6. What two illustrations are given in stanzas 8 and 9?

7. Memorize stanza 10.

8. How may each of us discover "A path to higher destinies"? 9. How only can we keep the irrevocable past from being thwarted?

10. Does this poem mean that if a person wishes to be very good he must first be very bad?

11. What then seems to you to be the real meaning of the poem?

ADDITIONAL READINGS

SMILES: Self Help. Character.

EMERSON: Essays Conduct of Life.

LONGFELLOW: The Builders. Excelsior. Keramos.

HOLLAND: Gradatim.

EMERSON: The Problem.

ARNOLD: Self-Dependence.

TENNYSON: Sir Galahad.

CHESTER: The Tapestry Weavers.

PATRIOTISM

And Thou, O God, of whom we hold
Our country and our Freedom fair,
Within Thy tender love enfold

This land; for all Thy people care.
Uplift our hearts above our fortunes high,
Let not the good we have make us forget
The better things that in Thy heavens lie!
Keep, still, amid the fever and the fret
Of all this eager life, our thoughts on Thee,
The Hope, the Strength, the God of all the Free.
-Bishop J. L. Spalding.

THE MOUNTAIN OF MISERIES

MR.

R. LONGFELLOW once wrote an exquisite poem in which he tells us of the sweet relief from pain he experienced when he assumed some of the "sorrow of others" instead of brooding over his own. This healing he tells us was made possible by the discovery that each heart has its own sorrow. As he beautifully expresses it,

"And I thought how many thousands
Of care-encumbered men,

Each bearing his burden of sorrow,

Have crossed the bridge since then.”

The good poet's experience has been that of thousands who have lived before and after him.

Having noticed this same lesson, that each heart has a burden of its own, Joseph Addison, the graceful, gentle English essayist teaches us a valuable lesson by viewing the bearing of others' sorrows from a somewhat different angle. In the following selection, the assumption of the cast off burdens is from a purely mercenary motive.

It is pleasant to be taught a severe philosophy

by being made to laugh at our own follies. This is what Addison attempts to do in this reading.

THE MOUNTAIN OF MISERIES

It is a celebrated thought of Socrates, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy, would prefer the share they are already possessed of, before that which would fall to them by such a division. Horace has carried this thought a great deal further, which implies, that the hardships or misfortunes we lie under, are more easy to us than those of any other person would be, in case we could exchange conditions with him.

As I was musing upon these two remarks, and seated in my elbow chair, I insensibly fell asleep; when, on a sudden, methought there was a proclamation made by Jupiter, that every mortal should bring in his griefs and calamities, and throw them together in a heap.

There was a large plain appointed for this purpose. I took my stand in the center of it, and saw, with a great deal of pleasure, the whole human species marching one after another, and throwing down their several loads, which immediately grew up into a prodigious mountain, that seemed to rise above the clouds.

There was a certain lady of a thin airy shape, who was very active in this solemnity. She carried a magnifying glass in one of her hands, and was clothed in a loose flowing robe, embroidered with several figures of fiends and specters that discovered themselves in a thousand chimerical shapes, as her garment hovered in the wind. There was something wild and distracted in her looks. Her name was Fancy. She led up every mortal to the appointed place, after having very officiously assisted him in making up his pack, and laying it upon his shoulders. My heart melted within me to see my fellow-creatures groaning under their respective burdens, and to consider that prodigious bulk of human calamities which lay before me.

There were, however, several persons who gave me great diversion upon this occasion. I observed one bringing in a fardel very carefully concealed under an old embroidered cloak, which, upon his throwing it into the heap, I discovered to be Poverty. Another, after a great deal of puffing, threw down his luggage, which, upon examining, I found to be his wife.

There were multitudes of lovers saddled with very whimsical burdens composed of darts and flames; but what was very odd, though they sighed as if their hearts would break under these bundles of calamities, they could not persuade themselves to cast them into the heap when they came up to it; but after a few faint efforts, shook their heads and marched away as heavy laden as they came.

I saw multitudes of old women throw down their wrinkles, and several young ones who stripped themselves of a tawny skin. There were very great heaps of red noses, large lips, and rusty teeth.

The truth of it is, I was surprised to see the greatest part of the mountain made up of bodily deformities. Observing one advancing toward the heap, with a larger cargo than ordinary upon his back, I found, upon his near approach, that it was only a natural hump, which he disposed of with great joy of heart, among this collection of human miseries. There were likewise distempers of all sorts, though I could not but observe, that there were many more imaginary than real.

One little packet I could not but take notice of, which was a complication of all the diseases incident to human nature, and was in the hand of a great many fine people; this was called the Spleen. But what most of all surprised me was a remark I made, that there was not a single vice or folly thrown into the whole heap; at which I was very much astonished, having concluded within myself, that every one would take this opportunity of getting rid of his passions, prejudices, and frailties.

I took notice in particular of a very profligate fellow, who I did not question came loaded with his crimes; but upon searching into his bundle, I found that, instead of throwing his guilt from him, he had only laid down his memory. He was