The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-01-18
THE OPTIMIST.

antly and more or less profitably on the
fine emotions Of life and 70 be optimistic
while we allow our minds 10 dwell on
them. Nor is it necessary that We should
hug these fine thoughts to our breasts
eircumyalIating them from our fellow
man. II is different when we come to the
harder emotions and, therefore, I Ike
neutrality-suspicious. a curious exercise.
and one that is uplIfting-to take a hard
subject and seek 70 discover how even a
wrong emotion may be twisted 10 the
good.
Take one Of the worst vices Of human
nature-jealousy. How the poets and
philosophers have rated II. Cries Hannah
More:
o JEALOUSY.
Thou highest fend # he'll tbs deadly venom
Preys 0p my sii8ls tIms the healtlful hue
of my fresh cheek ia hagsaEd sallowness.
And drinks my spirit up!
Aud Rowe, in Jane Shore" declares;
Oh. JEALOUSY. thou bane # pleasing friendship.
Hog does thy rancor poison an our s0ftness
and turn or gentle natures into bitterness
And yet people talk largely about jeal-
ousy as II il were a thing that man
could take on or put of, as a garment
Men do not willingly torture themselves.
1 believe and get the jealous man
Oh. what dsmned minutes tells De DER.
Who dGtes, yet doubts. suspects set fondy loves.
So far from Jealousy bespeaking the
holder thereof as altogether wrong and
inclined to evil / think it may be taken
that the jealous man is one who has
small c0nceit of himself not one who is
seTenely self-suficient confident Of his
own powers, satisfied with his own gracest
Jealousy, 1 think. often arises from the
fact Of too-sensitive conscience, which
prociaims 10 the subject that he knows
he is not worthy and from nature
which Is willing to believe that his fellows
are more worthy than himself.
like what Stevenson has 10 say on the
matter.
great many people nm down JEALOUSY, on the
score That IL is artificial thing a. well as prac-
teaiy ineonvsnieHt. This Is scarcely fair Tor the
feeling ca which il merely attends like an i'll
hBlnored courier Is itself artificial in exactly the
same sense and % the same degree. 7 suppose what
Is meant ly that objection Is that :eaalsy has not
always been character q man; formed no par #
that Fcy modest hit u sentimsnts with which he is
make tts appearance in better DAYS and among
richer natures Aud this Is equally tine Of love
and friendship and love u country and delight iH
what -hey call tie beauties e nature, aad most
other things worth having Love in particular, vii
not endure any historical scrutiny 90 en- who have
fallen across IT, 1t Is one II the most inc0utestable
facts in the Wordi but if you begin 10 ask what 1t
was iu other periods and countries. iu Greece for
instance, the str4ugcst doubts begin 10 spring up
and eYcntEiAg seems So vague and changing that
=
rate. is one Of the consequences Of love sou mas
lEe % OF Hof, ~ pleasure; but there IL is
OF course it is true that jealousy has
led 10 many dreadful things IN the world.
and yet. one may see. perchance. that il
is not all unkindly Nor does il always
lead 20 despair and to desperate deeds.
One Of the finest examples Of jealousy
and its workings is to be found In Tenny-
sons Maud, who realizes how his jeaI-
ousy is warning all its nature until he
cries.
50 DARK a mind within me dwells
And I make myself saeh evil cheer
That u ] he dear 20 Umc one else
Then some one else may have cause 10 fear,
But il 7 Do dear 90 some enc else
Then ] should De 90 myself more dear.
shall not take care n ali that 7 Think
lies. egu ai ETetcae1 meat and drink.
II 7 b. dear.
II I be- dear 70 some one else.
And it is jealousy-the intense desire 10
feel himself fit 10 strive with his fellow
man for the love that holds so dear-that
urges him AT the last 10 pray:
Aud, ah. FOR he Inau 20 srisa IN me.
That thc man 7 am nay cease o. be-
Now an emotion that leads to aspira-
tons such as this cannot be wholly evil
OF base.
The way to avoid jealousy-or. At least
TO blunt its f8ngs-is. I think. 20 take
a firmer hold upon ones heart 10 adopt
a frmer belief in ones powers and a
kndlier, more gracious, and tender be-
lief in the goodness OF ones friends
Thus. even curse may be turned into a
blessing, and out Of this evil good may
come