Observeachild;anyonewilldo.Youwillseethatnotadaypassesinwhichhedoesnotfindsomethingorothertomakehimhappy,thoughhemaybeintearsthenextmoment.Thenlookataman;anyoneofuswilldo.Youwillnoticethatweeksandmonthscanpassinwhichdayisgreetedwithnothingmorethanresignation1,andendurewitheverypoliteindifference.Indeed,mostmenareasmiserableassinners,thoughtheyaretooboredtosin-perhapstheirsinistheirindifference2.Butitistruethattheysoseldomsmilethatwhentheydowedonotrecognizetheirface,sodistortedisitfromthefixedmaskwetakeforgranted3.Andeventhenamancannotsmilelikeachild,forachildsmileswithhiseyes,whereasamansmileswithhislipsalone.Itisnotasmile;butagrin;somethingtodowithhumor4,butlittletodowithhappiness.Andthen,asanyonecansee,thereisapoint(butwhocandefinethatpoint?)whenamanbecomesanoldman,andthenhewillsmileagain.
Itwouldseemthathappinessissomethingtodowithsimplicity,andthatitistheabilitytoextractpleasureformthesimplestthings-suchasapeachstone,forinstance.
Itisobviousthatitisnothingtodowithsuccess.ForSirHenryStewartwascertainlysuccessful.ItistwentyyearsagosincehecamedowntoourvillagefromLondon,andboughtacoupleofoldcottages,whichhehadknockedintoone.Heusedhishouseasweekendrefuge5.Hewasabarrister.Andthevillagefollowedhisbrilliantcareerwithsomethingalmostamountingtopaternalpride.
IremembersometenyearsagowhenhewasmadeaKing'sCounsel6,AmosandI,seeinghimgetofftheLondontrain,wenttocongratulatehim.Wegrinnedwithpleasure;hemerelylookedasmiserableasthoughhe'dreceivedapenalsentence.Itwasthesamewhenhewasknighted;heneversmiledabit,hedidn'tevenbothertocelebratewitharoundofdrinksatthe"BlueFox"7.Hetookhissuccessasachilddoeshismedicine.Andnotoneofhisachievementsbroughtevenaghostofasmiletohistiredeyes.
Iaskedhimoneday,soonafterhe'dretiredtopotterabouthisgarden,8whatiswasliketoachieveallone'sambitions.Helookeddownathisrosesandwentonwateringthem.Thenhesaid"Theonlyvalueinachievingone'sambitionisthatyouthenrealizethattheyarenotworthachieving."Quicklyhemovedtheconversationontoamorepracticallevel,andwithinamomentwewerebacktoasafediscussionontheweather.Thatwastwoyearsago.
Irecallthisincident,foryesterday,Iwaspassinghishouse,andhaddrawnupmycartjustoutsidehisgardenwall.Ihadpulledinfromtheroadfornootherreasonthantoletabuspassme.AsIsettherefillingmypipe,Isuddenlyheardashoutofsheerjoycomefromtheothersideofthewall.
Ipeeredover.TherestoodSirHenrydoingnothinglessthanatribalwardance9ofsheerunashamedecstasy.Evenwhenheobservedmybewilderedfacestaringoverthewallhedidnotseemputout10orembarrassed,butshoutedformetoclimbover.
"Comeandsee,Jan.Look！Ihavedoneitatlast！Ihavedoneitatlast！"
Therehewas,holdingasmallboxofearthinhishad.Iobservedthreetinyshootsoutofit.