"THE ENTRANCING LIFE"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 73, 18 December 1937, Page 6

"THE ENTRANCING LIFE"

Paiilstaking Work Brings its Own Reward HIGH SCHOOL ADDRESS Sir James Barrie's conception oi an ■'entrancing life,55 given when instalied as Chancellor of the Edinburgh liniversity in 192b. vas the theme adoptcd by Mrs. J. B. Campbell for her address to pupils at the breaking-up and prizegiving cereinouy at the Hastings Higii Hchooi yesteiday afternoon. The particular passage Mrs. Cami>bell selected was near the close of Sir James's address when he said: "Would you care to know my gjiess at what is an entrancing life P5 5 Carlyle said tliat genius was an infinite capacity for taking pains. I don't know about genius. but the entrancing life, I think, must be an infinite love of taking pains. You try it!55 "It is to these words of his that 1 ask you to give a few moments5 thought,55 said Mrs. Campbell. "The 'entrancing lii'e5 is an arresting and fascinating phrase. It captures the imagination and calls up an enchanting vision of rapture, charm and delight. It seems that it must be the universal quest — something for which the whole world is seeking, and is striving to hold within its grasp. "That possibly is the first thought that people would connect with its meaning,55 she said, "but look again at what he says, and you will see that the entrancing life does not offer something to have, but something to he. It is something which eomes not from getting, but from giving. It is au infinite love of taking pains. What Is Genius? "Some people quarrel with Carlyle5 s definition of genius,55 said Mrs. Campbell. "It seems to leave out of count the gleam — that intangible, indefinable, unattainable something which sets the work of genius immeasurably above the work of talent. Perhaps if we properiy understood the meaning of the word 'infinite' and all that it implies, we should not feel that omission in his definition. "There is another definition of genius. I do not know whose it is, and it has not the dignity of phrazing of Carlyle5 s, but it goes straight t0 the point when it states that genius is something which is 90 per cent. perspiration and 10 per cent. inspiration. That, in a downright and homely way, suggests the unescapable necessity for taking pains, and suggests also the heaven-sent gift that bestows upon the genius the wings with which he flies above the ordinary man. "However, Sir James Barrie's subject is, as he says, not genius but the entrancing life — tlie life that thrills with charm, tlirobs with delight, glows with radiance — and it is, he says, the infinite love of taking pain. Easy enough, one might say, at first sight. Anyone can take pains if he takes pains to take pains. That is true, and many ■people do take any amount of pains. "But do tliey love taking pains? They take pains, because they may get into trouble if they do not. They take pains for the sake of some desired reward. Thev take pains because otherwise they wouid be left behind. They take pains because they feel an obligation to do so. And the result of the kind of pains they take is a life which corresponds. It may he a useful life, a pleasant life, a hundrum life, a sordid life, almost any sort of life yon can think of, but unless they have a love tf taking pains — and that love must be infinite — it will not be an entrancing life. Toilers and Pleasure Seekers. "If we are strictly honest about it,'5 we are bound to admit tliat we do not really love taking pains, continued Mrs Campbell. We grumble a lot about the liard work we have to do. We consider ourselves liardly used if wo are not as well off as other people, and so have to toil when they may be seeking pleasure. We scamper tlirougli our work to get it finished. We shirk things that we know we ought to undertakc, and give ourselves untrue reasons for our shirking. In sliort, as a rule, if we do take pains, we do it grudgingly and of necessity, not as eheerful givers. " There is one thing over which many people take an infinite amount of pains, and that is the endeavour to escape taking pains. It is a very true prorerb that says "Lazy people take the most pains.55 It is often amazing to notice to what trouble and ingenuity people will put themselves to save themselves trouble. "But what a lovely place the world would he if everybody in it loved taking pains. What a lovely little bit of a lovely world this school would be if everybody in it loved taking pains, and allowed their capacity for doing it no limits. Wliat a wondcrful output of worth there wonld be if everybody, with no laggard exceptions, loved to take pains with all they had to learn and to produce. What a wonderfully high standard of self-control, ordcr, and time-saving, there would be if everybody loved to take pains to kcep the "few simple regulations that deal '-.with such matters. What a wonderfully high standard of courtesy aud kindliess, if everybody loved to tako pains to keep their own wislies and pleasures in the backgrouud and the thought for the pleasure and liappiness of others in tho foreground. What a wonderfully pure atmosphere of truth if everybody loved to take pains to train themselves to think straightly, never erookedly, and never stilling uneasy consciences with false reasoning. The Joy of Taking Pains. "And all achieved, not through fear of consequences, not through self-seek-ing or self-advertisement, not even tlirougli a sense of obligation; but tlirougli shecr love of taking pains. To do anything for the love of it is, beyond all ealculation, the best reason for doing it. The one eo-imandment Love supersedes the ten commandments of the Old Testament and renders them unnecessarv, because it absorbs and transeends them all. ' 'What an entrancii life every meinber of the school niight liave, and what hopeful answers all niight be able to return to the question Sir James Barrie put# to ihe student# when he questioss

them about what their education is doing for them. He ashs them "Has your learning tauglit you that envy is the most corroding of the vices and also the greatest power in any land? Have you more cliarity? Do you follow a little better . . . the dictates of kindness and truth ? You may be very clever, destined for tbe laurel, and have smiled at the unfortunates who fought for bursaries or to pass on, failed and had to give up ; .mir dear ambitions; but if their failures taugnt tliem those lessons, they may have found for themselves a better education than yours.5 "It is not only the students of Edinburgh University that have reason to be grateful to Sir James Barrie,55 concluded Mrs Campbell. "Let me end by repeatmg his words, 'The entrancing life, x think, must be an infinite love of taking pains. You try it5 55