NEW ENGLAND WINTER. 147 



I am not yet a convert to the pessimistic 

 doctrine that " all pleasure is merely relief 

 from pain ; " but I gladly believe that pain 

 has its use in heightening subsequent hap- 

 piness, and that one man's evil qualities 

 (mine, for example) may partly atone for 

 themselves by setting off the amiable char- 

 acteristics of worthier men around him. It 

 consoles me to feel that my neighbors seem 

 better to themselves and to each other be- 

 cause of the abrupt antithesis between 

 their dispositions and mine. It is better 

 than nothing, if my failure can serve as 

 a background for their virtuous success. 

 With reverent thankfulness do I acknow- 

 ledge the gracious and far-reaching frugal- 

 ity which, by one means and another, saves 

 even my foolishness and imperfection from 

 running altogether to waste. 



Viewed in this light, as an offset or foil 

 for the remainder of the year, we may say 

 that the worse the winter is, the better it is. 

 Within reasonable limits, it can hardly be 

 too long or too rigorous. And just here, as 

 it appears to me, our New England climate 

 shows most admirably. Without being un- 

 endurably hot or insufferably cold, it does 



