The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1890-09-27
The Cheerful Heart.
(For the Sentinel.)

medicine" said the wise maker of pro
verbs. Happy the man or woman SC
constituted as to absorb the sunny RAYS
of life and cast back its shadows: who
a carry mirth and warmth into a So
cial assemblage aud the medicine OF
hope and encouragement to the sick
room or the house of mourning. Do
such people know what benefit they
are to the world? Surely some of them
do the uniformly cheerful heart NAV
be a very tender, loving, sympathetic
lonesome times ~misjudged 10y those
who cannot understand its peculiar
nature, its characteristic hopefulness
under any, and nearly all, circumstan-
ces. The mission of constant cheer
fulness is a noble one. calling for I'M
s~elfishness and the putting aside of
personal troubles and griefs that the
burdens of others may be l~ightened.
and the clouds of dependency be lift
ed from the paths of fainter hearted
n who take the world too hard.
Those in whom exuberant spirits
constantly ~effervesce, and overflow the
cup Of each days filing, may suffer as
keenly the pangs of affection or the
tortures of mental and physical pain
as those do who are differently consti-
tuted, but they are rarely conquered
10y such ills. After a season the won't
ed buOyancy returns, and they 90
about making the world brighter for
themselves and others, and sowing
smiles and pleasant thoughts in the
burrows left by tears and harrassing
troubles.
Humor should never be labored. 1t
may be premeditated though having
all the appearance of s%pontaneity.
Pure and appropriate humOr Should
keep itself under refining influences.
1t was never meal to be degraded
more than other talents, Providence
bestows upon mankind. Rightly used
1T Is a blessing-misuse1 it becomes a
curse.
Laugh and the world laughs with you
Weep, and you weep alone"
The world likes to be amused, and
Its amusements are sometimes cruel
even in civilized and polite society.
DO we catch the %contagion of laughter
quicker than the infection of tears +?
Is comedy more popular than tragedy ?
Does the pathetic incident which
awakes u s%ympathies stay in memory
longer than the humorous or ridiculous
Occurrlnce which proyOkes our mirth ?
The light jest spoken 'just for fun" may
Have its barbed and poisoned point
Hearts may be broken by light words spo-
Only for something to say"
This is where humor may become
cruel-where the ''merry heart may
do mischief and wrong; but the limo
cent mirth which is without malice
and carries no sting, the sparkle of
harmless wit at the right time and
place serve an important purpose in
the world about us.
A popular writer of this generation
says he caunOt write when not happy {;
but perhaps the majority of authors
have an opposite experience. The
best inspiration come sometimes when
mind, body and heart are oppressed
with personal ailments. The cheerful
writer is not necessarily a happy man
or oma
A wife distressed about her sick hus-
band. sought Il private interview with
his physician and expressed her belief
that he would not recover. The med
zeal friend seeming to agree with her,
she asked III great grief what was kill
lug her husband
"Hls wife,, was the grave reply.
OF curse she was indignant until
the physician explained to her that
she had permitted his patient to OBJ
serve her alarm for him, and had, by
her too apparent anxiety discouraged
him and would diminish his chances of
recovery. The wife appreciated the
warning and by her prudence anj
cheerfulness soon connteracted The i'll
effects of her former depressing in1u-
enc and nnrsed her husband b ok to
health and happiness. .
Be cheerful to-day, and ':let tomor-
row take care of tomorrow" Live one
day at a time and fill that day as full
of hope and sunshine as possible for
yourself and all about you. EssIE.
J. b. Bosio, the originator of the one