The Red Cloud chief., 1888-03-30
ON BEING
lt Makes People Jolly and Changes fro~ns
IutO Pleasant smiles.

lt . People Jolly and Changes Fro"H
Into Pleasant Smiles.
Saws NJ. Thackeray about that mic
bcv Give Newcone. Il don't know tina
Give was especially brilliant. but h
was pleasant"
Occasionally we meet people to whOn
it seems to come natural to be pleas
ant; such are rs welcome wherever the.
90 as flowers in May. and the mos
charming thing about them is that the.
help to make other people pleasant too
Their pleasantness is contagious
The other morning We were in TIT
midst of u three DAYS rain. The fire
smoked, the dining-roOm was chilly,
and when we assembled for breakfast,
papa looked rather grim. and mamm'
tired. for the baby had been restless all
night. Polly was plainly inclined t.
fretfulness. and Bridget was undeniably
cross. when Jack came in with the
breakfast rolls from the bakers. lie
had taken off his rubber coat and boots
in the entry. and he came in rosy and
smiling.
Here's the paper. SIR" said he to
his father with such a cheerful tone
that his fathers brow relaxed. and he
said ..Ah. Jack. thank yOu." quite
pleasantly.
His mother looked up at him smiling.
and he lust touched her cheek gently
AS he passed.
''rne top Of the morning to YOU. Pol
ly-woS." he said to his little sister. aud
delivered the rolls to Bridget with y
''Here YOU are. Bridget Aren't you
sorry YOU didn't go yourself this beau
tiful day."
He gave the fire a poke and opened
a damper. The smoke ceased. and
presently the Goals began to glow. anil
FIVE minutes after Jack came in W. had
gathered around the table and were
eating our oatmeal rs cheerily as pos
sible. This seems very simple in the
telling. and Jack never knew he had
done any thing ut all. but he had in
fact changed the whole moral atmos-
phcrc of the room. and had started n
gloomy day pleasantly for five people.
'.He is always SO." said his mother
when I spoke to her about it afterward.
'.ju>t So SUNNY and kind. and ready all
the time. I suppose there are more
brilliant boys in the world than mine.
but none with y kinder heart or .
swec:cr temper. I am sure Of that"
And I thought: WHY isn't Il cheerful dis
position worth c%ultivating? Isn't it ones
duty to be pleasant. just Is well rs to
BE- honest. or truthful. or Industrious.
Or generous? And yet. while there r
4 good MANY honest. truthful. indus
triou>. and generous souls in the world.
and people who are unselfish too. after
a fashion. n person who is habitually
pleasant is rather a rarity. / suppose
the reason is because it is such hard
work to act pleasant when one feels
cross Very few people have the u
9 Of that checriest Of men. Mr.. Mark
T,pley. who made it a point Of honor
to keep jolly" under the most de-
pressing circumstances.
People whose dispositions are natnr-
ally irritable or unhappy. think it is no
use trying to be otherwise; but that is u
mistake. II they will patiently and
perseveringly try to keep always pleas
ant. after a while they will get in the
habit of smiling instead Of frownin:.
Of looking bright instead Of surly. and
of giving a kind word instead Of u cross
one. And the beauty Of it 10. rs / said
before. that pleasantness is catching.
and before long they will find Them
in the midst Of y world full Of
bright and happy people. where every
one is rs goOd-natnred and contented ~
IRE. -CHvistion at Work.