The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-11-27
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
HOW TO BE HAPPY.

hands and house servants, he had enough and 70 spare:
He was a queer old man, this Mr.. Cleveland a man
of kind, good feelings, but of eccentric impulses, and
blunt and startling manners. You must always let
him do everything in his own odd way just attempt
to dictate to him, or even suggest a certain course,
and you would be sure to defeat your wisest designs:
He seemed at times possessed by q spirit Of OPPOSE
tiono and would often turn right around and oppose
a course he had just been ~vehemently advocating, only
because some one else had ventured openly and warm
ly to approve it.
The night, as I have said, was bitter cold, and
would have done honor to a northern latitude, and
in addition to this, a violent storm was coming ON.
The y.ind blew in ftful gusts, bowling and signing
among the huge trees with which the house was sur
rounded, and then dying away with a melancholy,
dirge-like moan. The old trees rubbed their leaneSs
branches against the window panes, and the FOWLS
which had roasted there for the night, were fam to
clap their wings, and make prodigious efforts 10 pre-
serve their equilibrium. Mr.. Cleveland grew moody
and restless, threw down the book in which he had
been reading, kicked one CT the andirons till he made
the whole blazing fabric tumble down, and finally
called, in an impatient tone, his boy Tom.
Tom soon popped his head in at the door, and said'
'syer's me, sir"
"Yer's me, indeed % exclaimed Mr.. Cleveland,
"what sort of a way is this to build a fire."
SCI exspec you is bin kick UNI, SIR said Tom.
"Hey! What? Well suppose [ did bin kick ums
if it had been properly. made, 1t would not nave
tumbled down. Fix it this minute, sir =
"I is gwine to fix UNI now, SIR said Tom, FUN
bling at the fire.
"Well fix it, sir, without having so much to say
about it you had better do more, and say less, sara
Mr.. Cleveland.
eyes, SIR, answered Tom.
"You wiI keep answering me when there is no
occasion 20 exclaimed AIr. Cleveland So just wish l
had my stick here, I'd crack the side of your head
with ito
"Yer's de stick, sir,' said Tom, handing the
walking cane out of the corner.
"Put it down, this instant, SIR said MIR. Cleve-
land show dare you touch my stick without my
leave 20
sI bin tink you bin say you bin want um, sir"
said Tom.
sYou had better tink about your work, sir, and
stop answering me, sir, or I'll find a way to make
you,'' said Mr.. Cleveland. "Bring in some more
lightwood, and make the fire, and shut in the window
shutters. Do you hear me, sir:''
"Yes, SIR replied Tom.
"Well, why don't you answer, if you hear, then!
How am L to know when you hear me. if you don't
answer 20 said Mr.. Cleveland, reaching for his stick.
eyes, sir,'' said Tom, as he went grinning out of
the room.
ter, though somewhat hasty and impatient. Tom
and he were forever sparring, yet neither could have
done without the other and there was something
comical about Toms disposition which well suited his
masters eccentric and changeable moods. Tom evil
IDENTIFY served as a kind of safety valve for his mas
ter's nervous system, and many an explosion OF super
Huous excitablity he had to bear.
On the night in question, Mr.. Cleveland was par
ticularly out of sorts. The truth is, he was natural
ly a generous, warm-hearted man, but in consequence
of early disappointment, had lived a solitary life. and
was really suffering for the want of objects of affection.
His feelings, unsatisfed, unemployed, yet morbidly
sensitive, were becoming soured and his untenanted
heart often ached for want of sympathy.
He rose and took several diagonal turns across the
room. At length he opened a window and looked out
upon the stormy night. "What confounded wealth
err 20 he muttered to himself, "it makes a man feel
like blowing his brains out There are not two ways
about it, Pm tired of life. What have l to live for?
fl were to die tomorrow, who would shed a tear?"
Then whispered conscience, {" 1t is thine own fault.
A man need not feel alone because there are none in
the world who bear his name, or share his blood.
All men are thy brethren. Thou art one of the great
human family, and what hast thou done to relieve
the poor and suffering around thee? viii not thy
Master say to thee at the last day, Il was an hum
gered, and you gave me no meat L was thirsty, and
you gave nue. no drink L was a stranger, and ye took
me not in naked, and you clothed me not sick, and
in prison, and you visited me not. Inasmuch as you
did it not to one of the least of these my brethren, you
did 1t not TO me-"
This was a strong and direct appeal, and it was
not without it's effect. Then muttered Mr.. Cleveland
to himself again, 'Well, how can [ help it? It has
not been for want of inclination. Heaven knows I
am always ready to put my hand in my pocket when
ever people call on me for charity. How can l help
it if the poor and suffering do not make their wants
known to me?'
Then again speaks Conscience: "Thou art try
ing to deceive thyself, but thou canst not deceive nor
silence me. Thou hast known of the existence of suf-
fering, and thine incidence has prevented thee from
going abroad to relieve it. Did thy Master thus
Did he not go about to do good? Did he not sit down
10 meat W1Cn puDl1canS anu SINNERS. IAN you STAND
here, and look upon such a night as this, and not
think of those who are exposed to its bitterness? Can
thy human heart beat only for itself when thou think
est of the thousand miseries crying to Heaven for re-
lief? Resolve, now, before thy head touches its COM
Portable pillow, that with the mornings dawn thou
wilt resolutely set about thy work or, rather, thy
Masters work"
"It is very hard, - still muttered Mr.. Cleveland to
himself, s'that these thoughts will continually intrude
themselves upon me. They give me no peace of my
life. Stitie them as 1 may, they come with tenfold
force. People have 10 business to be poor. I was
poor once. and nobody gave charity to me. / had to
help myself in the world as well as | could. I hate
poor people 1 hate unfortunate people in fact, con.
found it ! / hate the world and everybody in it."
Then answered once again the still, small voice
9 For shame, MIR. Cleveland, for shame! You will
ruin your soul if you thus darken the light within.
You know better than all this. and you are SHINING
against yourself. You want to be happy well, you
may be so. There is a wide field of duty open before
you enter. in Gods name, and go to work like a
man. What you say about having helped yourself is
perfectly true, and you deserve all credit for it but
remember that the majority Of the poor are entirely
destitute of your advantages. You had the founda-
ton rightly lsid. A thousand circumstances in YOUR
early life conspired to render you energetic and self
relying. Soa had the right sort of education, and
Providence also Helped to train you. Besides, once
more l ask yea, did your Master stop to enquire how
human missry was brought about before he relieved
it! Away with this unmanly, selfish policy. Follow
tby generous in,pu1Ses fo1Iow ont the vearninos IF