Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-01-07
The Dark Side.


Have you heard that Miss P. is soon
to be married 2?
E.'No, butt ain glad to hear It'll She
mas waitedHong enough.
"Mr. Lathe great merchant has fail
Led"
+ tsAh, indeed! I'll lie bound he has
lost nothing by. his failure. He knows
his own interests too WE'LL"
HIVE you reed Mr.. Ms new work ?
The presses are praising itsdaify." "-h
"No wonder He senta volume to
all the editors, and they ca 40 nothing
! else than deal out afew pnHs."
Mrs II! !siis fine looking woman. \.
tf1isfiz fleI com fexfe1l fes7f1 5ea1tifalsss
t'She owes all her beauty to her dress,
assure you. I saw her one day and
she was yellow as an orange"
The natural eye must look at objects
just as they are presented, but the IL l.
tai eye is under no such necessity It
possesses the wonderful faculty of tur-
ming things over and over just to suit
itself. How unwise, then, always to
turn up the dark side.
Some people run into this folly in re-
gard to things; others respecting events;
and more guilty class in regard to char
acter and action. The last form of the
evil is the worst, and is frequently made
familiar by indulgence in others.
An individual first begins to scan the
objects around him, marking and mag
nifying every little defect. If he pluck
a rose, he hardly notices its beauty or
fragrance, but is wondering roses should
have SO many thorns.
If he is regaled with delicious fruits,
instead of praising fheir flavor, he wish
es they were not so full of stones and
seeds. Show him a fine building and
he looks on it on purpose to find some
thing wrong-of course he succeeds.
But woe to the individual who has
formed this evil habit of looking at
earth's pleasant things through the smo-
ky atmosphere of his own bad feelings!
1t will be sure to lead to similar views
of every event, past or future.
The choicest blessings of life may, by
persons ofquerulous disposition, be con-
verted into calamities. When he looks
back, it is not to recall happy hours, or
dwell on the mournfal pleasure which
joys departed should excite. His retro
spective glance dwells only on the dark
passages, the weary path Of his journey,
and lifts, with unholy hand, the veil of
oblivion which time has drawn over the
past. -..--.-.----=- - ~ -
Those who are in the habit OF throw
ing other things in the shade, are very
apt to entertain the same dark views of
the character and actions of their fellow
men. They doubt the affections of their
friends; question the motive of every
action; they weigh every person and cv-
cry person is found wanting.
Alas for the community, when it is
infested by such dark spirits There
will be tales of scandal, and broken
friendships, and ruined characters, and
shattered vows and broken hearts
The habit of looking on the gloomy
side may not at first sight seem very
criminal; but when we follow it out, and
see that it leads, almost certainly, to
jealousy, hatred and detraction, we must
confess it is an evil tree which brings
forth such bitter fruits.
David Hume declared he would rath-
CIR possess cheerful disposition, inclin-
ed to look on the bright side, than, with
a gloomy mind, to be the master of an
estate with ten thousand year. And
he was wise in his estimate. 1t would
be better, because more conducive to
happiness.
There is no melancholy children, and
there need be no dark-souled men and
fretful women. We can be happy or at
least cheerful if we choose. Keep the
heart right. and the feelings will be
kind, cquable and joyous.
n~ A fellow was invited to a party