Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-10-01
Miscellany.
THE SECRET OF HAPPINESS.

Ihe Happy Mn.-In walking down Sec
ond street on Friday afternoon, on my way to
the arsenal, found crack in my boot and.
recollecting the old adage, that ssa stitch in
time saves nine,' popped into the first cob
bier's shop met to get it mended. Unlock
ed Tor pleasures are generally most relished,
and had no expectation of meeting with a
philosophical cobbler. Pulling off my boot,
! looked at the man. What an expansive
forehead What an intelligent countenance!
hat an expressive eye! There is truth in
physlognomy, exclaimed | to myself; that
fellows brains are not made of green meas
AS he was fixing the boot, | then thourbt
OF a man born with capacities for inteliec-
tual pleasure and mprovement-lofty,l ordly
man wasting his whole existence pent up
In small room, knocking away with his
hammer, and bending from morning till night
over lapstone and piece of leather. took
another look of the man; and, while the uIo-
nous sun was rolling on in his golden course,
and all Nature smiling in her most gorgeous
and superb scenery, wooing the gaze, and FL
ling the gaZer with sublime feelinps. here.
said !tomyself, sits man perpetually strain
ing his eyes to poke hogs brstle through a
little hole. What an employment for a man
capable, If properly instructed, of measuring
the distance from this to Mercury +! 1t is i'm,
possible he can be happy; he is out of his
sphere. Just as he had got the thread through
the third hole i spoke to him frankly, and
SAID - our room is very small; are you
happy here 2" He answered, with some en-
ergy' Happy yes; as happy as the day is
long, and would notexchange situations with
General Harrison, though am certain he
VIII be our president. l don't interfere with
politics, but know all about it, s.But are
hanny m nj II
day In this sn. all room % Yes, certainly ;
the fact is, the half of the world don't know
the way to be happy. l was for while my
self humbugged about happiness; but sitting
on my stool and rejecting seriously one day,
got the secret. ! thought to be happy YOU
must be rich and great, have an Inconvenience
~ large house, more furniture by far than ne
cessary, table groaning with every thing /;
Dut soon found out all that was stuff / am
happier here with my last and hammer than
| thousands with their fine houses and splend.
Id equlPage; and have a great deal of enjoy
nent In looking out Of my little cabin and
laughing at the follies of the world. They
don't see me, and it does them no harm and
between you and me, the world are busy pur-
| suing mere shadows. One wants to be rich,
another to get into office-never satisfied; but
here am |, mending old shoes, contented with
my lot and situation, and happier by far than
King. Indeed, am thankful that Heaven
in its wrath never made me King, for it's a
poor business"
BY this time my boot was ready, and wish
ing to prolong the conversation with man
who displayed so much real practical philo-
| sophy, said, "Have you no distressing cares
to vex you, no anxieties, no sIeepless nights
no bills to meet, no pangs for yesterday, nc
Tears for tomorrow I" He stared at me a
moment. and said, ''No, none. The only
cares which have are comforts have a
wife, the best i'll the world, and two children
and that is enough of comfort for any one man
to enjoy. AS to bills, L have none to meet
and never buy OH credit, and never buy what
do not really want. AS for the fears of 10.
morrow, have no fear, but trust in kind
and ever-watchful Providence, believing thai
''snllicient unto the day is the evil thereof
and resignation to Providence to be the trucs
philosophy" What noble fellow, said j
to mend crack in boot Hinselfa piece
of noble workmanship! / felt inwardly the
truth of the saying, '.contentment is king.
dom y and after | left my philosophical cob
bier, | thought much about him, and am sat
isfed that his philosophy was sound, and
that mankind in general have yet TO learn the
secret to be happy.
His situation in life is obscure, but
"Honor and shame from no condition rise;
"Act well your part, there all the honor lies
! 81. Louis Bulletin
TOAST, IN the Hon. p. o. j. Smith,, n