led mortals, Odysseus or a bag-man. And
such losing of trains is not inevitably a blessing. I have often written
about life with optimistic heartlessness, because life, on the whole,
has been uncommonly kind to me, and because one is nearer the truth
when cheerful than when depressed. But this is the place for a brief
interlude of pessimism. For it is all very well to make the best of
losing trains when we have time, cabs, and a fine view at hand; and when
in losing the train we lose nothing else, except our temper. But surely
'tis no ingratitude towards life's great mercies and blessings to
discriminate them from life's buffets and bruisings. And methinks that
the teaching of courage or resignation might fitly begin by the
recognition of the many cases where only courage or resignation avails,
because they are thoroughly bad. There is something stupid and underbred
at times in the attitude of saints and stoics--at least in their books.
When Rachel weepeth for her children, we have no business to come round
hawking our consolation; we should stand aside, unless we can cradle her
to sleep in our arms. And if we refuse to weep, 'tis not because there
is not matter enough for weeping, but because we require our strength
and serenity to carry her through her trouble. Pain, dear cheerful
friends, is pain; and grief, grief; and if our own complete human
efficiency requires the acquaintance thereof, 'tis because the
knowledge of their violence and of their wiles is needed for our own
protection and the helping of other folk. Evil comes from the gods, no
doubt; but so do all things; and to extract good from it--the great
Prometheus-feat of man--is not to evil's credit, but to the credit of
good. The contrary doctrine is a poison to the spirit, though a poison
of medicinal use in moments of anguish, a bromide or an opiate.

I am speaking, therefore, only of such contingencies as will bear
comparison, without silly stoicism, to the missing of a train. Much of
the good such disappointments may contain is of the nature of education,
and most of it a matter of mere novelty. Without suspecting it, we are
all suffering from lack of new departures; and life would no doubt be
better if we tried a few more things, and gave the hidden, neglected
possibilities a greater chance. Change as such is often fruitful of
improvement, exposing to renovating air and rains the hard, exhausted
soil of our souls, turning up new layers and helping on lif