character-第78节

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sake。〃　　When　surprise　was　expressed　at　the　patience　of　a　poor

Arabian　woman　under　heavy　affliction；　she　said；　〃When　we　look　on

God's　face　we　do　not　feel　His　hand。〃



Suffering　is　doubtless　as　divinely　appointed　as　joy；　while　it　is

much　more　influential　as　a　discipline　of　character。　　It　chastens

and　sweetens　the　nature；　teaches　patience　and　resignation；　and

promotes　the　deepest　as　well　as　the　most　exalted　thought。　（12）



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃The　best　of　men

　　　　　　That　e'er　wore　earth　about　Him　was　a　sufferer；

　　　　　　A　soft；　meek；　patient；　humble；　tranquil　spirit

　　　　　　The　first　true　gentleman　that　ever　breathed。〃　（13）



Suffering　may　be　the　appointed　means　by　which　the　highest　nature

of　man　is　to　be　disciplined　and　developed。　　Assuming　happiness　to

be　the　end　of　being；　sorrow　may　be　the　indispensable　condition

through　which　it　is　to　be　reached。　　Hence　St。　Paul's　noble　paradox

descriptive　of　the　Christian　life；〃as　chastened；　and　not

killed；　as　sorrowful；　yet　always　rejoicing；　as　poor；　yet　making

many　rich；　as　having　nothing；　and　yet　possessing　all　things。〃



Even　pain　is　not　all　painful。　　On　one　side　it　is　related　to

suffering；　and　on　the　other　to　happiness。　　For　pain　is　remedial　as

well　as　sorrowful。　　Suffering　is　a　misfortune　as　viewed　from　the

one　side；　and　a　discipline　as　viewed　from　the　other。　　But　for

suffering；　the　best　part　of　many　men's　nature　would　sleep　a　deep

sleep。　　Indeed；　it　might　almost　be　said　that　pain　and　sorrow　were

the　indispensable　conditions　of　some　men's　success；　and　the

necessary　means　to　evoke　the　highest　development　of　their　genius。

Shelley　has　said　of　poets：



　　　　　　〃Most　wretched　men　are　cradled　into　poetry　by　wrong；

　　　　　　　They　learn　in　suffering　what　they　teach　in　song。〃



Does　any　one　suppose　that　Burns　would　have　sung　as　he　did；

had　he　been　rich；　respectable；　and　〃kept　a　gig；〃　or　Byron；

if　he　had　been　a　prosperous；　happily…married　Lord　Privy　Seal

or　Postmaster…General？



Sometimes　a　heartbreak　rouses　an　impassive　nature　to　life。

〃What　does　he　know；〃　said　a　sage；　〃who　has　not　suffered？〃

When　Dumas　asked　Reboul；　〃What　made　you　a　poet？〃　his　answer　was；

〃Suffering！〃　It　was　the　death；　first　of　his　wife；　and　then　of

his　child；　that　drove　him　into　solitude　for　the　indulgence　of

his　grief；　and　eventually　led　him　to　seek　and　find　relief　in

verse。　（14）　　It　was　also　to　a　domestic　affliction　that　we　owe

the　beautiful　writings　of　Mrs。　Gaskell。　　〃It　was　as　a　recreation；

in　the　highest　sense　of　the　word；〃　says　a　recent　writer；　speaking

from　personal　knowledge；　〃as　an　escape　from　the　great　void　of　a

life　from　which　a　cherished　presence　had　been　taken；　that　she

began　that　series　of　exquisite　creations　which　has　served　to

multiply　the　number　of　our　acquaintances；　and　to　enlarge　even

the　circle　of　our　friendships。〃　（15）



Much　of　the　best　and　most　useful　work　done　by　men　and　women　has

been　done　amidst　afflictionsometimes　as　a　relief　from　it；

sometimes　from　a　sense　of　duty　overpowering　personal　sorrow。　　〃If

I　had　not　been　so　great　an　invalid；〃　said　Dr。　Darwin　to　a　friend；

〃I　should　not　have　done　nearly　so　much　work　as　I　have　been　able　to

accomplish。〃　　So　Dr。　Donne；　speaking　of　his　illnesses；　once　said：

〃This　advantage　you　and　my　other　friends　have　by　my　frequent

fevers　is；　that　I　am　so　much　the　oftener　at　the　gates　of　Heaven；

and　by　the　solitude　and　close　imprisonment　they　reduce　me　to；　I　am

so　much　the　oftener　at　my　prayers；　in　which　you　and　my　other　dear

friends　are　not　forgotten。〃



Schiller　produced　his　greatest　tragedies　in　the　midst　of　physical

suffering　almost　amounting　to　torture。　　Handel　was　never　greater

than　when；　warned　by　palsy　of　the　approach　of　death；　and

struggling　with　distress　and　suffering；　he　sat　down　to　compose　the

great　works　which　have　made　his　name　immortal　in　music。　　Mozart

composed　his　great　operas；　and　last　of　all　his　'Requiem；'　when

oppressed　by　debt；　and　struggling　with　a　fatal　disease。　　Beethoven

produced　his　greatest　works　amidst　gloomy　sorrow；　when　oppressed

by　almost　total　deafness。　　And　poor　Schubert；　after　his　short　but

brilliant　life；　laid　it　down　at　the　early　age　of　thirty…two；

his　sole　property　at　his　death　consisting　of　his　manuscripts；

the　clothes　he　wore；　and　sixty…three　florins　in　money。　　Some　of

Lamb's　finest　writings　were　produced　amidst　deep　sorrow；　and

Hood's　apparent　gaiety　often　sprang　from　a　suffering　heart。

As　he　himself　wrote；



　　　　　　〃There's　not　a　string　attuned　to　mirth；

　　　　　　　But　has　its　chord　in　melancholy。〃



Again；　in　science；　we　have　the　noble　instance　of　the　suffering

Wollaston；　even　in　the　last　stages　of　the　mortal　disease　which

afflicted　him；　devoting　his　numbered　hours　to　putting　on　record；

by　dictation；　the　various　discoveries　and　improvements　he　had

made；　so　that　any　knowledge　he　had　acquired；　calculated　to　benefit

his　fellow…creatures；　might　not　be　lost。



Afflictions　often　prove　but　blessings　in　disguise。　　〃Fear　not　the

darkness；〃　said　the　Persian　sage；　it　〃conceals　perhaps　the　springs

of　the　waters　of　life。〃　　Experience　is　often　bitter；　but

wholesome；　only　by　its　teaching　can　we　learn　to　suffer　and　be

strong。　　Character；　in　its　highest　forms；　is　disciplined　by　trial；

and　〃made　perfect　through　suffering。〃　　Even　from　the　deepest

sorrow；　the　patient　and　thoughtful　mind　will　gather　richer　wisdom

than　pleasure　ever　yielded。



〃The　soul's　dark　cottage；　batter'd　and　decayed；

Lets　in　new　light　through　chinks　that　Time　has　made。〃



〃Consider；〃　said　Jeremy　Taylor；　〃that　sad　accidents；　and　a　state

of　afflictions；　is　a　school　of　virtue。　　It　reduces　our　spirits　to

soberness；　and　our　counsels　to　moderation；　it　corrects　levity；　and

interrupts　the　confidence　of　sinning。。。。　God；　who　in　mercy　and

wisdom　governs　the　world；　would　never　have　suffered　so　many

sadnesses；　and　have　sent　them；　especially；　to　the　most　virtuous

and　the　wisest　men；　but　that　He　intends　they　should　be　the

seminary　of　comfort；　the　nursery　of　virtue；　the　exercise　of

wisdom；　the　trial　of　patience；　the　venturing　for　a　crown；

and　the　gate　of　glory。〃　（16）



And　again：〃No　man　is　more　miserable　than　he　that　hath　no

adversity。　　That　man　is　not　tried；　whether　he　be　good　or　bad；

and　God　never　crowns　those　virtues　which　are　only　FACULTIES

and　DISPOSITIONS；　but　every　act　of　virtue　is　an　ingredient

unto　reward。〃　（17）



Prosperity　and　success　of　themselves　do　not　confer　happiness；

indeed；　it　not　unfrequently　happens　that　the　least　successful　in

life　have　the　greatest　share　of　true　joy　in　it。　　No　man　could　have

been　more　successful　than　Goethepossessed　of　splendid　health；

honour；　power；　and　sufficiency　of　this　world's　goodsand　yet　he

confessed　that　he　had　not；　in　the　course　of　his　life；　enjoyed　five

weeks　of　genuine　pleasure。　　So　the　Caliph　Abdalrahman；　in

surveying　his　successful　reign　of　fifty　years；　found　that　he　had

enjoyed　only　fourteen　days　of　pure　and　genuine　happiness。　（18）

After　this；　might　it　not　be　said　that　the　pursuit　of　mere

happiness　is　an　illusion？



Life；　all　sunshine　without　shade；　all　happiness　without　sorrow；

all　pleasure　without　pain；　were　not　life　at　allat　least　not

human　life。　　Take　the　lot　of　the　happiestit　is　a　tangled　yarn。

It　is　made　up　of　sorrows　and　joys；　and　the　joys　are　all　the

sweeter　because　of　the　sorrows；　bereavements　and　blessings；　one

following　another；　making　us　sad　and　blessed　by　turns。　　Even　death

itself　makes　life　more　loving；　it　binds　us　more　closely　together

while　here。　　Dr。　Thomas　Browne　has　argued　that　death　is　one　of　the

necessary　conditions　of　human　happiness；　and　he　supports　his

argument　with　great　force　and　eloquence。　　But　when　death　comes

into　a　household；　we　do　not　philosophisewe　only　feel。　　The

eyes　that　are　full　of　tears　do　not　see；　though　in　course　of

time　they　come　to　see　more　clearly　and　brightly　than　those

that　have　never　known　sorrow。



The　wise　person　gradually　learns　not　to　expect　too　much　from　life。

While　he　strives　for　success　by　worthy　methods；　he　will　be

prepared　for　failures；　he　will　keep　his　mind　open　to　enjoyment；

but　submit　patiently　to　suffering。　　Wailings　and　complainings　of

life　are　never　of　any　use；　only　cheerful　and　continuous　working

in　right　paths　are　of　real　avail。



Nor　will　the　wise　man　expect　too　much　from　those　about　him。　　If　he

would　live　at　peace　with　others；　he　will　bear　and　forbear。　　And

even　the　best　have　often　foibles　of　character　which　have　to　be

endured；　sympathised　with；　and　perhaps　pitied。　　Who　is　perfect？

Who　does　not　suffer　from　some　thorn　in　the　flesh？　　Who　does　not

stand　in　need　of　toleration；　of　forbearance；　of　forgiveness？　　What

the　poor　imprisoned　Queen　Caroline　Matilda　of　Denmark　wrote　on　her

chapel…window　ought　to　be　the　prayer　of　all；〃Oh！　keep　me

innocent！　make　others　great。〃



Then；　how　much　does　the　disposition　of　every　human　being　depend

upon　their　innate　constitution　and　their　early　surroundings；

the　comfort　or　discomfort　of　the　homes　in　which