The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-11-21

: "a theskInEaDuI at tod vail gather man
Z sons into glory, Everlasting rewards i
! place of business discipline. TteFe "thI
! wicked cease from troubling and til
) WeirF are at rest 3a i& aaaas
i --------z-<-ss .s5 :
s" A Cheerful Spirit.
, ss@9 s18sss T 8 z------s-f1 H - as
! Philadelphia Ledger sen 81
There. are some duties, aud that o.
! ehserfulness is one OF them, that cannoi
! always be performed SO wen by direci
as BY indirect means We may .descani
, at Length ON the injurious infaanee oi
low sRiritssapd the esnFeqnent olliga
/ / ton to dismiss thsHg aud the melau
choly man may be convinced by oui
Arguments, vet when with the best in
tentions he undertakes Eo clear away the
gloom fnolnIhis brow saad the sadnes:
from his voice, he-wia be very apt t.
feel that he is oalx PLAYING part which
cannot be long kept up. -
The truth is that the duty lies deeper
/ down; 1t Is that of being cheerful, rather
than seeming 80 for we may be very
sure that 10 spite of all ouf efloFts tp
1.-The eentraFy. It j. what we really. are,
not what We wish to appear, that will
decide ohf Influence apon others. How
to bee ciieerFaI, then that is, how to be
i fairly content under existing ciTeam-
stances--is the problem which each one
must solve for himself. This may seem
an even harder task than the other; and
certainly no mere act of yolition and no
direct effort can accomplish it. We can
not change our low spirits into higher,
or our nl0urnful feelings into CHEEKY
9nes, by simply determining. TO do so
but we can apply our force to bear upon
the conditions on which they rest; We
can put to fight many causes of dejee-
! ton, and nouEish many germs Of Seren-
ity and comfort. - ~ - -....
: In doing this, however, it is necessary,
| FIRST of all to distinguish between the
real and the supposed causes Of depres-
sion and gloom. Generally these two
are far apart. The discousolate person
| is sure that he is so because of some loss
or lack in his outward condition. He
wants manythings which he cannot get
or his friends are .unfriendly, his bust
ness duIIs his opportbiiities elimited, his
work laborious. If these things were
altered he thinks he would be cheerful
and happy and stiFnuiata Others, instead
OF being as he now is, wet blanket
ppen every joyi .'Yet be is utterly mis-
taken Remove these troubles and
others would speedily take tEeir places
You eannot starve disco1tent BY de-
pFising itsof its apparent austenance; it
viii feed on triaes light as air and as
intangible. 1t is no exaggeration to say
that IF Nc except the Immediate effects
of anwonted Joys and sorrows the cheer
fulaess and the gloom OF mankind are
in no way connected with external cir
cumstances. We see both strongly
marked In every condition Of life. and
we must look deeper for their sources
than the shifting and varying scenes of
outward life D. .s8 e,s ~ ~
Doubtless, much of the melancholy
and depression of men and women re-
SUIT from purely physical causes. Rus
kin attributes it all 10 this source He
says, 'Gheerfalaess is just as natural to
the heart of a man in strong health as
the color to his cheek, and wherever
there is habitual gloom there must be
either bad air, unwhoiesome food, i'm i
properly severe labor or erring habits of /
life.r Perhaps this is an extreme state
Inent, but there is 80 much of truth in
it, that the cultivation. of cheerful
spirit demands as first requisite that
the conditions of health be observed.
The detection that claims sympathy on
the. ground, of some supposed hardship
often has its origin In Indigestion, and al
sensible observance Of hygienie laws is /
freqaentlytbeo one thing needful to tfans-lI
form dolefaI man intossa bright and
cheerful one. g
One fruitful source. of low spirits is |
the unwise apportionment OF. our daily
work Too much labor, as suggested in
the aheve quotations, especially if united
With care, Is sure to produce gloom and |
the weary man who returns to his fam |
1y at night 70 sadden them BY bis fun
ered aspect and his catalogue Of woes,
slIoald leave OF claiming sympathy for
what only deserves Criticism On the /.
ether hand, nothing is more fatal 10
cheerful spirit than idlenees. To have
nothing that We must do, or having il, 1
20 snBglectait, sxillzthrasvs . shadownYer
the lightest heart and the most sammy !
countenanee.--R Regular, eongenial labor, |
in moderation, and the consciousness of |
faithful performance ana growing abilif
ity, are tenies- to the spirits that none ]
can afford to dispense with.
! To preserves cheerful frame OF mind /
every one needs to have interests out
s5dsqf himself. We may safely affirm I
that the man srwhQ uniformly meets us /
with anisniuated expression, 2 hopeful |
aspect and frank and cordial greeting, |
ID not 9 selfsh or sci lf-eeptredfman. He |
il glad and sorry for more than his own
successes or failures; he IS interested in |
some things at least apart from their |
relation to himself. Nothing more ef9ec- !
ttialIy weig downs the spirits, contracts
the sonrcesbf pleasure and darkens the |
countenance than the exclusive thonght |
of and reference to personal interests
and no one can hope to maintain cheer. |
ftiF dfsp p0siai0h or to exert an inspiring |
infuencei until be takes genoine IN |
,terests in, other things and other peosf |
The DAYS have passed away when |
gladsome face was deemed an index of |
. frivolous mind and . solemH and |
longdrawp Yisags the f0re-ruuner Of /
every virtue. We know now that virtue /
and happiness 20 hand in hand, and that
4 good conscience, good plIFp0ses, good /
hahias and gnod heath will bring with |
them eheerfulness and contentment to /
the spirit, and light and gladness to the /
coantenance.
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