OUR DUTY IN THE WORLD

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1514, 7 March 1901, Page 24

OUR DUTY IN THE WORLD

We are often told how bad and sad this world of ours is, "Where e’en to think is to be full of woe and leadeneyed despair.” It is not advisable, therefore, to think too much about this aspect of this our dwelling-place ; and the best, cure for sad thoughts is to be up and doing. This is especially applicable in regard to our view of the world generally, and of our own little sphere of life in particular. It is better, a thousand -times, to try and set a few trifles in our immediate neighbourhood right than to sigh and moan over the multitude of ills and evils we are powerless to improve. Sydney Smith, a wise and witty cleric, was fond of advising people to take short views of life, not to look too far ahead, but, though taking* prudent forethought, to concern themselves with the things of the present rather than look fearfully into the future, dreading the ills which often never come. And speaking of this, con over the following versa of Lowell’s: “Some of your hurts you have cured, And the sharpest yc-u still have survived ; But what torrents ot grief you endured For the evils which never arrived.” Rather severe, but who shall say it has not much truth in it?