The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-06-16

3hs Kind Of Philosophy which Makes
Men Happy, Loving and Contented.

Men Happy, Loving and Contented.
l turn over the leaves Of an old note
book. the pages Of which filled half
score Of years ago. Oa one page l
dnd this note:
MY books are all wrinkled and
filed with crumbs Of maple and
mach leaves. with here and there a
forgotten forest leaf clinging 10 the
printed one. Ali well! some time
may kiss the wrinkled pages Of my
choicest book. while think Of the dear
white hands that laid the maple leaves
in history or lex con. aud thank God
lhai the page is wrinLled and the en-
craving discolored. y
Aud now. vh rey,r turn 20 that
page in the nolc-bnOk. do YOU know,
my boy how glad ann that wrote
about the leaves 10 did? There was
mo- shadow Of fear on dread over my
little home thcn. There was no rea-
son why / should feel so tenderly
toward .he leaves and stems that
stained and wrinkled my books. and
ever kept me from using them for
week at time. was thereP All! in
deed there was. Indeed there was.
Because love is better than books. my
boy. Because your books. my son,
though you crowd The literary treas
ures Of The world upon your shelves,
can never creep into your heart rs
your wife will. some day. when you
find the girl whom the gods have de-
creed shall crown your home. Be-
cause we should always hold the
hearts that love us nearer to us than
the petty annoyances and little III Of
this life. Because the quick. nasty
word you speak in ill-temper or un-
gentleness to-day, my boy. leaves q
sting in your heart TO rankle half n
century away. Because to-day, if /
could, | would burn up every book
there Is in all this world just to feel
the little hands that laid those leaves
in the pages where | said they must
not go, clasp themselves about my
neck for one hour. Hold your tongue
and your pen. my boy. Every time
you are tempted to say an ungentle
word on write an unkind line. or say
n mean, ungraciOus thing about any
body, just stop; look ahead twenty-five
years, and think how it may come
back to you then.
Let me tell you how l write mean
letters and bitter editorials. my boy.
Some time. when Il man has pitched
into me and 'cut me up rough" and
| want to pulverizc him, and wear his
CORY scalp at my girdle and hang his
hide on my fanc ce. write the letter or
editorial that is 10 do the business. /
write something that will drive sleep
from his eyes and peace from his soul
for six weeks. Oh. do hold him over
Il slow fire aud roast him. Gall and
aquafortis drip from my blistering
pen. Then. don't mail the letter
and don't print the editorial
There's always plenty of time TO
cruelty man. The vilest criminal is
entitled to little reprieve. put the
manuscript away in drawer. Next
day | look at it, Tho ink is cold; /
read it over and say: IL don't know
about this. There's good deal of
bludgeon and bowie-knife journalism
in that I'll hold it over day
longer The next day | read it
again. laugh. and say "Pshaw!"
and | can feel my checks getting
n little hot. The fact is. am
ashamed that l ever wrote it, and
| hope that nobody has seen it.
and 1 have half forgotten the
article OF letter that filled my soul with
rage. haven't been hurt i haven t
hurt any body. and the world goes
right along. making twenty-four hours
day rs usual, aud am all the hap
pier. Try it, my boy. Put off your
! bitter remarks until tomorrow. Then.
when you try to say them deliberate
ly. you'll find that you have forgotten
them. and ten years later ah! how
glad you will BE- that you did! BE
good d-natured. my boy. BE glowing and
gentle with the world. and you'll be
amazed to see how dearly and tender
ly the worried, tired. vexed, harrassed