The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-11-19
CHEERFULNESS.

CHEERFULNESS.
The long winter is coming on apace.
The days shorten, the skies grow grey,
the moan of the wind forebodes ice and
snow and tempest. The world will soon
lie, under the bleak heavens, like a
shrouded corpse, cold and silent and
desolate, a,r..s..
Shall the heart Of man sink under
the universal gloom! No; there is \
world beyond the reach of winter; the
world of the affections, the world Of
human sympathies, which gather and
cluster around the firesidc. Here love
dwells; here the intelligent mind looks
abroad ovor the great surging, strug-
Cling multitudes of the world; reads
the GIBBS and flows Of public sentiment
ard watches the rise and fall Of gov
ernmants. t.4.>....<
"Tis pleasant, from the loop-holes of retreat
To peep at such world" @
We think one of the finest things in
our literature, and one of the most
truly American ever written, is Whit
tiers splendid description, in "Snow
Bound . of the New England family Of
the olden time, in their Lighthouse, gath
cred around the rearing fire, while with
out the tempest roared over the great
fields of snow @r@s
"Shut in from all the world without
We sat the clean-winged hearth about.
Content to let the north-wind roar 49,.
In bafled rage at pane and door,
While the red logs before us beat
The frost line back with tropic heat;
And ever, when louder blast
Shook beam and rafter as it passed,
The merrier up its roaring draft
The great th-oat of the chimney laughed,
The house dog on his paws outspread,
Laid to the fire his drowsy head,
The cats dark silhouette on the wall
A et uchant tiger seemed to fall;
And,-tOr the winters tire side meet
Between the andiron's straddling feet,
The mug of older simmered slow,
The apples sputtered in row,
And, close at hand, the basket stood,
With nuts from brown October's wood"
But to do justice to this fine poem We
would have to quote the whole book.
The great lesson We would preach to
our readers is, first intelligence to i'm
prove their condition, secondly cheer.
fitness in that condition. By cheer
fitness We mean not stupor but philoso.
ply; the spirit that makes tho best Of
surrounding circumstances. and sees
the soul Of goodness even in things
evil" s.-s -
And so, friends, we would say to you,
60 into the coming winter With cheer
full spirits and clear heads. Remember
not the few who are richer, but the
multitudes who are poorer; count up
your possessions not your wants; your
blessings, notyour misfortunes. Make
your home bright with love and con-
tentment, and,-though it be Of the
hemblest,-it will shine with . light
0ftentimes denied to palaces.
Do not isolate yourselves from your
neishbors. Organize meetings for dis
cussions, for, supper parties. even the
dance; for the pure and innocent
movements of the dance are better than
faces that glover and hearts eaten up
with discotent.
So shall you triumph over the hos.
tility Of tho season, and make storm
cold and darkness beautiful.
Rememer how Robbie Burns paints
the merry making of the poor. Scotch
psasantry. Their rude and homely
fare. their holden gray. their severe
climate, could not quench the light Of
intelligence and cheerfulness within
them:
WI mesry sanss and friendly esaclu,
wat they didn2 weary;
An unco tales an funny Jokes,
Their sports were cheap and CHEEKY
Till buttered so'ons, vi fragrant lunf,
Set . their CABS . steefih':
Syne, vi . social glass O. strunt ..
They parted a. careerin'
Pu' blithe that NIGHT
We cannot conclude this article bet
ter than BY quoting the advice Of Jere-
my Taylor: - ss:.s' aa.s.R,a
Enjoy the psesent, vhatever il may Be,
and Be not solicitous for the future: for il
you take your foot from the present sand
ing, and thrust it forward TO- to-merrow's
event, you are in restless condition: it Is
like refusing to queuch your present thirst
by tearing you vii want to drink the next
day. II tomorrow you should want, your
sorrow would come time enough, though
you do not hssten Il; let your toobse tarry
till il own day comes Knjoy the blessings
Of this day, If God sends them,l and the
evils Of it hear patiently md sweetly, for
this IS ours We are dad to yesterday, and
not yet born 10 to-mexfow.
A nAH On Long Island, famous for his
hogs, was asked what WAS tbs secret Of
hrs success He answered.: "1always
choose . good-natured pig. Those that
when they eat are constantly running