The Washington herald., 1908-04-25
THE OPTIMIST.

In one Of Emerson's essays the other
day I came across this saying:
Lot Is much the sweetness Of those affections and
consaetuaes that erow near These old shoes are
easy 70 the feet. EEery advantage has its tax. I
learn TO be content.
It requires a calm and studied phileso-
ply 10 reach the frame OF mind in which
one csn make this utterance OF the phi
losoph sr of Concord" his own. and yet
nothing is 10 be gaIned-mueh less such
a wordrous gift as contentment-without
striving. It has been the dreamed-of goal
of poets since the world began, from the
time when the Prophet told us in the
Scriptures that Better is an handful with
quietness, than both hands full with ira
vail and vexation of spirit. down to
Shakespeare's
Poor and content. is rich, and rich enough
Il should not be hard for a man TO
learn content from the happenings and
accidents Of his own life, but If he is
blind TO the wonderful advantages he
enjoys, to the abundant blessings-no
matter what his condition-with which he
is surrounded. let him then learn from
those "who rose before him and as proph-
cts burned the great lesson Of content.
Emerson, whose wisdom on the subject
first set me off on this line, goes so far
as 10 declare in so many words. a good
man is content and In this he was only
repeating in other phrase the words Of
Thomas KemDis. who said that
he VIII be easily he content and az peace, whose
conscience is pure.
The ancients were quick to realize that
one Of the greatest curses Of the world
was discomfort opening the door to many
ills, and Marcus Aurelius urged his fol
lowers to
BE satisfied with your business. ard learn 70 loT'
what you were bred TO; and as 10 the remainder Of
your life be entirely resigned. and et the gods do
their pleasure with yom Dody and your soul. BE uei
uneasy, discouraged, OF 0ut o. humor became pTzc
uce fails short o. pFecept IN some particulars.
That is wise counsel. indeed. Practice
must nearly always fall short Of precept
In this life Of ours. II IS one of the
penalties Of finitude. The men who make
the world who strive for the good. battle
for the right. have to fix their aspirations
high 20 high that 1t were q miracle If
they should reach the difficult goal they
set. But because they fail IS no reason
for despair. They may still strive, stil
endeavOT. still hope and be content with
what they have achieved. As owen Nero
dith said:
God means every man 10 he hspp. he Esre
He sends rs 10 s0gr0Ws that have not some cure;
our duty down here is 90 do not 70 know
live as though life were earnest and life viii be 81
Onn danger in preaching the gospel OF
content lies in the fact that some people.
affecting 10 believe IN it, Will pretend 20
believe. also. that happiness through con-
tentment means happiness won without
striving. Dean FarTar pointed out the
difference and the distinction between
conteDtment over the manifold blessing
with which We have been endowed, and
the contentment Of sheer laziness. when
he wrote.
The man who IS content to live in the snug self
satisfaction Il prosperity scqueseent IN earthll-
ness selfdeCPiFed by a sham religion knows ahs8-
iutely nothing Of the meaning Of the life he nav
eomFlacenty circumnavsste the vast and mir shall
lows If human life but be sill never obtain the
faintest glimpse Of the Island Of the Blest
There is such thing as divine discon-
tent; 10 be ashamed with noble shame
at the little things We have accomplished
IN the Wotld- i ne remedy Tor hopeless
thoughts in this regard is to remember
that obscurity in life is the normal condi-
ton Of the greater part Of the multitude
OF men and women in the world The
great part Of humanity is engaged in
what might be deemed petty things the
small work Of the world. There should
be some hope. surely. in the thought that
God Himself has not disdained 10 set
about the humble things that He found
the employment profitable