Cold reason, he boasted, was the basis of hisoptimism. Yes,optimism -

He had, already, accompanied his master on several journeys, and had a smattering of science appropriate to his condition and style of mind, but he was especially remarkable for a sort of mild philosophy, a charming turn ofoptimism. In his sight every thing was easy, logical, natural, and, consequently, he could see no use in complaining or grumbling.

A large faith he might seem to have in what is called "naturaloptimism," the beauty and benignity of nature, if let alone, in her mechanical round of changes with man and beast and flower.

But Anne, with her elbows on the window sill, her soft cheek laid against her clasped hands, and her eyes filled with visions, looked out unheedingly across city roof and spire to that glorious dome of sunset sky and wove her dreams of a possible future from the golden tissue of youth's ownoptimism. All the Beyond was hers with its possibilities lurking rosily in the oncoming years--each year a rose of promise to be woven into an immortal chaplet.

His political and social speeches were cataracts of anecdotes and "loud laughter"; his bodily health was of a bursting sort; his ethics were alloptimism; and he dealt with the Drink problem (his favourite topic) with that immortal or even monotonous gaiety which is so often a mark of the prosperous total abstainer.

He admired her courage, heroptimism, her impudent defiance of fate; she had a little philosophy of her own, ingenuous and practical.

The three men who sat together upon a huge divan, the three men most powerful in directing the councils of their country, felt a gentle wave ofoptimism stealing through their quickened blood.

He overcame Pessimism by discovering an object in existence; he saw the possibility of raising society to a higher level and preached the profoundestOptimism in consequence.

"Has theoptimism been imbibed," she asked, "or is it spontaneous?"

He was still optimistic, but it was a less kinetic, a more thoughtfuloptimism. I remember he wound up with my health, proposed in a speech of small variety and considerable intermittence.

To-day, as ever, he is ready to beguile and betray, to smash and to drown the incorrigibleoptimism of men who, backed by the fidelity of ships, are trying to wrest from him the fortune of their house, the dominion of their world, or only a dole of food for their hunger.

Perry was becoming more hopeful, although upon what meager food he sustained hisoptimism I could not conjecture.