The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-05-13
The Magic Of Cheerful Face and
Cordial Speech.

companion. With every breath he
thickens the gloom of his home atmos-
phere until it becomes too oppressive
| for patient endurance. Discomfort, I'M
rest, rebellion are sure to follow, and
the beautiful fabric of his domesticity
"falls to cureless ruin" He deserves
pity, but there should be some escape
for the others who are buried in the
ruins with him. The exercise of q lit
tie common sense, q little manfulness,
every day will never fail to avert that
calamity. To be plain, any man, iv-
ing under reasonably favoring condi-
tions, may make his home what he will
in respect to his relations with those
who compose its personnel. I have
seen it tried with amazing results. and
never knew failure where the effort
was put forth in good faith. Let man
sit down to his breakfast table with no
relish for his viands. Ii he obey his
first impulse he will find something
wrong with the flavor of the coffee,
though it be in reality draught to
tempt gods. Perhaps the eggs are
boiled too hard or too soft. 1t may be
that the .pepper-box is empty. A stain
on the table-cloth Che made it himself
the morning before and has forgotten
that he did it) irritates him. The room
is too warm; or any one of hundred
trifes that disordered stomach makes
monstrous comes within the range of
his condemnation. The ominous black
ness of his frown overclouds the whole
morning sky. There is painful con-
straint on all when he is thus moody,
and after few contemptuous sips of
coffee, and a forced nibbling at his
toast, he gives the meal parting shot,
jams his hat down. over bis head and
plunges into the street. His angry
mood quickens his pace, but the exer-
else, the outer air, the moving objects
he sees and the looming affairs of the
day lift his mind up to more hopeful
level and he becomes the very per-
lection of the suave and cheerful
man among men. At unpleasantIy
frequent intervals he remembers with
shame and many. self reproaches his
conduct of the morning, and makes a
deep resolve to amend the future. The
next morning finds him mistaken in
that resolve. He tumbles out of bed,
jumps into his bath, and in half an hour
Is ready for breakfast. During the
dressing process he resolutely defies his
stomach and whistles merry tune.
by Jove!" he CALCULATES softly to him.
sell, that coffee smells uncommonly
good this morning. The discovery
delights him, and when he goes down
to breakfast somehow the happy face
of his wife seems d Thousand times
brighter. and happier and handsomer
than ever before. The children catch
the spirit OF the moment, too, and are
glad to have little rough and familiar
fun with just the jolliest old father
that ever was. He does not say q word
about the scene of twenty-four. hours
ago; but when he looks across the Ia
bic at the gentle, patient, lowing and
now happy woman, for the possession
OF whom he knows in his secret heart
he ought to give devoutest thanks, he
double-clinches that wholesome resolve
OF his. Thenceforth breakfast is one
OF the cheerful events in that house.
The man has discovered the power of
mind over stomach. Hurrah! for the
discovery. It actually changes the gem
eral current Of his disposition. The
sullen is become the radiant: appetite
has taken new hold; work is less irk-
some than Of late it was, and the hard
knocks of each days battle he laughs
at in sweet anticipation of the waiting
joys at home, where night shall find
him. The lads are home from school.
and their merry shouts salute his ears
a as SO many songs of gladness. He is
strongly tempted to take off his coat
and vest and try turn with the other
boys on the extemporized ira
peze in the back yard, but, on
second thought, contents himself
with "reminiscences of his own pranks
Of twenty years before, when he
was the worst boy in. school, !" and
came home nearly every day with a
new experience of the tonic virtues of |
birch bark. The times are changed |
now, and while he can afford to lanoh
at the angry and swollen welts of the |
old days, he takes kind of pride in the
TACT that his boys will have recollec.
tons Of another kind to cherish when
they shall have boys Of their own. He |
mas settled himself in slippers and |
dressing jacket. and the tinkle of the |
So"rc oa AAuS MN IN 3 placid mood. |
ready for the labored Offices of the
households head in presence of a spread
30 dainty that he would not give up his
place that moment for all the banquet |
balls Of royalty. Tea disposed Of he
lights his cigar, and for half an honr
you shall see him the picture of bliss
[ul content. ! know this is so. for the
man who smokes there is no physical
enjoyment like unto that which. he en-
from fine cigars-no mere in
1ulgence at all comparable to those
luxurions dreams horn of the clouds
hat float around and above him in that
Post,prandial hour Of perfect repose.
De has found Nirvana, over whose
boundary line back to the BUSTING
world he would not step then Tor his
souls assurance of immortality. He
aas not yet forgotten the magic Of I.
cheerful face and cordial speech: and
Z the recollection Of that black morning J
'eturn occasionally to plague and shame
him, he may console himself with the
knowledge that he is not likely to
stumble again, now that he has found
u least one fOwery and fraorant roth