The Washington herald., 1913-07-13
ENMssD Among Work Hand Brain HEsl6A
Charm Of Life in Anticipation
Rather than in Realization.
By C. S. MADDOCKS
By C.. S. MADDOCKS.

- YalhE our past y ever fA0nI ON
into indefinite recollection. the fu-
wv ture 10 Just an constantly loom
ing mp before our vision In the very
brightest-perhaps somewhat sub
dued in their brightness to some Of us-coiors
Of hope. The present stands between the two
for single moment, its reality always ques-
tionable.
The desirable b the thing that men are
striving for, whether II be a thing or a state
Of mind. The charm Of life is Inevitably In
anticipation rather than in realization But
there y . great difference between always
grasping for the unknown good and pleas
ant looking forward TO the rewards the future
may bring for effort, for right behavior. per-
haps for restraint OF desire by common sense.
The always trying to Erasp spirit has many
unIoveiy momentary qualities, and Il keeps
its possessor constantly disturbed. He is
ever plungfng toward somethinNtha1 perhaps
a very little reasonable thinking wouIo make
him willing to do without II be would think
over his past experiences he might recall
innunerable cases where his monetary de-
sires, leading him into headlong sctions.
brought him anything but the desirable.
'' Think ye nothing Of itself VII come but ye
must still be seeking" said the poet long ago.
Many = passenger In friends automobile
has seen ahead a pretty bit Of road which he
strongly desired to see, the more-because at
this point the driver seemed about to turn
elsewhere Perhaps the driver did turn aside.
and then the picture Of that desirable road
remained with the passenger for days, and he
resolved to explore IT when the first occasion
offered But suppose. after a bit Of hestta-
ton. the driver had not turned on, but rather
went straight on The passenger had had his
moment OF regret, followed by pleased graft
flcation, a feeling destined to ebb but
moment later when within a few rods the
road. which looked 50 attractive. became
commonplace and even dishearteningiy ugly.
1t 10 very often the road that We do not know
which seems the most desirable or the only
desirable one to US.
Man Favors Perfect Thing.
The highly desirable often changes in .
moment into what Is anything but choice
and lively. yet men fail to be content With
leaving explored much that promises to be
desirable They 90 on tasting the bitter
rue, when little philosophizing would
enable them to appraise, without tast-
ing. just the flavor Of many Of the blossoms
on the acrid plants Of life. Men know that
there is rose without a thorn. and yet
they go on as il desiring to be pricked. and,
more senseless yet. they complain Of disillu-
sionment every time they touch the stem of
the rose bush
The rose may be taken as the desirable
thing of extreme beauty. The rose itself and
the things Of life which 1t may be taken to
represent. fguratively. are certainly worth
all the pricks that come with them. but there
are thousands Of blossoms Of less beauty.
with little or no perfume O. with opposite
and even poisonous characters, which men
look upon as highly desirable until once
plucked then they realize how small u the
proportion of the worth while and how great
the proportion Of the undesirable Such
flowers are like the seaborn treasures which,
when taken home, become Poor. unsightly.
noisome things"
Man naturally favors the perfect thing.
He rs often unreasonabiy negiectful Of the
thing he thought perfect, in the time when
il seemed all desirable, after that thing had
become a part of his experience or possession
He cannot seem to reason out what Ii q fair
proportion between the things he has and
those he wants. The latter worry him with
desire. and~the former worry him because
he has had his desire of them. In looking
forward to the things he has not he most
generally forgets to count the disadvantages
that inevitably accompany the most desira-
BILE things II he has no servant he wants one.
but forgets the provocatiou he may have to
mt I'D with in return for service He wants
. ,r-;So b,yf after he has one perhape the