The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-02-07
HAPPIN ESS.

There are few, if any, objects more
sought after and less attained than
happiness; consciously or otherwise it
influences the actions of every mortal,
and though some may have misguided
notions as to it's nature, yet even for
these, happiness, according to their
conception of it, is the handspring of
action. Since happiness is, then, so
universally sought after, and engages
so much of our energies, we should
naturally be prone to think that it is
often required: yet the schoolboy-
not necessarily Lord Macaulay's
puerile prodigy-knows that nothing
is further from the fact. This is the
more strange when it is remembered
that happiness is not like rare talents
or possessions, which necessarily are
for the few, or located in some dis
tant but salubrious cline incapable
of being reached by the many; for the
fact that it is looked for by everyone
proves that it is capable of being
found everywhere, in the Smelling as
in the palace, in Iceland as in Samoa.
Goldsmith looked for happiness in the
different countries of Europe. Seated
on an Alpine slope he surveyed them
all at his feet. Italy appealed to him
as Natures pet; Switzerland and Hol
land for their industry; France for
it's social ease: each had it's charm,
but also it's drawback And hence he
concluded that environment, climate,
industry and commerce do not make
happiness, that it is something to be
sought for rather within than without
ourselves, that in the long run it is
true to say: Our own felicity we
make or find" We cannot, however,
command it, and strength of character
will not always help; it may come to
the wavering imbecile as to the reso-
lutte martyr. We can acquire some
things by resolving to do do so; and
for some exceptional characters to
say that they will acquire some bless
ing means that blessing will be got.
But no man can acquire happiness by
resolution; and if on given morning
he wakes resolving that, come what
may, he will be happy for the day, he
will probably find, when evening
comes, his resolution unfulfilled, and
wide chasm yawning between what
he had resolved and what he received.
If he be wise enough to profit by the
experience, his resolution for the flu
ture will be to do his duty and take
things as they come, and thus he will
more likely be nearer the goal of his
ambition.
We sometimes indulge the pastime
of listening to old men regret the de-
parture of their youth and with II
their early happiness. No smiles like
those of the past; no such hand'
shakes. The woods and fields nev-
err looked so green as then; the
streams babbled nothing but happi-
ness; the gentle breezes took up
the pleasant hum and diffused it every
where Yet, withal, we cannot see
that there was anything in the past
more conducive to happiness than
there is in the present; at least, most
Of the charms that led to it in the
past are still within reach, and if the
effect is not the same the happiness oil
the past must be sought in something
outside those items on which oul
elders now lavish so much praise
Perhaps it is the remembering OF
these things that enhances their
charm; for memory, like a clever
artist, has the gift of surrounding
even the commonplace with a glory
not it's own At least, that in another
way would appear to have been Ten
nvson's idea when he said:
Sorrows crown of sorrows is remem
bering happier things
1t has often been stated that child
is easily pleased and, because pleased