Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-31
The Cult of Happiness.


Within certain limits happiness is sub
ject to the will, and to be happy is, there
fore, duty.
OF course there are mental tempera-
ments to which the sadder aspects of life
are first to present themselves, as there
are temperaments which array the world
in rose colors. 1t is not TO be expected
that the bilious man and the confirme d
dyspeptic will overflow with high spirits
of the bon vivant.
But it is within the power of the will
amid the greatest SORROWS to draw upon a
reserve fund of happiness-if one has
such reserve fund-asd thus at once
moderate sorrows and give them an en-
nobling character.
In what, then, consists this reserve fund
and what is its sourcef It must evident
ly be of a different quality from that
happiness which is an affair of tempera-
ment. Being held apart and in reserv,
it cannot be affected by the ups and
downs, the haps and mishaps of life.
Il consists primarily in the faith that
amid all the shows of the world there is
some inresident power that makes for
good.
This faith is not one of those beliefs
which are determined by evidence or
logical demonstration. 1t is an affirma-
tion of the will.
The case stands thus: Either there is
such a power that makes for good--call
it by what name you will or leave it name
less-either there is such a power, or the
world is ruin, disorganized mass, its
law and beauty an illusion, and your own
personality an ansubstantial nothing.
Now, there is no valid argument meta
physical, theological or scientific, by
which the former of these alternatives
may be proved. There is not and cannot
be. You may search for it through all
the ages-in vain.
The faith in it is an exercise of the will.
It is involved in that primary assertion
of the will-"I ann It IS part OF that
primary unrefecting faith in the substan-
tiality of the world.
Being an exercise of the will, this faith
may be weak or strong; it may be OBJ
scured; it may be ostensibly rejected,
though, so long as reason preserves its
sanity, it cannot be worked out of the
mind. Tt is there, and we constantly re-
cur to it as the starting-point of all
thought and action, however much we
may seek to evade 1t or deny 1t.
It is this faith, we say, that constitutes
that reserve fund of happiness from
which one may draw in all the Ills of life.
That the fund may be full 20 oyerfo wing
is then the great desideratum. How IS
the fund to be increased.
By recurrence TO it's source-the will.
We must will to be happy. Happiness
is life, force, creativity. I am-if these
words do not mean happiness, happi-
ness overriding all the changes and en-
tightening the shadows of the world, then
they mean nothing, are bat hollow rever-
berations.
Happiness is thus cult, a kind of wor-
ship, condition to be nurtured, fostered,
encouraged, developed.
Will to be happy. The exercise ID
appropriate to all seasons, but is especial
~ appropriate to that sacred holiday
season which We have just passed, when,
by common consent, it is the special
business of men, women-and children
of course-to be happy.
We help one another il willing by all
willing the same thing. Hence the use of
holidays-we conspire together to be
happy, and We thus strengthen and en-
large our life for all good ends,