The Washington herald., 1908-02-29
THE oPTIMISI.

There have recently been published
some new found letters written by that
prince OF preachers from the literary pull
pit-Thackeray. What fine ideas Of life
OF life as it should Le lived; and Of death,
and how death might be fairly met, this
master had. One passage in one Of the
new letters moved me nightly. He was
referring to a friend Of his who had died.
and he wrote:
He was ready I suppose and had his passport
made ont FOR his journey Next comes our little
bat sh7u We be very sorTy to 60? What more II
there in life that haven't tried? What that
we have tried j. 50 very much worth repetition o.
endnranoef have just come from 4 beefsteak and
potatoes. H., a bottle Of claret 81 both excellent Of
their kind but We can part FROM them without a
very severe pang. and note that shall get no
greater pleasures than these from this time till the
end Of our days What is greater rleasIrel Graft
fed ambition accumulation Of moeey. Whatl
OF course. the answer points 20 that
favorite Latin maxim Of his: Vanitas.
Vsnitatum And yet. after all. without
dwelling too hardly or severely on the
religious side OF the question IT is well
that we should so carry ourselves in Ilfa
that our goods and chattels may be al
ready packed and ready for the departure
We must make sooner or later. Nor. need
man view these necessary preparations
Of his with much distaste or horror OF
gloom When the time comes il Is surely
we'll enough TO be able TO greet the IN
known road with smile; to don the hat
laughingly at the life behind that has
had so much Of good il it and Joy and
10 feel at the heart something OF the
brave impulse that sends the soul OF man
forth. cOurageously. TO explore the -Un-
charted seas"
The only thing. I think, that a mar
need fear about death IS the fear that
it may catch him using life unwisely-
catch him idle. say. with empty hands
and work all uEdone We can all Of Us
understand the expressed fear OF Steven
son. who trembIed-
Ny work undone. the sunset sun too soon.
The brave and hopeful soul puts the
fear Of his own death behind him, and
If he think Of the grim reaper at all II
viii only be at such times when the re.
moseless scythe has cut down some loved
and honOred friend But for himself there
L y
man can afTOrd-so few are his COLDER
moments-to waste his time with thought.
on death. The hours are numbered. III,
moments few. indeed. and the work o.
/ life-the thing We were put here 10 do
demands. vigorously. all our energies anC
powers
And here again 7 hear an echo o.
Stevenson. who discussed this very mat
/ ter with so much OF good sense and righ
/ feeling IN that-One Of the noblest o
essays in the English language-'Ae Aei
Triplex."
/ Even II death catch people ike sn open uitfall
ard In midcareer. laying OUT vast projects ani pla-
/ ring m0nstrous f0undatious flushed with hope. an
their mouths fun a boastf1l language. they shoul
/ be az Cncc tripped up and siienced. l. there no
something brave and suirifed IN such termination
I AID does not life 80 down with better gracJ
icaming ir fun body over rrecpice. than misera
I bly, Struggling % an end IN sandy deltas! Whe
the Greeks made their hne saying that those Wh0r
I the gods love Gle young. ] cannot help helicTin
they had this sor cf death also IN their eye. 20
surely. az whatever age l. oTertakes a man. this
/ 20 die younE BEEth has not been suffered 70 TAX
/ much illusion from his heart In the ho
a. of lie. a-tiutoe the highest point Of being
passes az a bound on the other side. The uois
q the usllet and chisel is scarcely quenched IA
I tr1snpots are hardly done blowing when. trailin
With him clouds Il giory. his happy starred fur
/ hioodei spirit shoots into the spiritual land
I And so. Il this is. indeed. the truth-an'
/ who can doubt it-what is the resultan
I thought Surely. il IS that old. Ol,
/ thought that 'in the midst OF life we ar
/ in death" but not said solemnly OF fear
somely, but with a brave soul and hope
( fui outlook
Yet the gods decide the future. Wha
We have 70 do is not the gods work. bu
/ our own, and 10 do Il. and 70 keep o.
doing IT, SO that We have expressed our
/ selves and leave behind Us something tina
/ the world had not before we lived Thi
/ u IS 20 use life wisely-this Il IS that wi
enable us 20 face death with equanimity