The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-09
OUR DISILLUSIONS ARE OUR
MOST FAITHFUL FRIENDS
BY MAURICE MAETERLINk

empty faiccs are the ones who ina Inc
mat these should give them something
more than they can acquire for Them.
selves.
Love, like all eh7c, claims the high
es, ideal, hn' every ideal that con
ana obseauious fa.lsehood, Two %,
three ideals that Ito out OF our reach
Viii suffice to paraEyZc life.
II is wrong to believe that loftincss
Of soul is governed by the loftincss Of
desires or dreams. Ehc dreams Of the
lovelier than are tho,tc of the strong
for these dreams absorb all their en-
erSy, all their activity
! The perpetual craving for loftincss
does not count in Our moral advance
,nent If ii be not the shadow thrown
by the life We have lived by the firm
and experienced viii that has como in
close lsinship with man.
Then. indeed, AS one places rod al
the foot OF the stccplc TO tell OF its
height by the shadow. so may we lead
81 tic plain that is Iii l,y the sun OF
external reality; and in tf.,s way gauge
! The relation between ihc shadow
thrown by our ideal ana the DONG of
It is we'll that a noble h,cart should
await great love: better still that
not from loving, and that. as IT loves
! " should scarcely. be conscious Of lis
desire for more exquisite love.
In love, as in life. expectation avails
| us but little: through loving we lea ri
10 loyc; and 1t il @thc so-ca.ilcd disil-
usions of pcttier love that feed the
i(mmovablc dame of the migt'tier love
hat shall come. it may be. 10 illumine
the rest OF our life.
we treat disillusions often WITH
scanticst Justice we conceive them Of
! couraEcd; whereas they arc really the
yery, nrst smiles of truth. Why should
uisillusion distress youzaH YOU arc. 3
"a be just and of service; if yo1r seek
TO be happy and wise? Would YOU
I,.tl,. live on In he world Cd your
t#wprld that is real?
| TOO often does many promising
nature waste its most precious hours
arains, ' ncvita,lc laws ' whose Ist AIN
| Is only perceived when every vc,stigc
! Of strength has bccn' sappcd by the
/. exquisite dream.
/ Tf love has deceived You do you
| think that it would have been bette,
| for You all your life 10 regard love as
something it is not. and never can he?
! Would such an illusion not warp your
most significant actions; would ii not
for, many days hide from you some part
OF the truth that you seek? Or If you
Imagined that greatness lay in yowr
grasp, and disiliusiop has taken YOU
back to your place in the second rank;
have you the right for the rest of you,
life, TO curse the envoy OF truth. For.
after all was 1t not truth your illusion
was seeking, assuming it 10 have beer
sincere?
We should try to regard disillusions
as mysterious faithful friends,
counsclors none can corrupt. And
should there be ono more cruel han the
rest. that for an instant prostratcs YOU
do not mnrmur TO yourself through
Your tears that life is lcss-,beautifn
than you had dreamed j t TO be, but
"a her that in your dream there must
have been something lacking, since real
life has failed to approve #
md. indeed. the much Wanted
strength Of tho strenuous soul is buiE-
up Of disilusions that this soul has
chccrfulIy welcomed. Every deception
| and love disappointed every hope that
has crumbled to dust Is possessed OF n
strength Of It's own that It adds to the
strength Of your truth: and tho more
disillusinns there are tina fall TO the
Garth at your feet. tic more surely and
nobly Will great reality. shine on you
even MS the rays of the sun arc hcheld
tho mare clearly In winter MS they
pierce through the ltxflcss branches or
4 y y i & ~. z