American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-02-06
SflisteIlantons.
Making the Best of Things

mean turning them to good account
practically, but putting gooG face
upon them, shedding over them a
certain glow and coloring which does
not properly belong to them, or at
least .lxes not seem to others to be
long to them To those whose ma
ture does not incline them to make
the best OF things this practice is a
source Of much veXation Of splrit-a
veXatiOn which seems to have been
keenly felt by Solomon when he de-
scribed the singing of songs to a
heavy heart. as being like vinegar
upon nitre. There are few ways in
which person of spiteful disposition
can more ingeniously, unobtrusively,
and creditably give pain than by
Iiudicious application of cheerful
views to distressing subjects. The
easy way in which the victim is made
TO appear in the character of sort of
devils advocate, if he attempts to
answer, is one of the most vexatiOus
Of this species of torture. But,
though powerful as an instrument of
torture, the practice is by no means
cr2lel or even disagreeable. When
moderate and well-timed, 1t is at the
worst an amiable weakness, and in
its best form it is, if still weakness,
at any rate the infrmity of vigorous,
though not necessarily of noble
minds. People who hahitually make
the best of things may b. again sub
divided into several classes, the
members of which may be totally I'M
like i'll all other respects. There are
people who make the best of their
own concerns, and there are those
who make the best of other peoples;
while some are consistently cheerful
on all subjects. Or they may be
divided according to their motives
some people make the best of things
upon principle. some from timidity,
one from want of feeling, and
some from natural lIghtness of
heart. But the most important
distinction is, that i'll some the
habit of making the best of things
arises from genuine cheerfulness,
and in others from tie very op-
.l |
of people commonly called cheerful
who behave in a cheerful manner, not
because they see no reason to the
contrary. but because they see so
much that they feel it necessary to
interpoSe to redress the balance by
an effort OF will, In their case,
cheerlulness is only sort of lnvert-
| C1 rla L of of hQr
people is apt to be anything but
cheering \ resolute determination
to make the best of everything, may
take the form of heroism. of stern
ness, of severity, of pride, or of
fpafhoS, according to the tempera-
ment in which it occurs, and the
occasions on which it is exercised :;
but it can scarcely ever, except
upon the most indiScriminating
observers, produce the effect OF
genuine sunshine. 1t is, however,
often combined with natural cheer
fulness. and may serve admirably as
a sort of backbone to it. Without
natural cheertulneSS it is about as
pleasing as II skeleton without its
covering of flesh and blood
t There is nothing more grim and re
pelling than an unbending refusal tC
it acknowledge pain which nevertheless
cannot be concealed. and people wht
have strength enough to endure
e. much pain Of body or mind, of, el
miscalculate their powers of conceal
meRt. To persiStin making the bes
of things if it does not deceiv,
4 anxious friends, can only make then
e feel that they are kept at arm
or lengtii People who have. much t
to endure are entitled to any allevla
". tion tHey can iunoceutly obtara
II, Then friends would not grudge sucl
alleyiauous even if obtained at tn
cost Of pain to themselves but
the erection OF a barrier round th
sufferer, 10y the firm denial ot III
pain, be an alienation Iu him, il
ought to use and accept it as g
and not to confOund the pr &C
which his own weakness oeecti'
with Il protection to nay re" al
the pain of seeir AIs irlen[ .s frt
50 only if i g hlm s'..ter. 1t
which IT '' uccGlVeS the
thos~ Goes m',.ch less often til
| = VINO u it are apt to imagir
h anu no' ing adds more bitterness
the Jain of seeing suffering, than
Je denied the right of Offering ev
sympathy These considerations
not apply only to those great calal
ties Of life which brings them il
strong relief. They are equally II
in all the little troubles of every ii
and as these are not unimportant
their sum, so neither is the III
which is given by too unbending
habit of making the best of thir
unimportant in the sum of it's effeC
And this is not the less true becal
the opposite error is so much M
common. The dangers peculiar
the higher aid rarer types of ch
acter are Gaite as real as tn
which belong to lower natures, 4
are much less likely to be provit
against.-L0RdOR Saturday Reri
ET The auction sale of tickets
. IL