Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-11-13

dept is 10 moe ourselves from our
greatest happiness and from our larg
est opportunities Of self-government.
The life that withdraws into itself,
either in independence or in greed, be-
gins a process of perpetual shrinking.
The people of the open life are al
ways happy people. We cali them gen
erous, large hearted, not because they
are easily imposed upon by every men
dicant, but because they have the sense
of our common life; they seem to en-
joy sharing life with us; they both
give and take freely of all that we
may have together of joy or of sorrow.
They seem incapable almost Of think
ing In terms of individuality.
Such life is happy, because it is in
harmony with the laws of living; it is
neither bent ON putting the earth in its
pocket, nor is it burdened with sense
Of a mission to carry the world on its
back; it simply shares life freely. 1t
Is the type of the friendly life. These
are the kind of people we like to know
even though we cannot easily estimate
or make inventory of the advantages
of the acquaintance.
After all, what we prize most highly
in our friends, is not the goods Or the
cash, or the influence, or any kind Of
direct gifts or benefit they can bring
US; it is just the privilege of sharing
their lives. The riches Of friendship
do not depend at all on the extent of
the fortunes shared; they depend on
the sincerity and depth Of the lives
freely opened one to another.
When l am in sorrow or distress,
my need is my friend himself, not his
means. The latter, without the for
mer, would be an insult; the former
will always take care Of the latter.
When he is in need, the first impulse
is that of sympathy, letting the self
! go out to him. We all need folks, the
thoughts and feelings Of people more
than we need aims or dispensaries, or
endowments.
Perhaps there was something greater
than we have yet realized in the say
ing of Jesus: wherever two or three
are gathered together in my name
there am l in the midst" The great
est need and the great blessing Of our
humanity is this togetherness, this
grouping of ourselves socially. Wher-
ever men meet in the spirit of that
great teacher sharing their lives in
human fellowship, there, If anywhere,
the spirit divine is in the midst.
The finest thing ever said of the man
of Nazareth was that he became the
| friend of the Outcast. The best pictures
show him in fellowship with men. He
became fellow to our hard lot, touched
with the feeling of all our fnf1rmitles !;
| he shared our crust and our cheer; our
anguish and bitterness were his.
We have talked about that life of
the common fellowship as though it
was one Of exceeding pain and sorrow,
| as though the whole course of sharing
| our common lot was entirely repug-
nant to the nature of that great man.
| But was not that life the most per-
| fectly normal one the world has seen?
Would it not, therefore, be the most
| perfectly happy?
The life of one is found only in the
| life of all. Sharing life is finding it.
Nothing will soothe our own pains, in
crease our own pleasures, or do more
for this whole world than entering into
| fellowship with other lives, sharing
| our own lives, coming into the fellow
ship in deed and truth, as well as in
sentiment with the Fathers great fam
lily. with these people whom we meet
in our daily toll and duties.