The Washington herald., 1909-02-02
ROSES AND THORNS
BY THE OPTISIIsT.


1; is not often that one can find IN a
single sentence a true summing up OF the
meaning Of optimism. but I found such
a sentence in my mail the other morning.
& note from some unknown but friendly
fellow-optimist-a sentence that comes
pretty near 20 covering the subject. II
was meant as a wish for The New Year
and It read:
II I should wish 70. you al that meant hap
pines. my wish Vogd b THIS. I wish you a large
share = SUCCESS IN The pursuit 4 h1pqiaess; may
yous efor-s e tie iireo1ion e rgh. bring abun-
dant reward I would not wish your pathway 70 be
ever foEers only God made the ruee and the
tsorus % - togstber Let rs not soTaFzrs them.
But vith y0V nay the rscs b many ard the tho-ns
few.
Il Is all right for us-in the abundance
Of optimism. to wish for our friends that
the path OF life that lies before then may
be rose-strewn, but think that the true
optimist IS he who can discern truly the
value OF the thorns. who has learned. 10
quote the good old Biblical saying, the
folly OF kicking against the pTicks.
To be optimistic is 10 believe, not that
everything that IS IS best. but that II is
for the best. and the creed which allows
men to get the most happiness out Of
life Is that which teaches that even II
the thorns do wound il is through that
very pain that We can come 70 the full
realization Of pleasure end Joy.
The sheltered life" theory IS all very
well in its place. but that comfortable
doctrine OF avoiding ill by cowardly
stunning Il can never take the place of
the fine, manly. optimistic outlook which
sees in life something 10 be braved;
something To be courag geOusly dared; 10
be taken hot-foot with eagerness and q
fine scorn OF any possible consequences
SO long as the effort IS toward the
light.
Stevenson. that finest Of optimists. had
something Ike this thought IN his mind
when he wrote in "Aes Triplex:'
a pesrass O. Westminster Abbeyr' oried Mel
son IN his bright. boyish. heroic manner. These
arg grsat incentives. not for auy C thesc but Tor
the plain satisfaction e living q heing about their
business in some s0t other. do the brave, service
able men q every nation tread down the ncttls
danEe- and pass hying over al the stumbling
blocks q prudence Think e the heroism Of John
s0n. think q that superb Indifference to mortsl
limitation that set him upou his dictionary ard
carried him through tr-u1Hantly % the END Who.
# he were wisely considerate of things az large.
would ever embark upon any woTk much more con
siderable thsn a half-peuuy post cSrdc Who would
project a SERIAL novel after ThacktraF and Dickens
! had fallen in mid-careers Who would have heart
enough 70 begn 70 live If he daliied vita the con
| Ederation Of death:
Is all this not the very essence OF
truth-truth which often We have not
moral courage enough 10 utter ever. TO our
own souls2 II is a fact Of life. demon
stratable by history that the man who
never suffers does not amount 10 much,
liz IS no: on "aowery beds Of ease" that
/ the work Of the world is done; IL is not
until a man has felt the prick OF the
/ thorns Of life that he IS swung 10 the
! highest that is in his nature.
( We do not need specific instances Il
prove this truth. for it is obvious TO every
mind. There are aspirations in the hui
man soul that must be satisfied II any
thing ike happiness IS to be won. Nc
/ one can be 1ruly happy with the knowl-
I edge in his breast that he has not tried
I to the uttermost: tried his hardest 10 ex-
/ press what IS within him; tried TO dc
the best work Of which he is capable
And there Is happiness even in the fail
ure-that is sure to come-because al
/ least we have tried
I 20: your true optimist does not shut
I his eyes 10 the truth. He knows that the
roses Of life are not to be gathered with
/ gloves on. shipped OF carefully with gar
den shears-nOt If they are worth any
thing. But with bare hands that ara
brave enough 10 dare the thorns We NAV
pluck blessings from life-if We but have
the COURAGE