Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-05-10
Much has been

a. I'VE,
Much has been said and written
about growing old gracefully, and the
subject Is q worthy one; vet it Is of far
more Importance to know how to do
so happiiy-to "grow happier every
year We live. " How can we do this 5?
Firstly, by doing what the apple
does as it hangs upon the tree-draw
sap from the roots learn wisdom from
Lies experiences), and drink in the
sunshine Live in the Iight-the light
Of day-not behind closed shutters or
dark, heavy curtains which keep out
the yiYnying sunlight. This Is the
first step. 1t viii help to give You the
sound, healthy body which conduces
to a sound healthy mind
Secondly, turn your mind to the
sunny, pleasant aspects of life, instead
of to those which are dark, gloomy, and
depressing. Never let your thoughts
dwell on unpleasant things moment
longer than is absolutely necessary.
For every shadow which is cast
There shines a cheering ray.
There must be light to admit of the
existence of a shadow. Remember
this, and resoluteIY turn your mind in
quest of the brightness which elsewise
you might fail to recognize.
But this is not sufficient. You must
also make sunshine for others if you
would live an 1t yourself. Be unselfish
and generous from principle, seeking
not your own" pleasure but the enjoy
ment of others, and you viii be aston
ished to find what a flood of reflex
happiness viii pour in upon you.
The happiest and bestowed people
in the world are not the wealthiest, the
wisest. the Wittiest, or the most beauti-
full, but those who are the most self
fOrgetful, and who, instead of fancying
themselves the center of the universe
around which all else must revOIve,
are ready cheerfully to do a little NOV
ing around others If needs be.
Still another essential to increasing
happiness Is contentment. 1t has been
well said that Z" q contented mind is Tor
hath a continual feast" We may
stretch this to include the people that
make up our environment, as well as
the things. And to end we must often
put in practice the hOmely advice
once heard given by an old-cOuntry
peasant woman. Her brOad-frilIed,
stiff1y starched, white cap framed an
honest and sensible face, worthy of the
words which sententiOusly fell from
her lips:
"One must take people as they are
and not as they Oughs to be.
Yes, allow them their harmless lido
syncrasies of thought, or speech, or
manner; make fullest excuse for the
things in them which fail to please
yourself or others, and uniformly close
your eyes or turn your back upon that
which initiates OF annoys you; make
light of that which cannot be remedied
nor yet avoided, and never fret your
soul over other peoples faults or fOibles.
What does the brook do with the
stones or pebbles in It's bed? Makes
music as it runs round or over them,
besides hanging out rainbOws In the
spray as it leaps down the declivity
when the fall is great. So when other
people render your pathway less
smooth than it might be, make the
best of it. and try to turn stumbling
blocks into stepping whenever
possible. Cover the bare, bleak
powders in LIES wayside with green,
chnging MOSES, both pleasant to the
eye and soft to the touch.
I pity the person who grows Grabbed,
and snappish, and yinegary-dreaded
by the young and instinctively Stunned
by children and the brute creation-as
the years lapse by. God never intend
ed that souls should lose their sweet
ness as they approach the verge of life.
Let us rather ripen and mellow till
like golden fruit we drop from the