character-第53章

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When　Jeremy　Taylor　had　lost　allwhen　his　house　had　been

plundered；　and　his　family　driven　out…of…doors；　and　all　his　worldly

estate　had　been　sequestratedhe　could　still　write　thus：　〃I　am

fallen　into　the　hands　of　publicans　and　sequestrators；　and　they

have　taken　all　from　me；　what　now？　　Let　me　look　about　me。　　They

have　left　me　the　sun　and　moon；　a　loving　wife；　and　many　friends　to

pity　me；　and　some　to　relieve　me；　and　I　can　still　discourse；　and；

unless　I　list；　they　have　not　taken　away　my　merry　countenance　and

my　cheerful　spirit；　and　a　good　conscience；　they　have　still　left　me

the　providence　of　God；　and　all　the　promises　of　the　Gospel；　and　my

religion；　and　my　hopes　of　heaven；　and　my　charity　to　them；　too；　and

still　I　sleep　and　digest；　I　eat　and　drink；　I　read　and　meditate。。。。

And　he　that　hath　so　many　causes　of　joy；　and　so　great；　is　very　much

in　love　with　sorrow　and　peevishness；　who　loves　all　these

pleasures；　and　chooses　to　sit　down　upon　his　little　handful

of　thorns。〃　（1）



Although　cheerfulness　of　disposition　is　very　much　a　matter　of

inborn　temperament；　it　is　also　capable　of　being　trained　and

cultivated　like　any　other　habit。　　We　may　make　the　best　of　life；　or

we　may　make　the　worst　of　it；　and　it　depends　very　much　upon

ourselves　whether　we　extract　joy　or　misery　from　it。　　There　are

always　two　sides　of　life　on　which　we　can　look；　according　as　we

choosethe　bright　side　or　the　gloomy。　　We　can　bring　the　power　of

the　will　to　bear　in　making　the　choice；　and　thus　cultivate　the

habit　of　being　happy　or　the　reverse。　　We　can　encourage　the

disposition　of　looking　at　the　brightest　side　of　things；　instead　of

the　darkest。　And　while　we　see　the　cloud；　let　us　not　shut　our　eyes

to　the　silver　lining。



The　beam　in　the　eye　sheds　brightness；　beauty；　and　joy　upon　life　in

all　its　phases。　　It　shines　upon　coldness；　and　warms　it；　upon

suffering；　and　comforts　it；　upon　ignorance；　and　enlightens　it；

upon　sorrow；　and　cheers　it。　　The　beam　in　the　eye　gives　lustre　to

intellect；　and　brightens　beauty　itself。　　Without　it　the　sunshine

of　life　is　not　felt；　flowers　bloom　in　vain；　the　marvels　of　heaven

and　earth　are　not　seen　or　acknowledged；　and　creation　is　but　a

dreary；　lifeless；　soulless　blank。



While　cheerfulness　of　disposition　is　a　great　source　of　enjoyment

in　life；　it　is　also　a　great　safeguard　of　character。　　A　devotional

writer　of　the　present　day；　in　answer　to　the　question；　How　are　we

to　overcome　temptations？　says：　〃Cheerfulness　is　the　first　thing；

cheerfulness　is　the　second；　and　cheerfulness　is　the　third。〃　　It

furnishes　the　best　soil　for　the　growth　of　goodness　and　virtue。　　It

gives　brightness　of　heart　and　elasticity　of　spirit。　　It　is　the

companion　of　charity；　the　nurse　of　patience　the　mother　of　wisdom。

It　is　also　the　best　of　moral　and　mental　tonics。　　〃The　best　cordial

of　all；〃　said　Dr。　Marshall　Hall　to　one　of　his　patients；　〃is

cheerfulness。〃　　And　Solomon　has　said　that　〃a　merry　heart　doeth

good　like　a　medicine。〃　　When　Luther　was　once　applied　to　for　a

remedy　against　melancholy；　his　advice　was：　〃Gaiety　and　courage

innocent　gaiety；　and　rational　honourable　courageare　the　best

medicine　for　young　men；　and　for　old　men；　too；　for　all　men　against

sad　thoughts。〃　（2）　　Next　to　music；　if　not　before　it；　Luther　loved

children　and　flowers。　　The　great　gnarled　man　had　a　heart　as

tender　as　a　woman's。



Cheerfulness　is　also　an　excellent　wearing　quality。　　It　has　been

called　the　bright　weather　of　the　heart。　　It　gives　harmony　of　soul；

and　is　a　perpetual　song　without　words。　　It　is　tantamount　to

repose。　　It　enables　nature　to　recruit　its　strength；　whereas　worry

and　discontent　debilitate　it；　involving　constant　wear…and…tear。

How　is　it　that　we　see　such　men　as　Lord　Palmerston　growing　old　in

harness；　working　on　vigorously　to　the　end？　　Mainly　through

equanimity　of　temper　and　habitual　cheerfulness。　　They　have

educated　themselves　in　the　habit　of　endurance；　of　not　being　easily

provoked；　of　bearing　and　forbearing；　of　hearing　harsh　and　even

unjust　things　said　of　them　without　indulging　in　undue　resentment；

and　avoiding　worreting；　petty；　and　self…tormenting　cares。　　An

intimate　friend　of　Lord　Palmerston；　who　observed　him　closely　for

twenty　years；　has　said　that　he　never　saw　him　angry；　with　perhaps

one　exception；　and　that　was　when　the　ministry　responsible　for　the

calamity　in　Affghanistan；　of　which　he　was　one；　were　unjustly

accused　by　their　opponents　of　falsehood；　perjury；　and　wilful

mutilation　of　public　documents。



So　far　as　can　be　learnt　from　biography；　men　of　the　greatest　genius

have　been　for　the　most　part　cheerful；　contented　mennot　eager

for　reputation；　money；　or　powerbut　relishing　life；　and　keenly

susceptible　of　enjoyment；　as　we　find　reflected　in　their　works。

Such　seem　to　have　been　Homer；　Horace；　Virgil；　Montaigne；

Shakspeare；　Cervantes。　　Healthy　serene　cheerfulness　is　apparent　in

their　great　creations。　　Among　the　same　class　of　cheerful…minded

men　may　also　be　mentioned　Luther；　More；　Bacon；　Leonardo　da　Vinci；

Raphael；　and　Michael　Angelo。　　Perhaps　they　were　happy　because

constantly　occupied；　and　in　the　pleasantest　of　all　workthat　of

creating　out　of　the　fulness　and　richness　of　their　great　minds。



Milton；　too；　though　a　man　of　many　trials　and　sufferings；　must

have　been　a　man　of　great　cheerfulness　and　elasticity　of　nature。

Though　overtaken　by　blindness；　deserted　by　friends；　and　fallen

upon　evil　days〃darkness　before　and　danger's　voice　behind〃

yet　did　he　not　bate　heart　or　hope；　but　〃still　bore　up　and

steered　right　onward。〃



Henry　Fielding　was　a　man　borne　down　through　life　by　debt；　and

difficulty；　and　bodily　suffering；　and　yet　Lady　Mary　Wortley

Montague　has　said　of　him　that；　by　virtue　of　his　cheerful

disposition；　she　was　persuaded　he　〃had　known　more　happy　moments

than　any　person　on　earth。〃



Dr。　Johnson；　through　all　his　trials　and　sufferings　and　hard　fights

with　fortune；　was　a　courageous　and　cheerful…natured　man。　　He

manfully　made　the　best　of　life；　and　tried　to　be　glad　in　it。　　Once；

when　a　clergyman　was　complaining　of　the　dulness　of　society　in　the

country；　saying　〃they　only　talk　of　runts〃　（young　cows）；　Johnson

felt　flattered　by　the　observation　of　Mrs。　Thrale's　mother；　who

said；　〃Sir；　Dr。　Johnson　would　learn　to　talk　of　runts〃meaning

that　he　was　a　man　who　would　make　the　most　of　his　situation；

whatever　it　was。



Johnson　was　of　opinion　that　a　man　grew　better　as　he　grew　older；

and　that　his　nature　mellowed　with　age。　　This　is　certainly　a　much

more　cheerful　view　of　human　nature　than　that　of　Lord　Chesterfield；

who　saw　life　through　the　eyes　of　a　cynic；　and　held　that　〃the　heart

never　grows　better　by　age：　it　only　grows　harder。〃　　But　both

sayings　may　be　true　according　to　the　point　from　which　life　is

viewed；　and　the　temper　by　which　a　man　is　governed；　for　while　the

good；　profiting　by　experience；　and　disciplining　themselves　by

self…control；　will　grow　better；　the　ill…conditioned；　uninfluenced

by　experience；　will　only　grow　worse。



Sir　Walter　Scott　was　a　man　full　of　the　milk　of　human　kindness。

Everybody　loved　him。　　He　was　never　five　minutes　in　a　room　ere　the

little　pets　of　the　family；　whether　dumb　or　lisping；　had　found　out

his　kindness　for　all　their　generation。　　Scott　related　to　Captain

Basil　Hall　an　incident　of　his　boyhood　which　showed　the　tenderness

of　his　nature。　　One　day；　a　dog　coming　towards　him；　he　took　up　a

big　stone；　threw　it；　and　hit　the　dog。　　The　poor　creature　had

strength　enough　left　to　crawl　up　to　him　and　lick　his　feet；

although　he　saw　its　leg　was　broken。　　The　incident；　he　said；　had

given　him　the　bitterest　remorse　in　his　after…life；　but　he　added；

〃An　early　circumstance　of　that　kind；　properly　reflected　on；

is　calculated　to　have　the　best　effect　on　one's　character

throughout　life。〃



〃Give　me　an　honest　laugher；〃　Scott　would　say；　and　he　himself

laughed　the　heart's　laugh。　　He　had　a　kind　word　for　everybody；　and

his　kindness　acted　all　round　him　like　a　contagion；　dispelling　the

reserve　and　awe　which　his　great　name　was　calculated　to　inspire。