Sidney Smith says, "I have a contempt for persons who destroy themselves. Live on,
and look evil in the face ; walk up to it, and you will find it less than you imagined, and
often you will not find it at all ; for it will recede as you advance. Any fool may be a
suicide. When you are in a melancholy fit, first suspect the body, appeal to rhubarb and
calomel, and send for the apothecary, a little bit of gristle sticking in the wrong place, an
untimely consumption of custard, excessive gooseberries, often cover the mind with clouds
and bring on the most distressing views of human life. I start up at two o'clock in the
morning, after my first sleep, in an agony of terror, and feel all the weight of life upon my
soul. It is impossible that I can bring up such a family of children, my sons and daugh-
ters will be beggars ; I shall live to see those whom I love exposed to the scorn and con-
tumely of the world !
But stop, thou child of sorrow, and humble imitator of Job, and tell me on what you
dined. Was not there soup and salmon, and then a plate of beef, and then duck, blanc
mange, cream-cheese, diluted with beer, claret, champagne, hock, tea, coffee, and noyeau ?
And after all this you talk of the mind and the evils of life ! These kind of cases do not
need meditation, but magnesia. Take short views of life. What am I to do in these times
j with such a family of children ? So I argued, and lived dejected, and with little hope ,
but the difficulty vanished as life went on. An uncle died, and left me some money ; an
aunt died, and left me more ; my daughter married well ; I had two or three appoint-
ments, and before life was half over became a prosperous man. And so will you. Every
one has uncles and aunts who are mortal. Time brings a thousand chances in your favor.
Nothing so absurd as to sit down and wrng your hands because all the good which may
liappen you in twenty years has not taken place at this precise moment. Nothing contri-
butes more certainly to the animal spirits than benevolence.
HAPPINESS. 39
Servants and common people are always about you ; make moderate attempts to please
everybody, and the effort will insensibly lead you to a more happy state of mind. Pleas-
ure is very reflective, and if you give it you will feel it. The pleasure you give by kind-
ness of manner returns to you, and often with compound interest. The receipt for cheer-
fulness is not to have one motive only in the day for living, but a number of little motives;
a man who, from the time he rises till bedtime, conducts himself like a gentleman, who
throws some little condescension into his manner to superiors, and who is always contriving
to soften the distance between himself and the poor and ignorant, is always improving
his animal spirits, and adding to his happiness."
Page 31
Presented as published in 1891. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Sidney Smith says, "I have a contempt for persons who destroy themselves. Live on, and look evil in the face ; walk up to it, and you will find it less than you imagined, and often you will not find it at all ; for it will recede as you advance. Any fool may be a suicide. When you are in a melancholy fit, first suspect the body, appeal to rhubarb and calomel, and send for the apothecary, a little bit of gristle sticking in the wrong place, an untimely consumption of custard, excessive gooseberries, often cover the mind with clouds and bring on the most distressing views of human life. I start up at two o'clock in the morning, after my first sleep, in an agony of terror, and feel all the weight of life upon my soul. It is impossible that I can bring up such a family of children, my sons and daughters will be beggars ; I shall live to see those whom I love exposed to the scorn and contumely of the world !
But stop, thou child of sorrow, and humble imitator of Job, and tell me on what you dined. Was not there soup and salmon, and then a plate of beef, and then duck, blanc mange, cream-cheese, diluted with beer, claret, champagne, hock, tea, coffee, and noyeau ? And after all this you talk of the mind and the evils of life ! These kind of cases do not need meditation, but magnesia. Take short views of life. What am I to do in these times j with such a family of children ? So I argued, and lived dejected, and with little hope , but the difficulty vanished as life went on. An uncle died, and left me some money ; an aunt died, and left me more ; my daughter married well ; I had two or three appointments, and before life was half over became a prosperous man. And so will you. Every one has uncles and aunts who are mortal. Time brings a thousand chances in your favor. Nothing so absurd as to sit down and wring your hands because all the good which may liappen you in twenty years has not taken place at this precise moment. Nothing contributes more certainly to the animal spirits than benevolence.
HAPPINESS. 39
Servants and common people are always about you ; make moderate attempts to please everybody, and the effort will insensibly lead you to a more happy state of mind. Pleasure is very reflective, and if you give it you will feel it. The pleasure you give by kindness of manner returns to you, and often with compound interest. The receipt for cheerfulness is not to have one motive only in the day for living, but a number of little motives; a man who, from the time he rises till bedtime, conducts himself like a gentleman, who throws some little condescension into his manner to superiors, and who is always contriving to soften the distance between himself and the poor and ignorant, is always improving his animal spirits, and adding to his happiness."