This is too much of a good thing, as it is apt to weaken a man. The
Romans, as you know, were in the end driven out of their Empire,
because they allowed themselves to become weak in mind and in body by
too much laziness in theatre-going and continual hot baths.
One inhabitant had inscribed on a stone in Timgad what he thought to
be the best form of happiness. He wrote:
"_To hunt, to bathe, and to laugh--that's the way to live_."
And there is a good deal in what he says, for in hunting you have to
use much woodcraft and hard exercise, and keeping clean and being
cheery is all part of the Scout's life.
But he has forgotten to mention one very important thing towards
making your life a happy one, and I expect that any Scout could tell
me at once what that point is--couldn't you?
He has left out the happiness which you get from doing a good turn. If
he had slightly altered his sentence, and had put it this way:
"_To scout, to bathe, to do a good turn, and to smile--that is the
way to live and be happy_," he would have said the truth, and he
would have exactly described what every Boy Scout does.
Pages:
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116