The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-02-24
Some Other Pe0nle.


Cheerfulness is to the mind what sun
shine is to the earth-its rejuvenating
force. The cheerful people are always
their visions, or wrinkled their faces.
Nay, cheerfulness will keep gray hairs
and wrinkles at bay more effectually than
any cosmetic or magic wash. It is a
talisman which attracts affection and re-
gard to those who wear it. The cheer
full person is everywhere welcome, and
nowhere out of place. She lights up the
darkest day, and has the same genial
and stimulating effect as the sunbeam;
she makes the best of everything
misfortune seen through her spectacles
does not look SO ugly; she anticipates
happiness ahead and is sure that trouble
will get detained on the way; she sees
the silver lining of every cloud, and the
first rift; when another, murmurs and
doubts, she is full of thanksgiving and
hope.
The small discomforts of life do not
fret her as they do many another. She
is the best traveller the world over-heeds
jolts on the road only to laugh at them;
breakdowns and detentions are only SO
many novel experiences to her; and we
doubt if even highwayman could rob
her of the habit of looking on the bright
side of everything. She does not make
faces over a poor dinner or bad bed,
but resigns herself to inconvenience so
complacently that one might be deceived
into thinking her accustomed to them.
That she is the most companionable
parsonage, the comfort of her presence
attests. Her example is infectious, and
we find ourselves cropping our way out OF
the slough of dependency by the light
of her countenance.
With many of us, perhaps, cheerful
ness is no more virtue for which we are
responsible than a quick ear for music
would be, than Grecian profile, or a
fine head of hair. It is bred in the bone
with few of us, just as talent for car
pentry, for sculpturing, or versifying is;
and as it is reckoned disgrace to spell
badly, but no virtue to spell well, SO the
talent for cheerfulness, being our birth
right, is not SO much set down to our
credit, but SO much subtracted there
from if we do not develop it into genius.
But it is none the less sweetener of ex-
istence, and such charming thing to
meet with In man or woman, that we are
apt to treat the owner as if it were a
plant of his own selecting and sowing,
since we do not stop to inquire how
much is indigenous or how much exotic;
for though the effect is the same upon
the spectator, yet the need belongs to
those who, having no natural inclination
toward cheerfulness, have yet succeeded
in grating it upon the barren stock of a
Respondent disposition, who have been
obliged to fight bravely for the sunshine
they spend lavishly.
We do not question that cheerfu1ness
is more certain receipt against the en-
croachments of disease than the specifics
of modern medical science. By exami.
nation we should doubtless find that the
few who reach the nineties are of a san
guine temper, who wear life like gar
land rather than yoke; who do moi
wiring their hands when their stocks de.
preciate, but are certain they will rise
tomorrow; who, when their case is des
perate, do not make it worse by despera.
tion-peopie who can say
elf life an empty bubble be,
How sad are those who never see
| The rainbow in the bubble !'