The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-05-07
A Joyful Spirit.

cry lew persons nave al ali an adeq at
respect for joy as an element Of human
life. Duty, labor. sacrifice, virtue, eharac
ter, each and all receive our unqualified
reverence; but joy, though We may admi
its beauty and delight IN its presence, hard
| ly seems 20 Us to claim any profound hon.
or and esteem. We relegate it rather t.
| the play of life than to its serious business
to childhood rather than t. maturity; to
Sudden prosperlas conditions rather than
10 the calm and regular flow of daily
events. Whatever obligations we admit.
/ that OF maintaining a JOYFUL spirit il
hardly one OF them, nor docs our philan-
thropy usually take the form of cultivst-
| ing joyful emotions. in the hearts of our
fellow men. Thus stripped of its dignity,
Joy comes to be thought OF more in eOnnec-
ton with what is childish, frivolous, or
even Questionable, than with what is pure,
noble and high; and it is with slight
shade of suspicion, ii not Of contempt, that
we regard fnll-gr wn man or woman who
is habltually JOYFUL. Possibly this silent
estimate may in great measure account
for the prevalence OF grave, solemn and
even dolefui faces over those which beam
with radiance, Tor there is nothing about
which people are more keenlv sensitive
than any appearance OF being undigni.
fed.
This method OF regarding joy, however,
so far from being just and trne, is really
without the least foundation. For, when
we carefully examine any of the different
phases of life, We find that joy is not only
the cornerstone of every arch, giving it
both strength and beauty, but also a chief
source OF the enthusiasm and inspiration
81 kr;,, f,.f; Il
the value and tue beauty which we all APP
preciate. Take any of the daily employ
ments in which we engage-as far as we
put into them energy, wisdom and indus
try we probably meet with fair success, but
the highest results are only to be reaped
when we have jpy in the work Some
times this ioy may cnsue from the special
adaptation of the labor itself to our pc
culiar tastes and abilities. There are
artists who were born to handle the brush
or the ehisel, poets who think in numbers,
musicians whose lie Is in the harmony Of
sounds, there are mechanics, farmers ply
sicians, lawyers, teachers, scientists and
philosophers, who are so constituted that
their work appeals to them in every fibre,
brings ont their best powers and is fol-
lowed with keen delight that no other
Happy and valuable, indeed, are those
who have thus found their sphere and
cling TO it with glad recognition. Oftener,
however, the joy of labor comes as a result
of patient fidelity and persistence. What
was begun with a sense of duty, but. with
out affection, and carried on by faithful
effort, grows more and more congenial as
we become more and more capable, until
lnv1ert y fta1 a Iasn, .uh at VIC
can do we'll, which we had not supposed
possible In whatever way it comes, how
ever, it is this enthusiastic joy in labor
that gives the finest effects effects which
can never be produced while the work is
done mechanically or as dull aud dry
routine carried on without love and with
out inspiration.
Not only in the active labor Of life, how
ever, do we need to honor and exalt t1e
emotion of joy. There are joys of many
kinds, none OF which We can afford to de-
spise or ignore. Some come to US in the
events or relations Of life There is the
joy of childhood, or of simple, healthy
joys of love, of friendship. of
motherhood, of increasing opportunities,
Of books, of exercise, of a thousand happy
that occur to all of as, and
make so much of iife's sunshine in our
hearts that we may reflect upon others
through happy faces and gIadsome tones. |
Other l0ys, however, come from within, |
and these are the purest and the most en-
during. High among these is the joy of
We seldom think Of this. |
We talk much OF dufy, Of morality, OF |
Of laws and rules for self gov |
eminent; We impress their n cessity upon
others, and, il conscientious, we bind them
upon ourselves. Ali this is right, but 90 |
long as We leave out the joy Of well-doing |
we have Left out the soul, OF which all
these were the covering. 1t Is when We
come to rrj0iee in duty, to take pleasure
in sacrifice, 10 follow Justice, mercy and |
truth, not only witllathe firm and steady
step, but with ; loving and tender clasp,
that We realize the true vitality Of righteous
ness It has been we'll said Athe noblest
souls Of whatever creed have insisted on
the necessity OF an inspiration. . joyful
emotion to make moral action perfect.
The paramount
virtue of religion is that it has lighted mp
that lt has supplied the emotion
and inspiration needfnl for carrying the
ordinary man along the narrow way.
Let rs then do all honor and reverence
to JOY as means, not of drawing Us down,
but Of lifting rs up. Let us rescue it from
inferior qualification, and infuse il into
everything that is pure and sweet and
noble Let as seek its presence to inspire
duty, 10 eitalize morality, to elevate aud
baaufifY every character and eunobls every
life PhaladelpIia Ledger