The Washington herald., 1907-10-05
THE OPTIMIST.

One Of the most comforting thoughts
that can come to us. a thought that will
help US nightly on our rocky and toll
some way through life. is the thought
that though in most Of our undertake
ings failure 4. ;-evitable out Of our
very failures we may acquire strength
and courage for the rest OF the journey.
In one OF the letters Of DR.. Johnson,
remember his saying. complaints are
vain; we will try to do better another
time Tomorrow and tomorrow. A few
designs and a few failures. and the time
Of designing is past" That might seem,
Iif thoughtlessly considered, rather a pes
simistic utterance. but, rightly understood,
it is a stirring call 10 duty and to opti-
mism. It should remind US how little
use there is IN this world Of idly COM
planning and bewailing our lot. OF wasting
time regretting our follies. We are none
Of US so rich that we can afford the
luxury Of wasting time bemoaning our
fate. crying over our mistakes:
Between two worlds life hoYeTs like a star
Fwixt night and morn. upon the horizons verge.
How little DO We know that which We are!
| How less what We may be- The eternal surge
| Of time and tide rolls Oh. and bears afar
Our bubbles. the old burst. new emerge,
Lashed from the foam Of ages.
One great trouble is that we are all
Of Us such egOtists that our individual
happiness, or ills. seem for a time 70 shut
out our view of everything else. II we
have sinned. If we have failed, II would
seem to many of US as If we carried the
weight Of the worlds burden on our backs
that no recovery was possible. Let US
thank God that time. the great healer,
returns to us all our sense Of perspective
and proportion. and we can come. soon.
70 see that. after all, in spite Of our
failures the world wags on much the
same.
Nothing In life is more Unhealthful than
the act of brooding over ones sins If
we have made a mistake, been unkind,
sighted our work, hurt others or our
selves, let US, IN heavens name. try
quickly to forget it. Back, there lies no
hope Of recovery-fOrWard. lies the only
hope.
The moving finger writes and having wit.
Moves Nor al your piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back 20 cancpl half a line
Nor all your tears wash out word Of it.
says DliieLIt al 6iyDiH- bul true as LldL
philosophy IS, We have a philosophy
equally as true and much more hopeful:
the philosophy expressed by Christ when
he said TO the poor woman Of Bethlehem.
/ GO. and sin no mOret" The important
part Of the message was the word Go -
/ suppose there are always times that
come 10 most men when, after failure. the
thought Of some quiet monasteriaI retreat
I where they could hide their faces from their
/ fellOW-men appeals with INFINITE force But
not that way redemption lies II is as
I true now as IL ever was that a man
must work out hts own salvation. And
you viii observe that II is 10 be worked
out. not cried out or Iamented out, or
i prayed out Let a man shut down hard
on the recollection Of his failure. and
fronting the world braveIy, resolve TO
I sin no more.
We are much bound 70 them that do succeed
Rut, IN more pathetic sense. are bound
To sleh fail They all o,r lcss exnorrnd.
They comfort rs for work that VIII not speed,
And iife-itsef a failure.
And let us always remember that this
world 0f ours is a good old world; good
10 live In. good 20 laugh in. good TO weep
in, good 70 die in. Around US. though
we may not realize it. IS wrapped a
mantle Of fine. loving sympathy. Helpful
thoughts are all about US:
No one is so acc1rsed ty fate.
No one 81 utterly des1late
But some heart. though unknown,
Responds unto his own.