The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-02-11
THE BEST OF THINGS.
Seeing tho Bright Side of Every
Possible Event.


A bunch of cobwebs hangs half-hut-
tering in the wind outside of my sun
bath window 1t is a second story
bayed window, and ! cannot by any
artifice get at the web, which coolly
laughs at my housewifely habits and
my uneasiness Every we'll" says
John, ''some day will put up ladder
and pull it down for you; but probably
another viii be spun some warm night,
and the wind will make it look very
much like this one On the whole, is
it not rather a pretty web, and rather
interesting, as it catches a few drops
of rain, and suggests to you how many
more creatures in the world are as in
dustrious as YOURSELF" | had not
thought of the web as in the least in
teresting, but then J began to think
of the fellow who wove it there, and
the history of it, and as it really was
not in the way, it began to seem beau
tiful.
| wanted very much to take a drive
to-day, but rain last night soaked up
the roads and dirty mist is filing
the air and dripping from the trees.
1t is just a day to stay at home, only
that | do not wish to stay at home.
There are n dozen good reasons why l
should be driving into the city, not
all of them selfish, either, although |
wish very much to call at my dress
makers Can | make the best of
things as they are and turn my disap-
| pointmcnt into n pleasure? 1t is SO
easy to make the worst of things or
only a half good of them. | should
like to learn the art of seeing in every
possible event the Uery best.
have read somewhere a story told
! of Jesus that on one occasion walking
with His disciples they happened on
dead dog which they spurned as a
disgusting sight. Jesus STOPPING
down, said; "Ahl but it has beauti-
full teeth" They say that Grants art
as general lay in his ability to make
a favorable use of unfavorable circum-
stances l think this Is the secret of
really good housekeeping. AS sure as
the day dawns there are going to come
about events and omissions that will
not be, on the face of them, agreeable.
The problem which each one of us has
to solve is whether we will become
grum blers or fault seers, or will secure
the power to make the best out of
things. ] do not mean, to be sure,
that think anyone should cultivate a
! spirit of indifference and be equally
, happy whatever occurs. | know few
{ of these ever-smiling women who con
slider it perfection never to be ruf1ed.
! Wrong ought to be righted evil to be
attacked and made over. What / mean
is that when we cannot mend or change
matter it is capital art to find out
the good there is in it.
: 1t is a curious, and not pleasant
! fact, that we have in our language the
! term fault-finders; but we have no spe
! cial designation for the opposite sort
who find beauties and charms sug
gest that there be compound wore
devised, such as blessing FLINDERS o.
good-seers. AS it is we plainly impll
that human nature is inclined to be un
# PLEASANTLY critical; that it has no gen
!, eral capacity for seeing the good an,
beautiful
a. There probably never was a NOR
a. grumblesome age than just now, and
Iy am quite willing TO make the best o
ly it. Some one has said that he woul
", prefer a dissatisfied Socrates to a YER
n. contented negro slave. Popular dis
40 content means that there is so muc
le material Improvement going on tina
;" we have come to believe in constau
betterment as a kind of religion. w
do not sit down as easily as formerl
in a hovel, without planning to turn
at into palace This spirit needs softer
ing and toning. There is no sense i
ng the outcry of farmers during a year
w such universal plenty as the presen
~ So | am delighted when ! read Of on
~ farmer who has been interviewed an
cannot be induced to look on the dar
side. "But you cannot sell your emo
~ nous surplusage to advantage "Pe
~ haps not: but we can eat the NOR
give away libcrally and show our il
} vention in preserving the rest "Bi
81 you cannot live on apples" mo, bl
$ folks have got In the habit OF eatiI
"a too much meat Fruit is healthier
our wimmin viii learn to put the
I. brains to cooking IT," So, however Il
- subject was turned he saw the best
It always. Such man is sure TO ha'
a good home, and | believe he has
/ happy wife and family The richie
a. farmer that | know is the most mise
= able grumbler, and his wife is a chro
ic grumbler and the children have n
,ea off to the city and are not doing al
ar. more wisely there.
nv The secret Of good children is at lea
i. very largely in not seeing them alwa
cd at their worst IL seems TO be impC
sible for some mothers to see the go
in their own families, although tn
are as ready as others to boast of the
. children, and show of their acquii
Q ments, II is, of course, always di
cult for rs to combine just judgme
and wholesome correction of eyi
g with a fnll appreciation Of good int
20 tions. Every child has specially b
~, tendencies; | do not believe there {
,3S any exceptions. Our true work
- 4. L 4 Al.