Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1868-11-26
THE ART OF TAKING THINGS.


Country Parson" has written some
very fine articles on the art of putting
things, but if he has not yet written,
or does not hereafter write, something
on the art OF taking things, he has left
his work only halt finished. When
we speak of taking things we do not
mean taking what does not belong to
US, for that is forbidden, but only those
things which minister TO our own
happiness, and do not in any way
diminish that of others or interfere
with their property. The author
shove spoken Of teaches us how to
put things which are in themselves
Unpleasant, in such way as TO make
Iithers least uncomfortable, but be
must also learn how to take things
from others and often from ourselves
with a kind of stoical philosophy, or
we will continually be iretting over
things, which makes us unhappy and
does not mend matters in the least.
FOntenelle, a celebrated French wri.
ter, attained TO the age of nearly a
century with all his faculties unim-
paired, mainly because he allowed
nothing to disturb the equanimity of
his mind. He took everything as a
matter of course, and thought no more
about it.
A story is told OF a certain negro,
who had the right spirit in this re-
spect, though he may not have been
eminently successful in the practice
of il. If all of us were actuated by
his desires, both taking things and
putting them could be made less un-
pleasant. Being one day working his
masters oxen, both of them fell into
an unfortunate ditch and broke their
necks When he came home his mas.
ter asked him what he had done with
the oxen. He answered that one of
them had fallen into a gutter and
broken his neck. "And what become
of the other one ~ "He fell in, too, ("
said the darkey. "But, why" said
the master, "didn't you toll me about
both at once Z" "Cos | war 'fraid
you couldn't it," Unfortunately,
too many persons, unlike this black
philosopher, try TO put things in their
most disagreeable light, and If we do
not school ourselves in the true art of
taking things we will be kept in a
continual boil.
1t is no little comfort to n man if he
can laugh at the shortcomings Of man
kind, especially if they arc Of such a
character that from the very nature
of things he can not remedy them.
When we say laugh we do not so much
mean that expression (or contortion)
of the countenance called laughing,
but rather that inward serenity Of
temper that always puts the best con
struction upon everything. always
take things by the smooth handle,
said Thomas Jefferson, and we should
all make this the text upon which Il
preach and practice the sermon, on
| lie. How many misfortunes we sigh
ovor that never happen
Our misfortunes may all be divided
into two great classes-those we car
help and those we can not. Now j;
there any use in making ourselve:
miserable about either of these Il
we can avoid trouble, let us do so i
we can not let us meet it like heroes
and never for moment grieyo over
IT, Ii seems TO be the case that toe
many of us overrate our own import
ance, and fancy that others are think
ing of us when really such thing il
iarthest IRON theirthoughts. A young
rustic, who for the first time gets intC
company, in most cases affords spe
cimen Of a genuinely unhappy crea
ture. He is one who seems TO fec
that all eyes are upon him; tries thi
position and that, puts his hands il
his pockets and then behind his back
stands on one foot, then on the other
then sits down, yet still ease SEEM
nowhere TO be found. Here is evi
IDENTIFY one who is unhappy, becaus,
he does not know how to take things
/ And are there not many persons, who
in q different way, from an equally
ridiculous source, are just as unhappy
If we have done anything wrong, o
anything we are sorry for, we shoul,
resolve never TO repeat il, and thor
let the matter end OF what accoun
is IL TO us when we have done witt
this life whether we have been richie
than our neighbor or poorer; and thi
bcggar's philosophy, as it may be call
ed, will save us much discomfort,
we remember that mans real wort
is not to be estimated in this way.
man who can philosophize thus, an
put his philosophy into practice, ha
} some sterling points of character n
matter what other defects he ma
, possess On the other hand n ma
Displays some uontemptibly wea
points of character, we can say rs di
the poet Lander, that his bad dancin
caused him more misery than all hi
other misfortunes together. If danC
! ing is not mans forte there must b
something else at which he can SUI
) coed better.
In what striking contrast TO th
5 last remark is that noble one OF q
) eminent general-unfortunate, too,
( some would thiuk-who said, al al
F.. ugly, and no favorite Of the ladic
J. but | will make myself feared by III
0 enemies Of my God and my king"
0 Few of us are aware how muc
!. pleasanter we could make our lives
!. we would only set ourselves to Il
D work of doing it. We seem to be ui
n happy when we are not grieving aboI
J. something And yet we shorten OF
r lives by so doing. Dr. Merryman
o one of the best physicians in Il
' world, but nobody wants to take b
n medicines except when they do NJ
Q need them.
D "Wholo years Of joy glide unpcrccivcd away,
9 While sorrow counts the minutes as they pass.
& ''Ilalf Of the ills We hoard within our heart
A.. ttf. l,..vaa 80 hua 81 than -