The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-18

Says Mr.. Thaekeray about thatenice
boy, Give Newcome, II don't know
that Give was especially brilliant, but
he was pleasant" Occasionally we.
meet people to whom it seems to come
natural to be pleasant; such are as
welcome wherever they 60 as flowers
in May, and the most charming thing
about them is that they help to- make
other people pleasant too. Their
pleasantness is contagious. =
The other morning we. were in! the
midst of three-oays rain. Tho fire
smoked, the .dinlng-room was chilly
and when we assembled for breakfast,
papa looked rather grim, and mama
tired, for the baby had been restless all
night. Polly was plainly inclined to
fretfulness, and Bridget was undenia-
bly, cross, when Jack came in with the
breakfast rolls from the BAKERS. He
had taken off his rubber ,c0atand boots
in the entry, and he came in rosy and
smiling. /
Here's the paper, sir,n said he to
his father with such cheerful tone
that his fathers brow relaxed, and he
said, "Ah, Jack, thank you," quite
pleasantly,
His mother looked up at him smil-
ing, and he just touched her cheek
gently as he passed.
1.-The top of the morning to you.
Pollywog,n he said to his httis sister,
and delivered: the rolls to Bridget,
with "Here you are, sBriget. Aren't
you sorry you didn't 60 yourself. this
beautiful uay?" -.
Hegave the fire a pok ,andi opened
a damper. The smoke ceased .sand
presently the Goals began to glow, and
five minutes after Jack came in, we:
had gathered around the table and
were eating our oatmeal as eheerily as:
possible. This seems very simple in
the telling, aud Jack never knew he
had done anything at all, but hi" had
in fact changed the whole moral atmos-
phere of the room, and had started q
gloomy day pleasantly for five ,peo-
ple." ..,-
"He is always so, t" said his mother,
when I tpoke to her. about 1t after;
wards, 'just as sunny and kind aud
ready all the time. I suppose there
are more brilliant boys in:sthe world
ithan mine, but none with q kinder
heart or sweeter temper. Tam sure
of that" ..- =.
And I thought, Why isn't, it q dis
position worth cultiyating? -ish't it
ones duty to be pleasant, just: as well
as to be honest, or truthful, or indus
trious, or generous2 And yet, while
there are a good many honest, "a truth
ful, industrious, and generous souls in;
the world, and people who are junsel.,
fish too, after fashion, a person who
is habitually pleasant is;rather g. rarity.
I suppose the. reason is. because it Is
such hard work to act pleasantnwhen
one feels cross. Very few people have
the courage of that cheeriest softmen,
Mr.. Mark Tapley, who made it4 point
of honor to "keep joAy"L:under the
most depressing circumstances.
People whose dispositions are nat
urally irritable or unhappy, think'it is
no use trying to he otherwise - but
that is a mistake. If they will pa
tiently and perseveringly try to keep
always pleasant, after awhilethsy will
get in the habit of. smiling instead Of
frowning, of looking brightin Of
surly, and of giving a kind word in
stead of cross one. And the beauty
of it is, as I said before, that pleasant
hess is catching, and before long they
will find themselves in the midst of q
world full of bright and happy people,
where every one is as good natursd and
contented as they are.-Christian at
| Work. '.-.