Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-08
THE MORNING STAR.
Copyright, 1850
BY DIR. FRANK CRANE.

81 am of very selfish nature,
writes a young woman. and often
make a sacrifice or perform some un-
selfish deed, not because 1 really feel
like doing so naturally. but from a
sense of duty. because I know 1t Is
right, and from what I have read and
heard about how good and strong char
acters act Do you think this improves
me? VIII my nature change after
while if 1 constantly go against it?"
To which answer may thus be made:
Your problem is as old and as COM
mon as humanity.
Every career is a continued struggle
of the two natures in us, the angel
and the brute. Everybody is more or
less of DR.. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde.
There may be some rare natures,
such as Charles Kingsley calls natural
kin gdom- Of heavenites," who always
want to do the thing they ought to
do. but they are scarce indeed.
The first thing to. do, therefore, is
to recognize that all decent life must
be in terms of conflict. Because you
feel this unceaSing war within you is
no sign that you are bad" or selfish.
simply human. You might as well
complain that you do not have three
hands. or that you do not possess
supernatural powers of vision or hear
ing. as to complain that your inclina-
ton does not always agree with your
duty.
Having recognized this fact, don't
worry over it. Don't grow morbid.
Don't call yourself names. Don't de-
velop self-contempt And. above all.
It's a fight. You have to make it
Go to it gayly. with high courage. and
with gladness that you are disposed
to fight and sure to win.
You can dodge the fight by yielding
to your lower nature. 1t means a weak.
must loathe itself
But you can be just as comfortable
if you make up your mind that you will
do what is right every time. no mat
you the same kind of pleasure that
the self-indulgent have, but a better
kind.
For there are two sorts of enjoy
fnent: one that of yielding; the other,
that of overcoming. And 1t is the
overcomer that gets the crown of life.
His is the morning star.
FOR instance, there is pleasure in
lying in bed. in eating and drinking.
IN gratifying the various cravings of
the pouy, IN reading DOCKS that divert
you and require no mental effort in
being fiattered, praised, complimented,
loved. In all these things your pleas
ure is passive.
There is pleasure. on the other hand. |
in exercise. in going without food and
drink for anothers sake. in denying
the body's demands so as to satisfy |
he wants of your intelligence, of pleas |
ng your conscience by tramplins on |
an appetite, of intellectual exertion, of |
discipline and the like.
All these are the solder kind of |
Joys. They are better than the soft |
Kind, because they last longer, they |
strengthen your mind and body, they |
make your tastes finer. your whole en- |
oyment of life keener, your range of |
delights wider, and, altogether, you get
/ deal more fun out of living.
The latter joys are just as selfish"
,elfishness is unselfish. He that sayeth
lis life shall lose it.
Scientifically speaking. overcoming
makes development, yielding leads to |
lecay, the destruction of organism
Religiously speaking, all you have to
10 to go to hell is to do nothing at all
rhe wind blows that way. Just do as
-ou please, don't resist. crafty all de-
ires never mind conscience, and hell L
With be along pretty soon.
Heaven is up hill all the way, But
t's keen and bracfng exercise, It
means a healthier body, livelier mind
nd happier spirit every day
And. at the top Of the hill, you get |,
he Morning Star.
~. t..