Is
it, he writes, a too great wilfulness and intermeddling with life, --
with life, which is better accepted than calculated? Perhaps so; but
let us not be too curiously good; the Buddhist is a practical
Necessitarian; the Yankee is not. We do a good many selfish things
every day; among them all let us do one thing of enlightened
selfishness. It were fit to forbid concert and calculation in this
particular, if that were our system, if we were up to the mark of
self-denial and faith in our general activity. But to be prudent in
all the particulars of life, and in this one thing alone religiously
forbearing; prudent to secure to ourselves an injurious society,
temptations to folly and despair, degrading examples and enemies; and
only abstinent when it is proposed to provide ourselves with guides,
examples, lovers!---
We shall hardly trust ourselves to reply to arguments by which
we would too gladly be persuaded. The more discontent, the better we
like it. It is not for nothing, we assure ourselves, that our people
are busied with these projects of a better social state, and that
sincere persons of all parties are demanding somewhat vital and
poetic of our stagnant society.
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