The Washington herald., 1907-07-24
THE OPTIMIST.
In his Essay on Man" Pope truly de-

In his Essay on Man Pope truly de-
clared:
'Yirtuous and vicious every man must be.
Few in the extreme, but all In the degree -
which Is the same as saying that every
man on earth must be either happy or
wretched. The cIoseness of the relation
between virtue and happiness is not a
curious one; he who cannot see Il must be
a blind pessimist indeed. for it is on that
relation that every moral code the world
has known has been founded; this one law
disregarded has seen the ruin OF nations.
One OF the very first among the duties
Of human kind is 10 be virtuous, and
Hamlet was not hypocrlte when he ad-
vised his mother to assume a virtue, Il
you have 1t not for the practice of any
good thing, even under compulsion, is
likely soon to develop into a habit. and
the thing assumed win soon be second
nature.
Virtue and sense are one; and trust me still
faithless heart betrays the head unsound.
Virtue for mere good nature Is a fool
Is sense and spirit with humanity.
lis sometimes angry, and its frOwn conf0unds;
It's even gindictiTe bnt in vengeance inst.
Knayes fain would laugh at it, some great ones dare
But al his heart the most undaunted son
OF fortune breads its name and awful charms %
ITO be virtuous is 20 be happy" We
used to have to copy that in our school
books in a fair. round hand; but somehow
so many Of US forget the fine truths that
the old schoolmasters put into their copy
book maxims.. Because that Is an axiom.
it is no less true. Nay, we may go
further (slnce having left the copy-book
days, oh, so many years behind, and hav-
ing come. through more or less hard
knocks, to some slight knowledge of the
WORLD and we may agree that there is no
real happiness possible without virtue
A man may walk In decency al his days.
win the applause of hts neighbors, and he
held up as an example 10 be emulated. and
yet at heart be frightfully unsOund. Can
he. under such conditions. be happy
mann The grace of virtue Is not in him.
Always the sore spots OF his soul he IS
hiding from the world and life, from dawn
20 eve, IS a dreadful game of hide and
seek with the devil playing tag
What. what is virtue, but Tepose Of mind,
pure ethereal calm. that knows no storm;
Above the reach Of wild Ambitions wind.
Above those passions that this world deforn.
And torture man.
And here-cheerfully optimistic thought
IS a gift that is within the reach Of ali.
The poor man may attain It freely; the
multimillionaire cannot purchase Il with
all his wealth. 1t is:
80 wealth
That nser encumbers, nor can be transferred
We are wont to repeat another copy
book maxim TO the effect that virtue is
its own reward" II Is, indeed, but it
also brings other rewards that are almost
unreasonable and certainly priceless It
brings Us the reward OF friendships that
are based on solid rock. the esteem OF
those who love US, the respect Of all with
whom We come in contact. But above
all it brings US that peace OF God which
passeth all understanding" that clarity
OF mind which permits Us 10 view with
equanamity the shocks and buffets Of this
wOrkaday world; 10 take whatever ills be-
tide smilingly and with courage, and to-
know that each days clean, honest living
in virtue and faith is abundant and mar
vel0us Joy.