St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-11-10
CHEERFULNESS.
"a Fair Garden, But tho Nan Was
Blind"


Am l a little thing" said my oaby
girl Of four to me few nights ago.
Yes" / answered, with tho usual
assurance of grown-up mothers.
But" persisted Margaretchen. with
the wise argumentativeness OF baby.
hood. II love you big"
The baby wisdom set me thinking a
1rocked my child in my arms until
the little hand loosened its hold Of
mine, and she lay asleep in my lap. 80
soft and round and pure, SO still after
all the ceaseless prattle of the day, so
warm and alive, SO blessedly my ''little
child"-little. but big to love.
And long after baby was abed.
thoughts kept in my mind Of the many
things in life which we call little. or
entirely ignore in the hurry and fever
we call life, little things that yet hold
for us the blessing of joy and peace
and love.
II would be well for us IL through
but one common day OF life some
sweet angel could walk beside US and
lift the vail from our eyes and make US
to see the beauty and joy. and to
blessedly sit at life's plenteous board
First. perhaps. the bright angel
would show us the fair garden Of
beauty around US, would show US that
all days are golden, and every rock
and prairie and hill and mountain ana
lawn and meadow alive and fresh with
God. II for one day we saw the dance
Of the leaves. felt the stir Of life In the
growing corn, heard the song of the
waters. caught the sparkle Of stars.
felt the free pulse of the wind. listened
to the bird joy. or the sweetness Of
rainfall. would not tho memory of ono
such day leaven all of after days? It
is pleasant to think of faraway places,
of big forests full of the free. wild
creatures. of open glades decked with
tropical suns, of great rivers majestic
ally flowing to the big seas. Always
the sun shines somewhere. Some
where is the eternal beauty Of snow
capped SUBMITS. the grandeur of ice
fields, the expanse of blue oceans. the
enduring beauty Of God in all. But
sweetest, dearest, best of all we call
common. are the people around US,
men. women and children.
We fret, we whine, We whimper be-
cause it is hot. because it Is cold. be-
cause we want a dress, or a house, or
. piece of candy. There 10 nothing too
trifling to furnish us with worriment.
We spoil our own life, and, what is
worse, the lives of all around us, by |
this unhealthiness of mind.
We call our work drudgery, and
drag out our days like . long funeral
procession. But a wise man knows |
that "a mans task is his life-pre-
server" and that life is divine.
What a gift, day! How sweet to |
rise with the light. to breathe the |
morning, to feel alive, to have work to |
do! How sweet to again look into the |
faces of those We love, TO "a: together.
to work for each other, to be glorious
ly alive! Our faces should shine with |
love and joy, a gospel that he who runs
might read. We should be all alive to
human brotherhood.
Indeed, what do We live for II it is
not to make life less difficult for each
other? 1t is the adorableness Of love
TO find its own joy in that Of others.
We should count the day lost in which
we have added 10 the pain Of life and
not its joy. And how easy to give joy;
a glance Of the eye. I the thoughtful
words. the love that speaks through
silence. 1t is out of such little things
that We build the temple Of lie. How
stern and glum and selfish and sour do
some of us pass the beautiful days Of
life! Even in homes, how often Il the
loving word not spoken. the smile not
given. the praise withheld!
1t is q wonder some peoples hearts
do not quite waste away from sheer
lack Of use. Who can number the
opportunities that come into ono day
to bless and cheer and helpa
Oh! We may live in q narrow house,
and yet iuhabit the wide universe.
We may lack pictures on our walls,
but the poorest can I'LL his homo with
loves pictures. the beauty immortal.
What wealth like the rich hearts The
Of the heart. how it blesses
its guests!
IL seems poor philosophy. poor NOR
sllty. poor sense. not to make the best
VI every thing. 1t 10 q contemplate
habit to carp and See the disagresahls
- the exclusion Of the good. /,