The Washington herald., 1908-02-04
THE OPTIMIST.

It is doubtful whether there IS aHy cir
cumstance or condition of man that can
not. by the aid Of healthy optimism. be
wrested to his good. In spite Of that
weak philosophy which tries to find con
ISOLATION in the axiom that Money is the
root Of all evil, most Of us are inclined
10 look upon poverty as one Of the great
est curses that can touch our lives. And.
ia a measure, it is so, Money is not
everything and yet by its aid We can do
so much-sO for our our fellows. so much
that is helpful and uplifting, that It seems
hard 20 have to do without IL. And get
optimism can teach US that after all
poverty has its compensations and may
even prove the much-needed incentive to
the discovery Of the best that lies fallOW
in our souls. AS Shelley wrote
Most vretehed men
Arc Graded into poetry bg wrong
They learn in suffering shat they teach In song.
Poverty. IN the first place, IS always
comparative We are not so rich. per-
haps, as our next-door nelghbor. but how
much better off are we than many Of
whom We know, That is a thought that
we should always have with US. and
which viii, at least. inspire a measure
of gratitude in our hearts. As Dean
Farrar said;
We are ever grumbliHg about orr poverty Hos
many ~ us realize the imusa-urabIs abundance Il
true riches which God las poured upon usl To
how many q ,s has JES sweet season 0f bud aud
bloom, the opening rusehud and he song 4 the
b.sckU!rd. thu pJmp and prOdiEaliiy Oi heaven
been cause of pure happiness. source
d thanksgiving % Him who gaze them' How many
a us have been ueausd BY them from love q
money aud selashness and patty maiicsf
/ Always 10 IS given US TO feel that II we
have desires toward the good we could
accomplish them so much better if We
were rich, and IL the impulse be strong
enough in our hearts We are pushed for
ward in the battle by tl.e spur Of pow
erty and We essay deeds that. IN com
Portable ease would never have been at
tempted. Horace Bushnell put this pretty
clearly when he said
So closely 20 his b0s1m does God manage to
bring u.s. under the teaching and discipline n 4
short supply. Not to admire the sublime teaching
q want IN this connection EiI he difficult fer any
reflective person Who has not discovered
tlat good necessities are the graudest wealth q
eXlsteHcst To lie ccrnered and pressed aud edged
1l practically into the best ways and n0blesJ elI-
ct4v1is. turned away from evil and made strong
ia good; corrected uplifted. Bmplihed. and held
fast iH the way 10 be gioufed-Hhat man viii not
thank God for sgch good necessities more devoutiy
than f1r life itself.
Tn very truth poverty will often be
found a triaI sent 10 man 10 test his
latent powers 80 the utmost The sting
OF poverty often aWakes I'm q mans soul
that just pride which shall lead him %
great things. and even IL, in his stTug-
gle upward. he does not amass riches
be may at least. in that struggle, accom-
pl.sh some piece of work OF such meal
rul8ble benefit 20 the world al large that
the knowledge of il shall more than COM
pensate for the lower ainl-of riches-he
has lost
And iu poverty, too, there are many
en5oyments denied 10 the rich. il Is very
well. and il sounds magnificent. for q
Rockefeller 20 endow q university, OF a
Carnegie 10 establish libraries but this
sort of giving, out of "a great abundance,
which means absolutely no sacrifice. in
wolves no pains on the part Of the giver,
and can bring no such pleasure as the
/ spontaneous gift Of ii poor man 20 one
poorer than himself.
II was truth thar George Eliot said.
H.ta" t-tHtN SIC l-A"l W AaAHN A--N AA+-A VA
giving and Dickens:
Cant as ue may. ard e. We shall find 20 the ers
n all things. IL "a very much harder Tor tie poor
t8 hc YiTrUols than The rich, and the good that
is B them shines tie brighter for L.
And these are not mere w0rds-they
are vital truths which we Of moderate
I7eans. who call ourselves poor, and are
I In reality poor compared with those above
us, may tsk= 10 heart and find great
comfort help, and inspiration therein.
I Poverty. rightly considered. is not a
curse, but one Of Gods brightest bless
+ iugs. It means that ont Of ourselves
must all effort come. and that We must
/ hack our effort with the constant thought
+ that We are doing our work not only for
/ ourselves. but for God and for His world.
+ Without the sting OF poverty We might
never have felt the impulse. and. our
powers never having been tested, We
might never know Of what things We are
capable.
So if il has been our lot, feIl0w-opti-
mists, 10 be placed in a condition Of com
paTative poverty, let us not repine but
stiH look hopefully forward realizing
always that there are worse ills than
/ this, and let Us say with George Eliot:
LET my body dwell III poverty. aud ny hands bE
as the hands Of the tGiler but let Hy soul be as
temple u reuembrsDce where the treasures q
/ knowledge enter and the inner sanctuary is hope