THE RELIGION OF NATURE 



be coarse but the jokes are enjoyed. In the hospi- 

 tal the smiles may be wan, but the sense of peace 

 and hope inspires them. 



There are men, of course, whose temporary 

 " misery and agony " are such that they will take 

 their own lives rather than endure the torture: 

 but I hold that even in such cases a balance-sheet 

 of each life would show a large credit on the side 

 of happiness, and that even the last madness of 

 self-destruction and the contemplation of the act 

 beforehand was sweetened by anticipation of 

 lasting peace beyond the grave. 



I do not believe that positive unhappiness or 

 suffering exists in this world. I believe that it is 

 all comparative, and that the comparison is al- 

 ways in our favor in the long run. 



At the same time I believe that by these alterna- 

 tions of happiness and unhappiness we are all 

 urged upon a road which leads always upwards; 

 and that the advancement and civilization of man 

 is entirely due to his pursuit of " happiness," which 

 is always in some respect just an- inch above his 

 condition at the moment, no matter what his con- 

 dition may be. We all know plenty of people who, 

 judged by our standards, ought to be miserable; 

 but they are not. 



In my own experience I have at times plumbed 

 the depths of physical and mental suffering: and 

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