thought Of good he was. OF Of renogu.
God took the work for good and let good be.
There is SO much compensation In that
thought that even if our work seems TO
fail. the work shall be counted for good
in any case. No honest work, no earnest
endeavor, no righteous thought, no low
ing kindness, IS ever wasted. Everything
In the world that makes for hopefulness
or helpfulness is so much good added to
the great sum of the worlds riches So.
when we face dire defeat. and the shat
tering Of our dearest desires. let US re-
member Jean Ingelow's song
Under the storm and the cloud to-day.
And to-day the hard peril and pain
Tomorrow the stone shall be rolled away
For the sunshine shall f0ll0w the rain.
Merriful Father I win not complain.
know that the sunshine shall follow The rain
Tennyson. who usually saw with eyes
Of clear faith and the hope that comes
from well-grOunded religious belief, yet
could only say, when he was in agony OF
mind over the loss Of his dearest friend:
O yet we trust that somehow good
wan be the final goal u Ill.
Not able 70 say with the sureness. OF
Beaumont and Fletcher that They that
are sad on earth in Heaven shall sing
Y55. that is the belief that shall help
Us over many a difficulty. II is faith IN
the eternal law Of compensation that
shall life us up when we are depressed,
urge Us 70 strive on when we are faint
ard weary. impel us forward when we
would halt by the way
Let as face the fact bTavely. that il is
not only those who succeed in life that
may be happy We talk about the goals
of our ambition; yet can We point out
where the goal lies. Is there any such
place? Can we say that thus far We de-
sire 70 90. and then, satisfied. to stop?
No, always the impulse within us will
urge us on and on. If We but retain the
spirit Of hope within our hearts. And
when we fall and are wounded fin the
strife, we may ind comfort in the thought
Of Bryant who said:
deem not they are blest alone
Whose lives a peaceful tenor keep:
The Power who pities man hath shown
blessing for the eyes that weep.
In short. this yale OF wrath and
tears" is. after all 10 the optimistic soul.
but the proving ground. Il IS here we are
tested and tried, and always may expect
the bitter 10 exceed the sweet the pain
10 be greater than the blessing. But -he
compensation for II all lies beyond the
hOrizon-it is heavenward that we must
struggle
Here IS the longing. the vision.
The hopes that So swiftly remove;
There is the blessed frlitiou
The feast and the fulluess o. love.