The Fleeting Happiness of Life

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“The Fleeting Happiness of Life”
By Jocelyn Soriano 

“The truth is, there is no one place, however we may envy it, which would be indisputably good for us to occupy; much less for us to remain in. The zest of life, like the pleasure which we receive from a work of art, or from nature, comes from undulations –from inequalities; not from any monotony, even though it be the monotony of seeming perfection.

The beauty of the landscape depends upon contrasts, and would be lost in one common surface of splendor. The grandeur of the waves is in the deep hollows, as well as the culminating crests; and the bars of the sunset glow on the background of the twilight. The very condition of a great thing is that it must be comparatively a rare thing.

We speak of summer glories, and yet who would wish it to be always summer? – who does not see how admirably the varied seasons are fitted to our appetite for change? It may seem as if it would be pleasant to have it always sunshine; and yet when fruit and plant are dying from lack of moisture, and the earth sleeps exhausted in the torrid air, who ever saw a summer morning more beautiful than that when the clouds muster their legions to the sound of the thunder, and pour upon us the blessing of the rain? 

We repine at toil, and yet how gladly do we turn in from the lapse of recreation to the harness of effort! We sigh for the freedom and glory of the country; but, in due time, just as fresh and beautiful seem to us the brick walls the busy streets where our lot is cast, and our interests run.

There is no condition in life of which we can say exclusively “It is good for us to be here.” Our course is appointed through vicissitude,–our discipline is in alternations; and we can build no abiding tabernacles along the way.”

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