APHORISMS AND REFLECTIONS 113 



was possible to those who, in the infancy of exact 

 knowledge, faced the problem of existence more 

 than a score of centuries ago, I deem it an essen- 

 tial condition of the realization of that hope that 

 we should cast aside the notion that the escape 

 from pain and sorrow is the proper object of life. 



We have long since emerged from the heroic 

 childhood of our race, when good and evil could 

 be met with the same "frolic welcome"; the 

 attempts to escape from evil, whether Indian or 

 Greek, have ended in flight from the battle-field ; 

 it remains to us to throw aside the youthful over- 

 confidence and the no less youthful discourage- 

 ment of nonage. We are grown men, and must 

 play the man 



strong in will 

 To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield, 



cherishing the good that falls in our way, and 

 bearing the evil, in and around us, with stout 

 hearts set on diminishing it. So far, we all may 

 strive in one faith towards one hope : 



It may be that the gulfs will wash us down, 

 It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles, 



.... but something ere the end, 



Some work of noble note may yet be done. 



I do not suppose that I am exceptionally endowed 

 because I have all my life enjoyed a keen perception 

 of the beauty offered us by nature and by art. Now 



