The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-08-27
Ihe RookkeepIna vIew Of LIfe

JUG 1SNNNNNFNAa WV - ~
Our real estate deal in Cuba and
the Philippines is likely to cost us
$500 100000 This amount Congress
will be called upon to guarantee with
in a few months,-this is merely a
preliminary Investment fund" to put
in order and Improve" our new prop
erty. 1t will be suincient to start"
the wheels of progress, to begin the
Americanzing Of the territory we
compelled Spain to give us to recon-
pense us for our Good Samaritan
work in rescuing Cuba. Surely the
laborer is worthy of his hire and
shall nation wage a noble war of
humanity" and not make a profit on
the business? That virtue" seems
very insignificant reward to hand
around among 100000 people
Nations, when they do a noble deed
need tangible negotiable reward, Test
We forget, est we forget And so
we have Cuba and the Philippines,
and we are going to be a mighty ma
ton and we can strut around in the
vanity OF our new greatness, and for
get the days when we had to work
hard for a bare living as a Republic.
| But is it worth what ii costs? That
/ is a matter of debit and credit, Of
studying both sides of the ledger. It
means studying the problem pro and
con, honestly weighing, balancing,
discriminating, taking into consider
alton every element, and giving 1t its
| just value; putting down carefully
every figure on its proper side of the
ledger and balancing the account.
And this balancing means our honest
judgment our true decision.
One-sided views of vital questions
are responsible 70 rhalfthe discomfort
the mistakes, injustice, misery and
sorrow of life. We never take true
views of our individual problems I'M
til we study them from the bookkeep-
ers standpoint. We look at our
trials and sorrows, and grow senti-
mentally sympathetic with ourselves
We grow morbid in going over in pet
ty detail the figures that constitute
the sum of our present unhappiness
We feel that the whole world of sor
row is placed on our individual
shoulders, as Atlas carried the globe
But we are taking a one-sided view
OF our life; We are shutting our eye:
to the sunshine and warmth of love
that belongs to us alone, of love thai
no money could buy, that no othei
gift in the keeping of life could equal
We forget the joys and blessings o
home, where at night we can turf
the key that locks the world out
and locks our world in. When W,
thus seek to balance the books 0
our life, we find that there are few
indeed, with whom we would eS
change.
Young men leaving college face tn
problem of life, usually, with littl
definite purpose, with slight rea
knowledge of themselves, with scan
preparation for any special work
They desire to succeed, and usual
A mistake their vague enthusiasm TO
purpose and energy. With llttl
' clearly defined direction, they ro
over the field of life like a billiar
ball, until they chance to fall into a
= empty pvthtAs Dul IL lHtg WOul
push aside the enveioping mist q
? self-glorification, which is one of tn
dangerous sequels that sometime
follows an attack of education. the
can get out into the sunlight of con
. nonsense.
Let them then open books wit
themselves Let them, as calmly an
dispassionately as possible, stud
themselves and their characteristic
Let them credit themselves wit
every talent; every power; ever
cleverness; every valuable trait
every strength, mental. moral an
physical that their honest introspe
ton discovers. Let them then deb
themselves with every weakness
every failing, every lack Of powe
every point wherein they fall belo
the standard