The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-10-05
A SOURCE OF HAPPINESS.


Bearing Our Brothers Burdens VIII
Tighten Our Own Loads.
I am always depressed when see a
man Sinking away from an opportunity
to help somebody. He reminds me of
bat or an owl trying to find some dark
hole in which to hide away from the
light. How little he knows the joy, the
sweet soul-flling satisfaction which he
foregoes in the cowardice of his would
be exemption from responsibility! He
thinks that he is lucky when he escapes
the necessity of doing a service There
is mean, furtive, unreal kind of salts
faction in his heart when he succeeds
in lodging moral obligation due to
some suffering overburdened
brother. But this poor pinch.
beck. counterfeit satisfaction Is
like piece of tinsel compared with the
pure, solid gold of joy which might
have been his had he seized the oppor-
tunity to lend a helping hand. 1t is
psychological mystery, this intense,
uplifting, abiding joy which we find in
bestowing good upon Others Can you
explain why you should be happy after
giving something to another which
could not make you happy in possessing
it yourself? | can not. But we all
know how genuine this kind of happi-
ness is.
One night when was passing through
New York city ran across frind on
Broadway, which is the most cosmo-
politan street in the world. You might
come from the most distant hamlet in
this great country and be pretty sure
of meeting some one You know during
an hours walk on Broadway. re-
marked to my friend, after exchanging
greetings with him:
st seems to me you are looking I'M
usually happy tonight.
Eyes" he answered, II am feeling in
remarkably good spirits, but for the
life of me can't tell exactly why. To
be sure | spent the morning looking
over the treasures of the art museum;
then dined with Senator q - at the
Fifth Avenue hotel, and afterwards
went to hear Albani at the Metropoli-
tan; but none of these things seemed to
make me feel particularly cheerful. All
they did, perhaps, was to crafty my
curiosity and vanity. | felt rather
bored than otherwise, after them"
"Well, it is strange that you should
have such reaction of spirits" l said.
Are you sure nothing else has hap
pened?"
"Nothing worth mentioning" he said;
~ do remember, though, that as came
out of the opera house, there was a
poor, peaked-faced little girl standing
at the entrance, with ragged shawl
over her head and half a dozen evening
papers under her arm. She was timid
little thing, and did not dare to cry her
wares, as the noisy street boys were
doing all about her; but the way she
looked up with her troubled, pleading
eyes was enough to melt a mans heart.
slipped dollar into her hand and
took one of the papers, saying: Never
mind the change, little woman. am
in too much of hurry to wait for it.
l shall never forget the way she looked
at me, as turned away.
"Well, my friend" said l, ''if you
don't know why you are happy tonight
l do" And as | shook his hand and
said good-by think from the smile in
his eyes that he began to suspect what
the secret of true happiness is.
trust that all my readers have, at
one time or another, tasted this cup OF
Joy which follows the doing of kindly
deed. 1t is a cup which you can drain tc
the last clear. sparkling drop, and never
find dreg at the bottom of it. 1t is a
cup which you can hold up in the sun
light and never see a speck floating
there, or a stain clouding its crystaI
purity. Some joys leave bitter taste be
hind them. Others, which we thought
before they touched our lips, would bt
sweet as nectar of the gods, prove flavor
less and palling to the taste; other.
| burn us like liquid fire. and in our an
, guish we dash the cup from us, crying
/ out that we will never dip it in pleas
ure's fount again. But there is one JOY
which is sweeter than anything W,
, ever dreamed of. and which leaves
nothing but sweetness behind it. 1t Il
: the JOY of doing good. the joy of tryinl
to help others to bear their burdens
and their troubles. Whenever yo,
t stretch forth helping hands, though
> you seek nothing for yourself in re
r turn, God fills your hands with treas
, ures of joy. Science tells you that yo'
can not grasp the sunlight, but low
says you can! AS often as you put you
. hand beneath another's burden, yo'
4 lay hold of this golden sunlight of hap
piness. Try it, and see if this is not So
Young men and young women, d.
| you deny yourselves for your parents
. sake? Do you give up selfish enjoy
| mcnts for the sake of being helpful u
home, when those enjoyments conflic
with your filial duties and privileges
= If you do. you know what it is to drinl
r the sweet, pure, uncloying cup of tru
4 happiness, II you do not, l do no
a. ra,,,;pI rn,, how ry,uch mora in