Year: 1868

II Irlenu OI ours, VINO mas always bitterly
complained that he was not consulted about


his entrance into and residence in this world,


is In the habit of informing his acquaintances


that II he had known what was before him in


his earthly life he would certainly have protest


ed, and taken his departure from sublunary
spheres at very early period. In this express
sion OF opinion herepresents very large num-
Der of his fellow-creatures, in a greater or


smaller degree. We are all afflicted with that


kind of weakness which exhibits itself In la


mentations over what we have done, and re-
Elections as to what we might have done if


something or other had occurred which did


not occur. That there is not plenty of reason
for discomfort in the world we shall by no


means contend; for even if it were shown that


the economy of nature is perfect, we should


find in the distortions of human nature plenty


of excuse for the perpetual grumbling in which
! so many human beings indulge. The fact is,


that good many things have occurred since


the days of Adam to spoil the originally angelic
temper of men; and more people than Tristan


Shandy have attributed their troubles to cir


cumstances which occurred before they were


born. When every man who ever had lofty


aim In life has failed completely to realize his
! own ideal OF success 1T is inevitable that in


looking back upon the irrevOcable past, he


should be able to see how this act might have


been more wisely done, that course more ener-


getlcaly pursued, and the other decision more
prudently made.


There are few things more common than re-


gfets over the path in which we have long ago


chose to spend our lives. One man smitten in


his youth by religious enthusiasm and love


of defamation, fancies in his latter life that he


would have been wiser had he given scope to


his energies in the more congenial profession


Of arms. Another, aIlured in his boyhood


by the chance of glory" has followed a


military lite till the monotony of the barrack,


the curb of discipline and the slow routine of


promotion have killed hisambitiOn; and in the


sadder days OF his later life he mourns that he


did not devote his days to the more noble


service OF the church. Physicians, lawyers


preachers, doctors, soldiers, turn from theil


several pursuits and enter the republic of let


ters, finding for time, in the freedom of that
irregular profession, happier state than that
they had left; yet only to begin again wher
, the novelty is gone, thinking how much better
they might have elected or done if they had
known.


In social matters, how much of life is soureC
: by reflections of this kind every reader knows
. A man marries early, obeys the Scriptural pre-
: scept, and makes himself merry with the wifi
of his youth; and when the dark days come
as come they surely will, he thinks it nigh


have been wiser and better if he had spared
, himself the pleasures, and with them the pain
) OF matrimonial existence. Mothers caution
4 ! daughters against the imprudence of marrying
too early, and preach the we'll worn doctrine
/ about the leisurely repentance which follow
7 what is hastily done. But old bachelors la


ment the departure of days when they wer
E able to please and command the fair, and whel
! they let the years go by that so soon landet
e them in lonely age Who makes SO merry a
! the young man s wedding as the bachelor uncle
y who cOnceals beneath a polite and iocular ex
{ terror the regret that when life might hav
: been made enjoyable and himself complete, b
!, let the opportunity slip2 And who is so ro
= !, manticaHy earnest about the young girls bri
= dal as. the ancient, withered, gentle-hearte
e maiden aunt, who wonders why she banishe
4 from her side the once gay and handsome Cav
d aller whose miniature she still preserves, al
e though he forgot to keep his sworn promise t
J. commit instant suicide when she rejected him
s Charles, who married Loo with the golde
e locks, thinks sometimes that he would hav
e married Penelope with the raven ringlets-
= he had known that Loo had "such a tempe
ooss of her owl" or had so delicate constitution
;; or would have contributed so largely and rapiC
= y to the population of the republic and ha
IS he married Penelope he would some day hav
It reflected that-if he had known as much aboU
e. her before they had plghted their troth an
is took places side by side in the stage of life
Of he knew afterwards-he would have marie
nj Loo IN preference. ana Loo ana TenelOI
PPe return the compliment when Charles is to
aaf of much addicted to his club, or Fred speaks to
ne ne harshly, or is more economical in his ALLOW
he ances than his tender partner thinks he nee
hss s be. So the young man would have been moi
y. diligent at school-if he had known how muc
Of oi he would afterwards regret the lack of know
III II edge and the middle-aged man would hay
ng been less wild in his youth-if he had know
1a Sf what pains would be added to his existent
al and what means taken from it by the vagar
sr- of those younger days and the old man wou
,D- have been more careful of his children-if
N had known that their want of affection for hi
me me and their evil ways would have recoiled
led led fearfully upon himself in after life. HapI
for are men anc women whose comfortable temp
'he s raments or domestic joys enable them to pa
oI oR lightly over such regrets and to see how he
en-: low and vain they are
jhss Whether this tendency is more producti
of benefit or evil-whethor it is better or whet
re- er it is worse, we shall not undertake to dete
al; mine. OF course it very often happens tn
~ when man turns the eyes Of his mind ba
all, | ,,non fho mast and aoas that he has made M