Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-05-23
BARROwfuL or "BEUEs.s

BARIOWFUL OF "BLUgS.s
II was a rainy day. very black. very
wet. the ground u ma IDS sop, the sky
dull lcadenlsh-hucd dom. II gave
mc ~ 81 the "blucS." I rakrd M
certain old CRIES out Of the ashes of the
past, borrowed some new troubles out
90 the future and put them all under
INC powerful microscope OF morbid
imagination, which magnifcs the
awful about n thousand times and
uimtnishcs the cheerful when applied To
~ in similar proportion.
notified tue world that * was an
unit place to live I'm. "valc Of tears"
n shame and disgrace to It's Maker. I'm
about nm hour had arranged for my
self large and commolious Ilades.
who're on every side uaught was to be-
seen bat the wrecks Of all earthly homes
lying about in dust aud ashes. and
every ideal "a will O'-the-w.sp leading
To quagmirrs of disappointment
Finally all this became So horrible
that mt last Il occurred to me that Il
was about horrible enough II was
more than could bear. said: Il am
sat shed. I've ct all | want OF this.
Why Is this bla"knc~s. anyway The
sun was bright Yesterday. 80 was I.
That same sun Is sh ming somewhere to-
day. think I have got about TIE
same mind | had yesterday. Isn't
~ as capable Ot enjoying ~ then?
whence the difference in my views
OF lifeP Then ! was ON good terms
with the world and myself. l. this
gloom owing to Few billion drops of
water falling from above? l. il due To-
the sombcr hue OF the clouls, the dirty
sop under foot, and the genera, deadncss
OF March landscape which i'm few
weeks will appear in it, new spring vcr-
durc9 Am To be so cast down merely
by n cOlor?' People arc depressed or
checrcd by surroundings. No6od, goes
into dark cellar 10 spend n cheerful
evening.
That bird In The tree Wonder siurs
mcrrily enough despite the rain. How
docs he RcCp w his spirits in such
weather? lf the bird can throw OF this
gloom so ought I.
Among the people inside of me Is one
who ut times advises and suggests. lie
is not favOrite of mine, since he is ant
To intrude his mOniliOns when I least
want them. possibly because il is then
thoV are most needed
"lf you will allow me-" said he. '.to
make suggestion. ! don't want To
intrudc advice ON YOU. know IL s dis
agreeable. haze IL myself II has n
prcachy -preachy, rcpruy NJ. | am bet
ter-than-thou sort of twang. and its
hard Ten take. Besides. there's so much
of IL In the world. Every one seems To-
carry n dose In his pocket not for him
self, but for others. still. | would like
To make this suggestion to YOU. and
please hear it just as YOU hear that
bird singing.
you know what YOU want. That's
gain. You want To- get your thoughts
out If the gloomy rut THEY'RE now run.
ming In. It's big step for YOU 10
know what you want i'm your case.
Many people afflicted with the blues
do not make any effort To gct rid of
them. They allow their minds to travel
over and over the same gloomy road.
They allow their moods tO command
them Instead 81 trying to command
their mood. You know that YOU want
To CT your mind out Of that mood.
Now wheel that harrow to the wood
shed; wheel u rs carefully rs YOU can:
make game Of wheeling L.; wheel il
through the stuhhlc-feld so rs tocNpend
the least possible labor in the whcrling:
wheel u so rs To avoid holes and rocks
and mirey laces; put your whole mind
ON the barrow and when YOU get To- the
woo'lshcd pile IL very carefully with
wooi-pile the sticks nicely So they
VIII not fall of; pile them with aften
ton, precision and daintincss; then
wheel the barrow back To the house
with the same care; carry the wood into
the house; don't fling Il down by the
stove as YOU would throw snake OF
your person, but put all your mind on
piling so NJ 90 make n neat. creditable
pile, and see then II part at your hor-
rOrs. nj least, are not east out of YOU"
This Is something like prescribing
thO.e seven baths In the river Jordan To
that Scripiural general for his COM
plalnt, | thought. However. the
baths cured him. I'll try the barrow
cure"
| wheeled the barrow n short dis.
lance. made n game of il I'm getting the
greatest amount Of go out OF the vehicle
with the least amount OF push. avoided
ruts. stones and the deeper hollows. I
did feel somewhat lighter. seemed TO
tie wheeling IL ont Ut lIaies. But all
at once involuntarily relaxed NV vigi-
lance IN liking my brains ON the bar
row ran IN rut-two ruts. The
barrow IN one; my thoughts i'm that old.
gloomy rut OF recollection and anlici-
patton. Tho bright days Of yore that
would never come back The What
the use Of living. anyway" The alb
sent never To return. or II returned TO
return changed, The What's IL all
forP The fleeing years, the growing
old. the ''ah mev' and the ''heigh ho!"
and "such Is life" chat remark with
which SO many close up some sad story
and which seem To- say: well, it's the
best life and the best world we've got
anyway, and mighty poor affairs both
of EN-, at that."O
There you 60" said my monitor.
"oh In the rut again-never mind. it's
habit. Your mind has been so long in
this habit IL runs into IL involuntarily.
Your doors open 80 easily into YOUR
Hades, hinges all oiled. bolts ditto.
They turn so easily. The others open
ing TO the brighter rooms are all rusty
rom want OF use. Got lots OF work be-
fore you TO set this thing to rights. You
must try again and fail aud keep on try
ing. and fail and fail end fail aud try
and Try and Try and fail and try and
Try and fail long time. No other way
out Of H. Sure cure in time, but long
time 70 make the sure cure. It's All y
part and parcel Of this working out
your salvation. When you get prae-
tice enough TO keep your mind fixed ON
n certain subject-for say ten or fifteen
minutes-why. then, IL will stay fixed
VI lis own accord until you want to
lhange IL.
] put my mind on the work again