Gazette Of The United States

THE
TABLET.
No. XCVI
" Why should an actor complain of being called from the Theatre, when he has either finished his part, or can carry it on but
badly."

SHORT as the life of man is represented to be,
it is still long enough for him to accomplish
all the purposes for which he was created. When
the affairs of a person are perpetually involved
in hurry and confusion, it betrays a want of sys-
tem or diligence : But it is no proof he is too
circumscribed with respect to time. Had he
more time, or had he less to perform, the same
difficulty would exist, while he errs in laying his
plans,or is dilatory in executing them. The best
systems will not succeed, when managed by indo-
lent men ; nor will the most active industry turn
to much account, where there is a defect of system.
It is not the quantity of business any one has to
perform that embarrasses him, for nothing can
perplex a person of method and activity.

The complaints therefore of the shortness of
life are not founded in reason. If a man has liv-
ed to the age of three score years and ten, with-
out having accomplished the main objects that de-
serve attention, no period would be long enough
to gratify his expectations. The genius of eve-
ry person is limited within certain bounds, which
are more or less extensive in different men. Those
of a narrow comprehension come to their full per-
fection, before they half run out their existence.
Were the life of such people limited to forty
years,they should not complain of the shortness of
it, because if it were ten times as long, they
would make no new attainments. There are o-
ther men whose faculties are formed upon a
larger scale, and who continue to make improve-
ments till they are sixty years old. But whate-
ver is the period, when the talents cease to be
progressive, a man gains no advantage from living,
more desirable than he has already gained.

If a person, having passed the middle age of
life, finds that he has acquired little honor or
property, he may generally conclude there is
some deficiency in his capacity or exertions. To
such a man length of life will bring no acquisi-
tion of character or riches. Why then should we
complain of that which is in itself no evil ? Had
human nature been so constituted, that our facul-
ties did not soon arrive at their most perfect point,
great would be the misfortune that our sublunary
existence had not a longer duration, Confined
however to as small a compass as it is, if we em-
ploy our moments with care and diligence, we
may finish our career, with joy and reputation.