36 PLEASURE OF YOUTH. 



as wise as you will, the palm of happiness must be 

 awarded to early youth, to those sportive days 

 and nights of sound repose, before the business of 

 the world has come upon us, and absorbed all our 

 attention. Now, as the aim and object of all that 

 we do is happiness, why should not we make the 

 happiness of our youth a store through life, and 

 an increasing store, as well as our knowledge? 

 Our bodily activity and pleasure have their pe- 

 riods ; they wax and they wane, just as is the case 

 with matter and all the qualities of matter ; but 

 happiness, like knowledge, is in the mind, and 

 they should strike hands like twin brothers at our 

 birth, and never quit us, or gain upon each other, 

 till they bring us to those regions in which both 

 shall be in maturity, and our bliss perfect. 



In our business or profession, we cannot carry 

 the child with us through life. Life is a succes- 

 sion of inferences, the fruits of experience ; and in 

 it we must have the wisdom of age to give 

 counsel, and the vigour of manhood to carry that 

 counsel into execution. But still, while we counsel 

 with all our wisdom, and execute with all our 

 might, we are like Antaeus wrestling ; and if we 

 come not down and touch the earth, we shall be, as 

 Antaeus was, when prevented from that, overcome 

 and vanquished. f So that, even in order to work 

 properly and pleasantly as men, we should con- 

 tinue to play like children ; and if our play hours 

 be shorter and farther between, they will be 

 sweeter, because they will always have the fresh- 

 ness of novelty. 



The value of things never strikes us so forcibly 

 as when we are deprived of them ; and if we were 

 to think how sad an inroad would be made upon 



