Lofty. Riches are often childless;
poverty is often contented. Happiness is a golden spell inwoven with
most of our lives at certain times, whether we be rich or poor. The
first surprise of the newly-rich comes in the non-discovery of
additional happiness. Additional cares and duties come thickly enough.
The greed of the envious, and the demands of the poor who are likewise
needy in thoughtfulness for their more fortunate neighbors, fall upon
the wealthy like a mist. There is no escaping it. As James Russell
Lowell says of a Scotch fog--an umbrella will afford no protection. They
must give all, or accept the hatred of those who believe it to be easier
to give than to receive. "Contentment is natural wealth," says Socrates;
"luxury is artificial poverty." Contentment is generally a sign of a
high class of character. "If two angels were sent down," says John
Newton, "one to conduct an empire and the other to sweep a street, they
would feel no inclination to change employments."
HUMAN GREATNESS
is at best such a little thing that wise men do not lament its absence
in their own persons.
Pages:
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331