Мхи старой усадьбы
The Procession of Life
ItisdifficultforthegoodChristiantoacknowledgethegoodPagan;almostimpossibleforthegoodOrthodoxtograspthehandofthegoodUnitarian,leavingtotheirCreatortosettlethemattersindispute,andgivingtheirmutualeffortsstronglyandtrustinglytowhateverrightthingistooevidenttobemistaken.Thenagain,thoughtheheartbelarge,yetthemindisoftenofsuchmoderatedimensionsastobeexclusivelyfilledupwithoneidea.Whenagoodmanhaslongdevotedhimselftoaparticularkindofbeneficence—toonespeciesofreform—heisapttobecomenarrowedintothelimitsofthepathwhereinhetreads,andtofancythatthereisnoothergoodtobedoneonearthbutthatself-samegoodtowhichhehasputhishand,andintheverymodethatbestsuitshisownconceptions.Allelseisworthless.Hisschememustbewroughtoutbytheunitedstrengthofthewholeworld’sstockoflove,ortheworldisnolongerworthyofapositionintheuniverse.Moreover,powerfulTruth,beingtherichgrapejuiceexpressedfromthevineyardoftheages,hasanintoxicatingquality,whenimbibedbyanysaveapowerfulintellect,andoften,asitwere,impelsthequaffertoquarrelinhiscups.Forsuchreasons,strangetosay,itishardertocontriveafriendlyarrangementofthesebrethrenofloveandrighteousness,intheprocessionoflife,thantouniteeventhewicked,who,indeed,arechainedtogetherbytheircrimes.Thefactistoopreposterousfortears,toolugubriousforlaughter.