The Washington herald., 1907-05-28
THE OPTIMIST.

You take so CHEEKY view Of life and
all It's burdens" said a friend to me the
othec day; '7Nhat Of death?'
Now, what a pessimistic question TO
put to an optimistl Is It not easy for the
hopeful mind to realize. with Rowe, that
Death Is the privilege Il human nature:
And life without it were not worth our taking.
Thithcr the poor the pris'ner and the m0uFuer
Fly for relief, and lay their burdens down.
Death. Why. in this world Of speculation,
doubt. and falsehood. it is the one su-
preme fact Hawthorne tells us that ii Is
the tOuchstone that proves the gold. and
dishonors the baser metal. To look at
death cheerfully one must have faith that
abides: not necessarily the faith that has
been formulated into the creed OF any
denomination, but that larger faith which.
i'm spite Of close contact with the world.
in spite Of bitter failures and keen dis
appointments. believes in the eternal
goodness Of things and let's a man know
in his heart Of hearts, that we have not
been put here 20 be wasted.
My own dim life should teach ne this,
That life shall live fer ever more,
Else earth is darkness al the core,
And dust and ashes an that ia
Tennyson groped in sore travail Of spirit
in Tn Memoriam' for the answer 10 the
call Of death but even cropping, he could
find and express this hopefulness:
o vet We trust that somehow good
VIII he the final goal q ill,
To ranEs q nature sins u will
Defects Of doubt and taints # blood;
That nothing walks with anless feet:
That not one life shall he destroyed
Or cast IS rubbish 10 the void
When God hath made the pile complete
We must feel-in spite OF our pride in
living and our glory In our instant capac-
ities-we are bound TO feel that somehow,
some time. death brings Us again 10 our
friends: 10 the great host Of the good.
and the great. that are gone before-a
glorious company. II is thltherward we
are bound. and the optimistic soul. know
ing we'll what the goal must be. takes to
lifes step, whistling merry tune, and
sets his smiling face bravely 10 the un-
known.
Death rightly thought Of IS fun Of
cheeriness. All the mistakes W. have
made shall not death hide them? The un-
kindness we have wrought: death shall
blot out the remembrance. The envy we
have felt death shall smother It. The Ills
we have suffered; death shall heal them,
The one III that death can work to MS
IN life is 70 rob us Of our dearest friends.
but even here philosophy shall save us
from pessimism. The best thought I
know on the subject is that contained in
one Of Robert louis Stevenson's poems.
fine inspiration to a waiting hopeful
ness:
Though he that ever kind and true
Kept sr01tlT step hy step with sou.
Your whole long gstv lifetime through
BE gore a while before
BE UUw a moment gone before.
Yet doubt not. anon The seasons shall restore
Your friend tD you.
He has but turned cr-rsr-stiu
Hs pushes on Vi'h Tigh' good viii
Through mire and marsh hr he1gh and hill
That eafame sri1e1s uar-
That sef-eama upland hrpefui vav
That yo1 and he through many a doubtful day
Attempted still
He Is not dead this fr.r1d-rot dead,
Ru- in the path ve mortsls tread
Got some few frifirE s.eTs ahead
And Crrr t1 the end
So that yru. too. once past the bend
Shall meet again. as face % face, this friend
You fancy dead
Push csyly on. strong heart the walk
You travel forward mile hy mile
He l1ifcrs with a backward smile,
Til vau can overtake.
And strains his ewes 20 search his wake
Or vhisHine as he sees you through the brake,
Waits On a s-ile