| The Glory of the Common Life |
Chapter 15 |
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He may have lovely gardens on his estate, with rare plants and flowers, but he knows nothing of any of them, and they mean nothing to him. They have put neither beauty nor fragrance into his life. He may have great works of art in his hours, purchased for him by connoisseurs at fabulous prices, but he knows nothing of any of them. All the costly things he has gathered about him by means of his wealth are but vain bits of display. They mean nothing to the man. They represent no taste, no culture, and no vocation of his. He is no greater, no more intelligent, no more refined, because of owning them. His life is no more beautiful, no more gentle or useful, for any or all of them.
There is no true enlarging of life in all this. Acquisition is not gain, possessing is not inheriting. The way the meek inherits the earth is by getting the beautiful things of the world into his life, not merely by having them added to his estate. It is not by owning mountains, but by having the mountains in his heart that a man is really enriched. Dr. Robertson Nicoll, in speaking of owning and possessing, says, “I occasionally go out on a Saturday afternoon along a Surrey lane. Who owns that lane? I do not know. But I possess it. It belongs to me, for I can appreciate its beauty of colour and contour; I go through it with a rejoicing heart, and I care not who holds the title deeds.”
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