character-第55章

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old　man　declare　that；　apparently；　there　would　soon　be　nothing　but

〃old　boys〃　left。　　Cheerfulness；　being　generous　and　genial；　joyous

and　hearty；　is　never　the　characteristic　of　prigs。　　Goethe　used　to

exclaim　of　goody…goody　persons；　〃Oh！　if　they　had　but　the　heart　to

commit　an　absurdity！〃　　This　was　when　he　thought　they　wanted

heartiness　and　nature。　　〃Pretty　dolls！〃　was　his　expression　when

speaking　of　them；　and　turning　away。



The　true　basis　of　cheerfulness　is　love；　hope；　and　patience。　　Love

evokes　love；　and　begets　loving　kindness。　　Love　cherishes　hopeful

and　generous　thoughts　of　others。　　It　is　charitable；　gentle；　and

truthful。　　It　is　a　discerner　of　good。　　It　turns　to　the　brightest

side　of　things；　and　its　face　is　ever　directed　towards　happiness。

It　sees　〃the　glory　in　the　grass；　the　sunshine　on　the　flower。〃　　It

encourages　happy　thoughts；　and　lives　in　an　atmosphere　of

cheerfulness。　　It　costs　nothing；　and　yet　is　invaluable；　for　it

blesses　its　possessor；　and　grows　up　in　abundant　happiness　in　the

bosoms　of　others。　　Even　its　sorrows　are　linked　with　pleasures；　and

its　very　tears　are　sweet。



Bentham　lays　it　down　as　a　principle；　that　a　man　becomes　rich　in

his　own　stock　of　pleasures　in　proportion　to　the　amount　he

distributes　to　others。　　His　kindness　will　evoke　kindness；　and　his

happiness　be　increased　by　his　own　benevolence。　　〃Kind　words；〃　he

says；　〃cost　no　more　than　unkind　ones。　　Kind　words　produce　kind

actions；　not　only　on　the　part　of　him　to　whom　they　are　addressed；

but　on　the　part　of　him　by　whom　they　are　employed；　and　this　not

incidentally　only；　but　habitually；　in　virtue　of　the　principle　of

association。〃。。。。　　〃It　may　indeed　happen；　that　the　effort　of

beneficence　may　not　benefit　those　for　whom　it　was　intended；　but

when　wisely　directed；　it　MUST　benefit　the　person　from　whom　it

emanates。　　Good　and　friendly　conduct　may　meet　with　an　unworthy　and

ungrateful　return；　but　the　absence　of　gratitude　on　the　part　of　the

receiver　cannot　destroy　the　self…approbation　which　recompenses　the

giver；　and　we　may　scatter　the　seeds　of　courtesy　and　kindliness

around　us　at　so　little　expense。　　Some　of　them　will　inevitably　fall

on　good　ground；　and　grow　up　into　benevolence　in　the　minds　of

others；　and　all　of　them　will　bear　fruit　of　happiness　in　the　bosom

whence　they　spring。　　Once　blest　are　all　the　virtues　always；　twice

blest　sometimes。〃　（4）



The　poet　Rogers　used　to　tell　a　story　of　a　little　girl；　a　great

favourite　with　every　one　who　knew　her。　　Some　one　said　to　her；　〃Why

does　everybody　love　you　so　much？〃　　She　answered；　〃I　think　it　is

because　I　love　everybody　so　much。〃　　This　little　story　is　capable

of　a　very　wide　application；　for　our　happiness　as　human　beings；

generally　speaking；　will　be　found　to　be　very　much　in　proportion　to

the　number　of　things　we　love；　and　the　number　of　things　that　love

us。　　And　the　greatest　worldly　success；　however　honestly　achieved；

will　contribute　comparatively　little　to　happiness；　unless　it　be

accompanied　by　a　lively　benevolence　towards　every　human　being。



Kindness　is　indeed　a　great　power　in　the　world。　　Leigh　Hunt　has

truly　said　that　〃Power　itself　hath　not　one　half　the　might　of

gentleness。〃　　Men　are　always　best　governed　through　their

affections。　　There　is　a　French　proverb　which　says　that；　〃LES

HOMMES　SE　PRENNENT　PAR　LA　DOUCEUR；〃　and　a　coarser　English　one；　to

the　effect　that　〃More　wasps　are　caught　by　honey　than　by　vinegar。〃

〃Every　act　of　kindness；〃　says　Bentham；　〃is　in　fact　an　exercise　of

power；　and　a　stock　of　friendship　laid　up；　and　why　should　not　power

exercise　itself　in　the　production　of　pleasure　as　of　pain？〃



Kindness　does　not　consist　in　gifts；　but　in　gentleness　and

generosity　of　spirit。　　Men　may　give　their　money　which　comes　from

the　purse；　and　withhold　their　kindness　which　comes　from　the　heart。

The　kindness　that　displays　itself　in　giving　money；　does　not　amount

to　much；　and　often　does　quite　as　much　harm　as　good；　but　the

kindness　of　true　sympathy；　of　thoughtful　help；　is　never　without

beneficent　results。



The　good　temper　that　displays　itself　in　kindness　must　not　be

confounded　with　softness　or　silliness。　　In　its　best　form；　it　is

not　a　merely　passive　but　an　active　condition　of　being。　　It　is　not

by　any　means　indifferent；　but　largely　sympathetic。　　It　does　not

characterise　the　lowest　and　most　gelatinous　forms　of　human　life；

but　those　that　are　the　most　highly　organized。　　True　kindness

cherishes　and　actively　promotes　all　reasonable　instrumentalities

for　doing　practical　good　in　its　own　time；　and；　looking　into

futurity；　sees　the　same　spirit　working　on　for　the　eventual

elevation　and　happiness　of　the　race。



It　is　the　kindly…dispositioned　men　who　are　the　active　men　of　the

world；　while　the　selfish　and　the　sceptical；　who　have　no　love　but

for　themselves；　are　its　idlers。　　Buffon　used　to　say；　that　he　would

give　nothing　for　a　young　man　who　did　not　begin　life　with　an

enthusiasm　of　some　sort。　　It　showed　that　at　least　he　had　faith　in

something　good；　lofty；　and　generous；　even　if　unattainable。



Egotism；　scepticism；　and　selfishness　are　always　miserable

companions　in　life；　and　they　are　especially　unnatural　in　youth。

The　egotist　is　next…door　to　a　fanatic。　　Constantly　occupied　with

self；　he　has　no　thought　to　spare　for　others。　　He　refers　to　himself

in　all　things；　thinks　of　himself；　and　studies　himself；　until　his

own　little　self　becomes　his　own　little　god。



Worst　of　all　are　the　grumblers　and　growlers　at　fortunewho　find

that　〃whatever　is　is　wrong；〃　and　will　do　nothing　to　set　matters

rightwho　declare　all　to　be　barren　〃from　Dan　even　to　Beersheba。〃

These　grumblers　are　invariably　found　the　least　efficient　helpers

in　the　school　of　life。　　As　the　worst　workmen　are　usually　the

readiest　to　〃strike；〃　so　the　least　industrious　members　of　society

are　the　readiest　to　complain。　　The　worst　wheel　of　all　is　the

one　that　creaks。



There　is　such　a　thing　as　the　cherishing　of　discontent　until　the

feeling　becomes　morbid。　　The　jaundiced　see　everything　about　them

yellow。　　The　ill…conditioned　think　all　things　awry；　and　the　whole

world　out…of…joint。　　All　is　vanity　and　vexation　of　spirit。　　The

little　girl　in　PUNCH；　who　found　her　doll　stuffed　with　bran；　and

forthwith　declared　everything　to　be　hollow　and　wanted　to　〃go　into

a　nunnery；〃　had　her　counterpart　in　real　life。　　Many　full…grown

people　are　quite　as　morbidly　unreasonable。　　There　are　those　who

may　be　said　to　〃enjoy　bad　health；〃　they　regard　it　as　a　sort　of

property。　　They　can　speak　of　〃MY　headache〃〃MY　backache；〃　and　so

forth；　until　in　course　of　time　it　becomes　their　most　cherished

possession。　　But　perhaps　it　is　the　source　to　them　of　much　coveted

sympathy；　without　which　they　might　find　themselves　of

comparatively　little　importance　in　the　world。



We　have　to　be　on　our　guard　against　small　troubles；　which；　by

encouraging；　we　are　apt　to　magnify　into　great　ones。　　Indeed；　the

chief　source　of　worry　in　the　world　is　not　real　but　imaginary　evil

small　vexations　and　trivial　afflictions。　　In　the　presence　of　a

great　sorrow；　all　petty　troubles　disappear；　but　we　are　too　ready

to　take　some　cherished　misery　to　our　bosom；　and　to　pet　it　there。

Very　often　it　is　the　child　of　our　fancy；　and；　forgetful　of　the

many　means　of　happiness　which　lie　within　our　reach；　we　indulge

this　spoilt　child　of　ours　until　it　masters　us。　　We　shut　the　door

against　cheerfulness；　and　surround　ourselves　with　gloom。　　The

habit　gives　a　colouring　to　our　life。　　We　grow　querulous；　moody；

and　unsympathetic。　　Our　conversation　becomes　full　of　regrets。　　We

are　harsh　in　our　judgment　of　others。　　We　are　unsociable；　and　think

everybody　else　is　so。　　We　make　our　breast　a　storehouse　of　pain；

which　we　inflict　upon　ourselves　as　well　as　upon　others。



This　disposition　is　encouraged　by　selfishness：　indeed；　it　is　for

the　most　part　selfishness　unmingled；　without　any　admixture　of

sympathy　or　consideration　for　the　feelings　of　those　about　us。　　It

is　simply　wilfulness　in　the　wrong　direction。　　It　is　wilful；

because　it　might　be　avoi