A lively critic recently enlightened readers of "Current Opinion" upon the root cause of the misery -of mankind, ingeniously accommodated in four brief lines. The four disturbing illusions are:
(1) That virtue is unpleasant.
(2) That violence is effective (3) That work is an affliction (4) That happiness is obtainable.
Here is matter for the Quest Society, and kindred associations. Is virtue unpleasant? Our critic will be at some pains in persuading the unregenerate that the state of virtue is truly not an unpleasant one: for it is a characteristic of the unregenerate that they will insist upon looking no farther than the superficially, drab, colourless lives -of their virtuous neighbours. Being good is fatally associated with being dull. Most people will agree with the writer in his assertion that the alleged effectiveness of violence (in the pursuit of an ideal) is a disastrous delusion. The war to end wars tells its own grim story. The point need not be laboured. From_ violence can come nothing but violence. The more battleships we build to ensure peace, the more surely are we preparing for war. We cannot think—personally or nationally—in terms of violence and live in amity.
Tae Moon anp SrxpEnce.
Now listen to these wise words on Happiness. To begin with, you cannot "get it." It gets you. It is a relation between two things. could bear, and Scott's friends the relation between what you looked for the worst. Speaking of think you ought to have and what 'The Bride of Lammermoor,' James you have. If you think you ought allantyne says it was not only to have a hundred dollars and you written but published before Mr. have only fifty, you are precisely Scott was able to rise from his bed; as unhappy as if you thought you and he assured me that, when it should have a million dollars and, Was first put into his hands, he have only five hundred thousand. idid not recollect one single incident, In both cases, 1 divided by 2 equals character, or conversation it con-one half. The size of the numero-, tained." A marvellous instance of for and denominator has nothing|the triumph of mind over matter! to do with the answer. The rela-Two Srorigs ata Tie. tion is the same in both instances.
Yet we see the multitude of men].
'Ivanhoe' was the first novel toiling and moiling to get more in which Scott broke away from money, higher position, greater purely Scottish ground, and English display, with the childish notion readers hailed ip with acclamation, in their heads that in so doing Dr, Moore, the author of 'Zeluco,' had advised Burns to abandon the they are going to get more happiness. They don't. use of dialect on the gonad that it must narrow the circle of his ad-Now will the "unhappy" please mirers, and no doubt Scott's native take careful note. They are advised to sit down and adjust thenithemes and language made a less powerful appeal to those outside selves to what they have and are. the rank of Scots, and therefore Happiness in. ten minutes is guar-lacking in full understanding and anteed. This is the way to achieve sympathy. But 'Ivanhoe' had its real contentment, says our author. setting in One of the most romantic Not by any socialistic millennium, periods of English history, the not by more food, money, clothes, 'Lion King' was a supremely po-laws, institutions, not by any pular_ subject, and the—book "gettable" thing, will the world be placed the author of the Waverley made content, but simply by taking Novels on the highest pinnacle of care of the penny of possession, fame. and leaving the pound of desire to "From its publication, indeed, a take care of itself. This is all certain decline in vogue may be very true. The question is how dated, and it would have been well are we to get rid of the pleasant some wise, friendly critics had but unprofitable, unhappy, habit of had the sense and the courage to erying for the moon? Again, the|utter a warning that mi, ight have question is no novelty.
Only. the served to check the levis 1 pendiway of putting it is—"topical."" ture that marked the brief period The "answer" is not new. It isjbefore the crash came. While ages old. And still the world 'Ivanhoe' was in progress Scott way goes on its devious way. And still at work also on 'The Monastery,' philosophers chase that will-o-the-finding the writing of a tale that wisp, perfection. Reformers and belonged to his own neighbourhood reform conceivably will thrive a relief from the composition of until the end of time: when it will one where his imagination was more be too late to discover that the last severely taxed. word in "reforni" was said before Taex Came "Keninworts."" the first "reformer" whs born.
"The two stories seemed to give each other relish, like bread and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.