THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS 



lesson as altogether definitive, let us pause long enough to 

 reflect that the subject has another aspect. As suggest- 

 ing this let me introduce yet another quotation; this one, 

 like our first, from the wisdom of the Greek Anthology. 



The author this time is Palladas. He apostrophises 

 the symbol of wealth in this fashion : 



"O gold, the father of flatterers, the son of pain and 

 care: to have thee is a fear; not to have thee, a sor- 

 row." 



It is this last clause that demands our attention: 

 "Not to have thee is a sorrow" "If an evil, thou art a 

 necessary evil; your ideal is false, yet it will not be 

 altogether gainsaid in this practical world." 



And here again the universal experience of mankind 

 gives assent. The words and the thought are a paradox ; 

 but the paradox is none the less a truth. Our Croesus 

 as presented by Jortin, is an unhandsome figure; but 

 could we not easily enough match him from the ranks of 

 abject poverty? Much money to mortals may of a 

 truth become a madness; but does sanity come as the 

 handmaid of Want? And at the very worst is our 

 ambitious and restless plutocrat less happy than the 

 aspirant after higher ideals who knows not where to 

 find a crust for his dear ones? Sane judgment dare 

 not affirm it. 



We are forced, then, to reckon with this "father of 

 flatterers, son of pain and care," affect to despise him 

 how we may. And however lightly we may thrust 

 aside his allurements in the time of our idol-forming 

 youth, we shall probably find that they will make them- 

 selves felt at some later period of our life- journey. 



[,88] 



