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

Few people would be likely 70 think
that the subject of repentance could lead
one to optimistic thoughts and yet, when
one remembers that few themes have so
attracted the best minds. it becomes plain
that there must be a world of hopefuiness
in IT, It is evident, too. that the subject
appeals differently to the philosophers
and poets according to their moods, for I
have in mind William Smith. who wrote
in "Thorodale:"
God never rardons; bis laws are iTeyocabe. the
minds that desert its better kuowledge must suffer.
And in his Development Of Society ne
went clear against this by saying:
God aiways rarious. For rem0rsc is penitence.
and penitence Is new life and returning peace.
To think Of repentance is TO think OF
the frailty Of the human heart which has
TO fall back on it. There never lived a
man so good but that there came some
time In his life that he had 10 repent.
They say best men are nodded aut Of faults:
And, for the most. become much m0rc the better
Fer being little bad.
And. surely. out Of a mans sins, if. IN
deed he have any of the right stuff in
him, shall come an increase Of strength.
of purpose, ana Of energy, 10 aid him on
the real life's toilsome journey. The
strong man, the man Of VIII and deter
minatiOn, Is he who, buffeted to the
ground even by his own mistakes. HIS
own sins. still rises Up and fronts the
world again. setting his teeth on the
damnatOry memories Of the past. and
looking. with heart and soul purified by
repentance. undismayed toward the goal.
II is. indeed, brave % be able 70 say with
Shakespeare:
survive
To mock the expectation o. the world,
To Illustrate prophecies. and to raze out
Rotten opinion. who hath writ me down
AfteE my seeming
There is a fine thought in that word
seeming" That is what the world
thinks Of US; but what really counts IN
this so tiresome journey along the dusty
road OF life from birth 10 death. is not
what we seem. but what we are Re
pentanca will never set US right In the
worlds eyes; its balm is only for our
own souls Il does Us little good 70 cry
Presume not that ] am the thing I vas:
For heaven doth know. 80 shall the world perceive,
That ! have turned away my former self
-lp "+-A Liit}ol tllal AttfL Az I'i-A-A1iig
What we need is not only TO repent, but
to see the future clearly, and 10 walk
along the paths. which none OF us are too
blind TO see. where virtue IS. II via do
US little good 10 look back and think OF
how We fell or how far We fell; the
danger in such practice is that We shall
fail dOlefully TO licking our lips in some
gusto over past pleasures-foTgetting the
pain and the evil they brought IN their
train. We may say, bTavely II We viii:
What is done cannot be nov amended;
Meu shah deal unadyisedly s1metiu-es.
Which after-hJuTs give leisure 20 repent.
Bot we don't want TO spend those after
hours IN glorying IN our past sins or con-
graduating ourselves on our present
righteousness. The man who says with
Shakespeare
I do not shame
To tell what ! vas since ms conversion
So sReetly tastes. being the thing ] am
Is in grave danger Of finding that ne has
fashioned for himself. out Of his owl
heart and mind. a bludgeon that shall
hit his uew-found virtues such a thwack
as shall almost prove a mortal blow.
The bitterest thing in life is 10 be
obliged TO wear the yoke of our own
wrong-doing. and yet that CALLING yoke
shall-if We have any optimistic faith in
the ultimate decency OF things-gOad US
on 10 higher nObIer things. Not all al
once. We cannot spring TO heights OF
virtue in a clap. for
Habituai evils seldom change TOO soon,
But many days must pass, and many sorruWs;
Cons~ious rcmoTse and anguish must be felt
To curb desire, % break the stubborn viii,
And work a second nature IN toe soul.
Ere virtue can resume the place she lost.
Let US. then, brother Optimists, accept
repentance as a boon from heaven. and
as Tiny Tim says: God bless US, every
one"