The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-11-10

Than Riches is the Influence OF
g. Genial Nature, Light Heart,
Winning Smile and Kind
Words.
tWi1sOn Mirror
Nature was made everywhere vocal
with the challenge of cheerfulness.
The taste of men differ immeasurably
with regard to every thing else but
who presumes to criticise the blue Of
SKY, the blush of the rose, the verdure
Of he dewy mead? Who paints the
window with the diamond fern as does
the magic frost? What are pyramids
WHICH man has raised, compared with
mountains which God has lifted to
their solitary and everlasting gran
deur' How do the valleys spread in
their tranquil beauty at our feet? For
everything that seems even to man
tie beauty of natural creation, how
| many million glories crown it? How
many the eXCellenCies of human nature
l!self is weighed the defects? And
how suicidal is he to his own peace
wno persistently sees only that which
lnvades it, when, in the sight, he must
refuse to see SO much more that would
give him pleasure? Our own charac-
terstlcs make our world We NAV
take almost everything in life and
read it darkly or lightly as we choose.
81 then, close your eyes and your ears
to the repulsive and the discordant,
and only open them to the beautiful
and the enhancing. Wreathe your
face in brightness and srnny smiles,
for a radiant, cheerful Countenance is
to the face what tintings are to beauti-
ful and glorious flowers, or the roseate
and crimson and variegated colorings
to the sky, when some grand and
gorgeous sunset hath lent its most
opuient glories to gild and beautify
the isiets Of clouds that lie emb edded
in the ocean of space. 1t is like the
songs of birds, when their precious
strains come ripping in sweetest wave
lets from throats that God himself did
tune to glorious notes of joyousness
and of gladness. 1t is like the mild
and mellowed and Chastened radiance
! of a cloudless moonlight night, when
every shadow wears on its bosom that
jewel of silvery lustre which seems like
those glistening CLEANS of radiance
flung off from Heavenly splendors
Yes, next to the sunlight of Heaven is
the sunlight of a cheerful face. There
is No mistaking 1.-THE bright eye, the
unclouded brow, the sunny smlle,-all
tell Of that which dwells within. Who
has not felt its electrfying influence !?
One glance at this face lifts US at once
out of the arms Of despair out of the
MISS and shadows, away from tears
and repinings, into the beautiful
realms of hope. One cheerful face in
household will keep everything bright
and warm within. Envy, hatred,
nal ce, selfishness, dependency and a
host of evil passions may lurk around
the loor, they may even look within,
but hey never enter and abide there
the heerful face will put them all to
shale and flight. 1t may be very
plain face, but there is something in
it ~ feel, we cannot express, and its
cherry smile sends the blood dancing
through the veins and for very joy we
turn towards the sun, and its warm,
genial influence refreshes and strength
ems Our fainting spirits. All, there
is a world OF magic in the plain, cheer
tul f,ce! 1t charms us with spell of
eternity, and we would not exchange
it TO all the soulless beauty that ever
grac,d the fairest form on earth. 1t
may be a very little face one that we
nestle upon our bosoms or sing to
sleep in our arms with a low, sweet
lullaoy; but it is such d bright, cherry
face! The scintlllations of joyous
spirits are flashing from every feature.
And what a power it has in the house
hold, binding each heart together in
tenderness and love and sympathy
Shadows may darken around US, but
somehow this face ever shines between,
and The shining is SO bright that the
shadows cannot remain, and silently
they creep away into the dark corners
where the cheerful face is gone. 1t
may be wrinkled face, but it is all
the dearer for that, and none the less
bright. We linger near it and gaze
tenderly upon it and say, "God bless
this happy face!" We must keep it
with us as long as we can, for home
will lose much Of its brightness when
the sweet face is gone. And after 1t
is gene, how the remembrance OF II
purihes and softens our wayward
nature. When care and sorrow
would snap our heart strings asunder,
this wrinkled face looks down upon us,
and the painful tension grows lighter,
the way less dreary, the sorrow less
heavy, for we see the glory Of the
brightness "Over There of that
brilliant food light which beams on
all hearts and makes every counten
ance as radiant and as sparkling as
the glimmer of an icvcle when sun
beams are dancing upon its stainless
bosom.
TIE easiest thing in the world is to
fnd fault with the newspaper.