The things we do!

The world was welcome to him: the day a pleasure: all
nature a gay feast: scarce any dispositions discordant with his own (for
pretension only made him laugh, and hypocrisy he will never be able to
understand if he lives to be a hundred years old): the night brought him
a long sleep, and the morning a glad waking. To those privileges of youth
what enjoyments of age are comparable? what achievements of ambition?
what rewards of money and fame? Clive's happy friendly nature shone out
of his face; and almost all who beheld it felt kindly towards him. As
those guileless virgins of romance and ballad, who walk smiling through
dark forests charming off dragons and confronting lions, the young man as
yet went through the world harmless; no giant waylaid him as yet; no
robbing ogre fed on him: and (greatest danger of all for one of his
ardent nature) no winning enchantress or artful siren coaxed him to her
cave, or lured him into her waters--haunts into which we know so many
young simpletons are drawn, where their silly bones are picked and their
tender flesh devoured.


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