Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-06-05
SIDNEY SMITHS ADVICE.
HOW TO BE HAPPY.


HOW TO BE HAPPY.
In the new biography OF the
witty philosopher is this passage, in
which hc sums up briefly his meth
od Of dealing with overwhelming
sorrows IL have Il contempt for
persons who destroy themselves.
Live on and look evil in the face /;
walk up to it and you will find it
less than you imagined, and often
you will not find it at all, for it will
recede as you advance. Any fool
may be suicide. When you are
in n melancholy fit, first suspect
the body, appeal to rhubarb aud
calomel, and send for the apothe.
cary n lite bit of gristle sticking
in the wrong place, an uutimely
consumption Of custaTd, excessive
gposeberries, often cover the mind
with clouds and bring on the most
distressing views OF human life. |
start up at two o'clock in the nom.
ing, after my first sleep, inan ageDy
of terror, and feel all the weight Of
life upon my soul. 1t is impossible
that / can bring up snch family
of children my sons and daugh-
ters will be beggars ; / shall live
to see those whom | love exposed
to the scorn and contumely Of the
world But stop, thou child Of sor-
row, and humble imitatOr Of Job,
and tell me on what you dined.
Was there not soup or salmon, and
then a plate of beef, and then duck, ,
blanc-mange, cream cheese, diluted
with beer, claret, champagne, hook
tea, coffee aud noyeau? And after
all this you talk Of the evils of life ?
These kinds Of cases do not need
meditation, but magnesla. Take
short views of life. What am | to
do in these times with such a family
of children : So argued and liv.
ed detected and with little hope ;
but the difficulty vanished as life
went on. An uncle died and left
me some money; an aunt died and
left me more my daughters mar.
ried we'll; had two or three ap-
pointments, and before life was
half over became prosperous man.
And so will you. Every one has
unclcs and aunts who are mortal ;
friends start up out Of the earth ;
time brings a thousand chances in
your favor; lcgacies fall from the
clouds. Nothing so absurd rs to
sit down and wiring your hands be
cause all the good which may hap
pen to you in twenty years has not
taken place at this precise moment.
Nothing contributes more certainly
to the animal spirits than benevo.
lence. Servants and common peo.
pie are always about you make
moderate attempt to please every
body, and the effort will insenSibly
lead you to a more happy state of
mind. Pleasure is very reflective,
and if you give it you will feel it.
The pleasure you give by kindness
OF manner returns tOyOu, and often
with compound interest. The re.
ceipt for cheerfulness is not to
have one motive only in the day
for living, but Il number Of little
motives; man who from the time
he rises till bedtime conducts him.
self like n gentleman, who throws
some little cOndesccnSiOn into his
manner to interiors, and who is al
ways cOntrving to soften the dis.
tance between the poor and igno.
rant, is always improving his AMI.
NAL spirits and adding to his hap
piness. ! recommend lights rs n
great imprOver of animal spirits.
How is 1t possible to be happy with
two mold candles ill-snuiled z You
may be virtuOus aud wise and good
but two candles will not do for ami
NAL spirits. Every night the room
in which | SIT is lighted up like a
town after a great naval victory,
and in this cereOus galaxy, and
with a blazing fire, it is scarcely
possible to be low.spirited ; a thou
sand pleasing imafcs spring up in
the mind, and ! can see the little
blue demons scampering off like
parish boys pursued by the bcaale.