io6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



dren these and other evil effects of the grosser forms of self-indulgence, 

 has been passed upon the teacher of that far-seing care of self by which 

 the health is preserved, happiness obtained, the whole nature strength- 

 ened and sweetened, the enjoyment of all forms of pleasure increased, 

 and in all these respects the lot of posterity improved to many — nay, 

 to uncounted generations. 



On the other hand, there are those who, seeing that the doctrine 

 taught is unassailable on that side, assert that it is and always has 

 been obvious — forgetting how many morose and gloomy people there 

 are who show by their mere existence that in the past (of which they 

 are the descendants) the contrary doctrine has prevailed, as it still 

 exists in the present (which they in part represent), and will continue 

 doubtless for many generations. 



If it be agreed that Mr. Spencer's teaching in this matter is need- 

 less where it is accepted and useless where it is needed (because none 

 who would be benefited by it will listen), I answer that the case is 

 otherwise. There are thousands now, and their number will be largely 

 increased in the future, who have found in this teaching the lesson 

 which they needed to make their lives happy and their influence in 

 their own time and in the future blessed. It has come as a new and 

 cheering light to them (I w^as going to say as a revelation, but the 

 word would be misinterpreted) to see in happiness, their own included, 

 the answer to the doleful question. Is life worth living ? If by self- 

 mortification, overwork, wear end worry, I make myself wretched and 

 fail to make those around me happier, I may well ask in mournful 

 accents that foolish question. If I not only fail so to make others 

 happier but make them less happy, and hand on gloom and misery to 

 future ages, I may not only ask it gloomily but answer it sadly. Life is 

 not worth living. Better, were it lawful, to cease the painful and use- 

 less, the worse than useless, contest. But if by due care and thought 

 of self, by reasonable enjoyment of the bright and pleasant things 

 which life brings to most, I in some degree or wholly counterpoise 

 such pains and sorrows as life brings to all, and at the same time help 

 to brighten the lives of those around, and those also of generations as 

 yet unborn, how shall I doubt what answer to give to the question. Is 

 life worth living ? Not sad is the answer, but bright and cheering. 



There is still not a little to be said respecting the due care of per- 

 sonal well-being. Just here I close by remarking that, in the attempt 

 to simplify Mr. Herbert Spencer's nomenclature, I certainly did not 

 improve the title of this chapter by calling it " Self versus Others" as 

 I did till now, instead of " Egoism versus Altruism," as he called the 

 chapter in the "Data of Ethics" bearing on the same subject. Due 

 care of self is not a matter of " self versus others," seeing that care 

 of personal well-being is essential to the influence of self for the good 

 of others. I have therefore given to this section a new sub-title. 



But there is another aspect of this part of our subject which re- 



