IX. PLEASANTNESS. BY ARTHUR HELPS.1 THERE is a gift that is almost a blow, and there is a kind word that is munificence: so much is there in the way of doing things. Every one must have noticed to what a large extent real kindness may be deformed and negatived by manner. But this bad manner corresponds 5 with something not right in the character-generally some want of kindly apprehensiveness, which a pleasant person would be sure to have. I am going to give an essay upon pleasantness, a quality which I believe to be very rare in the world, to proceed only or chiefly from 10 goodness of nature, and to be thoroughly harmonious with the Christian character. People often suppose that fineness of manners, skilful hypocrisy, thoughtless good-humor, and, at the highest, a sort of tact which has much worldliness in it, are the 15 foundations for pleasantness in society. I am sure this is all wrong, and that these foundations lie much lower. A false man never is pleasant. You treat him with a falseness bred from his own, in pretending to be pleased, and he goes away supposing that he has deceived you, 20 and has made himself very agreeable. But men are much less rarely deceived by falseness of character than is supposed, and there is mostly a sense of relief when the false person has taken his departure. Pleasantness is the chief element of agreeable com-25 panionship; and this pleasantness is not merely a func tion of the intellect, but may have scarcely anything to do with what is purely intellectual. Now, there may be such a thing as good society when witty and well-mannered people who do not care much for one another meet together; but I venture to assert that society does not assume its highest form-is not, in fact, delightfulunless affection pervades it. When you are with people who, you are conscious, have a regard for you, your powers of pleasing and of being pleased expand almost indefinitely. It is not merely that in such society you 10 feel safe from backbiting, and can leave the room without any apprehension of your character being torn to pieces in your absence; it is not merely that what you then say and do is sure to be well received, and the least possible misconstruction be put upon your sayings and 15 doings; but there is something beyond all this—something beyond the domains of logic-which produces a sunny atmosphere of satisfaction that raises your powers to the highest when you are with good and loving people. 20 Now, if this is true of society in general, it is probably true of more restricted companionship; and kindness of disposition must be admitted to be one of the principal elements of pleasantness in a companion. Of course, sympathy insures a certain good companionship; 25 but we have no right to expect to meet with many sympathetic people in the course of our lives. Pleasantness has a much wider if a lower sphere. The pleasant man to you is the man you can rely upon; who is tolerant, forbearing, and faithful. . . . I began by saying how rare pleasantness is. Look round at the eminent men of any age; are many of them pleasant? Pursue your researches throughout society; the pleasant people will never be found to be so 30 5 numerous as to fatigue you in counting them. Then, again, some persons are pleasant only when they are with one companion; others only in a large company, where they can shine; whereas, the really pleasant person is pleasant everywhere, and with everybody. The most skilful guidance of self-interest, the utmost watchfulness of craft, will not succeed for any long time in making a man agreeable. The real nature soon breaks out; and it is this nature that eventually makes or unmakes the pleasantness of the character in your 10 estimation. As a remarkable illustration of this, it may be noted that harshness to another person goes some way to destroy a man's pleasantness to you. Putting it at the lowest, you never feel secure with such a man that what 15 he manifests to others will not, sooner or later, be shown to you. To insure pleasantness there must be genuine kindness and a respect for humanity. Indeed, I would go further, and would say that a pleasant person is likely to be polite to a dog. I have no doubt Sir Walter Scott 20 was. Now, I maintain that it would be a very laudable ambition to endeavor to become a pleasant person, and that it is not at all a work left for fools, or for merely empty, good-natured persons. There are many who are almost 25 dying for fame, who are longing for great office which they will probably fill badly, who think life wonderfully well spent if they can amass a sum of money which they will not know what to do with when they have got it. I venture to put before them a new ambition—that of 30 becoming pleasant to their fellow-creatures. It is a path in which they will not be jostled by a crowd of competitors. 5 X. THE HIGH TIDE ON THE COAST OF LINCOLNSHIRE. (1571.) BY JEAN INGELOW.' THE old mayor climbed the belfry tower, Good ringers, pull your best," quoth he. Men say it was a stolen tyde The Lord that sent it, He knows all; 3 The message that the bells let fall: By millions crouched on the old sea-wall. I sat and spun within the doore, My thread brake off, I raised myne eyes; Lay sinking in the barren skies; 5 10 15 20 "Cusha! Cusha! Cusha!" calling, Where the reedy Lindis floweth, Floweth, floweth, From the meads where melick' groweth, "Cusha! Cusha! Cusha!" calling, Quit your cowslips, cowslips yellow; Hollow, hollow; Come uppe, Jetty, rise and follow, Come uppe, Whitefoot, come uppe, Lightfoot, Come uppe, Jetty, rise and follow, 10 15 20 Jetty, to the milking-shed.” If it be long, ay, long ago, When I beginne to think how long, Swift as an arrowe, sharpe and strong; Alle fresh the level pasture lay, And not a shadowe mote be seene, Save where full fyve good miles away The steeple towered from out the greene. 25 30 5 |