For that purpose we needed information and imagination. We read in the newspapers of battles, and famines, and reforms, and heroisms: and our hearts thrilled just so keenly as, from one's reading and power of imagination, the events described were pictured to us. For instance, he who had read and considered the accounts of the horrors of war would better appreciate the sacrifice of our war volunteers than he who was content to regard war solely as a game of strategy. But there could in fact be no sympathy with an object towards which we did not feel good-will. The lecturer confessed that no amount of effort could make the uncongenial pleasing to himself. His utmost achievement was to suffer them more or less gladly; and this one achieved only by sternly forcing oneself to see their point of view. The speaker went on to utter a warning against a cheap, sham variety of sympathy. One was tempted to simulate sympathy when the self-sacrifice involved was merely nominal.
Without railing at those w' o overemphasized their appreciation of our trivial joys and trials, be said that surely such abandon, commonly stigmatized as "gush," was ill-advised, since it was out of proportion and tended to deaden the natural response to the appeal of our fellows in real need of sympathy. Sympathy, like most good things, could be over-done, but its value was greatly enhanced by due discrimination.
The parallel virtue of trying to seo good in everything supplied an instance of the danger of loose indulgence in what might in proper degree be admirable. Indulgence in indiscreet sympathy might prove perilous, Such accidents as difference in station, in education, in nationality or race should not. cause restraint of fellow-feeling. Such distinctions were really imfor experience showed humanity to be very similar under whatever wrapping.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.