Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1827-03-06
THE ART OF HAPPINESS.

nrachnc and Melissa are two friends They are
ootl OF them women IN years, and alike in hirth fof
tune, education, and accomplishments They were ,r:
ginany alike IN temper too; but, by different MANAGE
inent, are grown the reverse of each other Arachne
"s accustomed nerseii to lock only the dark side OF
every oolec new poem or play makes its appear
ance, with thousand brances, and but one or fun
oiemishes, she slightly skins over the pas,,pee zf
Soun give her pleasure, and dweils uac; ihose on,
mat NIL her with dislike. Ii you shew her yerv az
ceent portrait, she looks at some mar, of tho dr.o
which hes been neglected, or TO n hand or 6n,or -,
has been left unfinished. Her garden is ve1y besnti
~! one, and kept with great neatness and clearance.
out II you take wall: with her in it. she LIS to Won
OF nothing but blghts and storms of spaiJs and csi
erpiilaTs, and how impossible it is TO keen If fran
the litter OF falling leaves and worm casts n vo;,
sit down IN one OF her temples, enjoy delight
iu prospect she observes you that there s inn ms,
wood, too little water; lhat the dav ;s ton snn
or 100 gloomy; that it suliry, Or windy and finish
es win long harangue upon lie ,rrechedness of
our Climate. When You return with her IN ,be COW,
pany, in hope of little cheerful convereatio, 60
caSls gloom over all, by giving YOU the bisorv NJ
her own bad health, of some rneiauchojv scci3on.
r ma1 mas oeiaiten one of her daughters children
nus she lnsensbly sinks her spirits and the snr
lis oil all around her, and at iast discovers she n6,g
not Why, that her friends arc grave
Melissa is the reverse of all this Bv cons,.nt,- to
buating herself to look only on the bright side ~ n
ects she preserves perpetual cheerfuiness in herself
WINCH, ny kInd OF happy contagon she commpni,
Gates TO all about her. Iany misfortune Ina, bcEIl
hef, she considers il might have been worse .nd :,
thankful to Providence for an escape She rco;ces;n
solitude, as It gves her opportunity of por;no Io
sell; ana IN society, bcca she can communicate lilo
naplhsSs she enjoys She opposes every mans yirtue
10 MS iaigs, and can fad somethnn- In cbor;h
and applaud in The very worst Of Ter aeoma;rrn
She opens every book with desire TO be enfarf,;no
or instructed, and therefore, seldom misses what Clio
looks toT-Wa ak with her, thought bo ON = ho.,,
OF common and She Will discover nubcr!ess beauties
uhooaeved before, in the hills the dalcs the broorns
we " "AeS, ahd the VaiIegated flowers of weeds and
poPplc5. She enjoys every chapre of ve,t,,or -
$ ~
convenience. 10 conYei satIun, il is = yuo ,r;th -
never to start subject that leads 10 any thing ooo
OF d'sagreeable You therefore never her Ianaai
ing her own grievances, or those of her neiohp,rs.
Or What Is worst Of a their faults and inneTfectio
IL any Thing q the latter kind be mentioned in her bca
ing size has The address trrn il into epte,tsnuot
~ tnG mcst odIous railing into pleasant rail-
ioFy' thus Melissa, like the bee, gathers honey
rom every weed; while Arachne, like the snider
SUCKS poison from the fairest flowers. The conse
quenGe 49, that' OF two, temPers once very nearly
allied, the one is sour and dissatis6ed ~
other always gay and cheerful; the one spro.Js i
Yofsai gloom, The other continual sunshine
mere IS nothing more worthy Of our afteut;e,
man THIS art OF happiness. 10 conversation as Iro
as life. happiness very often depends unon tb lit,
e't '6@jfff'S. The taking notice of the badness ,F
O "eo'He north east wind, inc agl .oaeh Of :, inter
vi any Ulhng circumstance OF tie disagTeeable kind
snail insepsbIy rob whole company of lis rood L,,
rlour aud ling every member of 1t into tho ysro,~
H. therefore we would be happy in ourselves and
are de'oos OF communicating that happiness 70 all
about us, these minutiao of Conversation onobt
ul'y 10 De attended to. The brightness Of the skv,
Tie iengtbeoing of the day, the Increasing verduTe
o Tue SPRING Tie arrival of any little piece of good
la VI whatever carries with it The distant
glimpse OF JOY, shall frequently be the parent of a
S'cid' ana happy conversation. Good manners exact
NUN Us TINS regard TO company, The clown rnosv
TePine at the sunshine which ripens the harvest he
cause his turoiPs died up by it, but the man Of re-
iGement will extract pleasure from the thunder sIo
10 which he IS exposed, by reTnarking on the nIent
and refresbment which may be expected from the sue
ceediDg shower. ~ 'N
Thus does Poiieness, as well as good sense direct re,
TO look at every object on the bright side and by ,
acting we cherish and mProye 18Th By this practice
II is NAT Nleiiss2 IS become i;est anil hest brs5
woman living; and by this practice NAV every rsyso
a.i"e az mat a9roeaboness of temper of which the
ps'uIai and never falling ftuit is happiness.