The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1894-12-01
THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS.
BY REV. ]. FRANK THOMPSON.

A fact worth thinking of is that our
happiness is. not nearly SO depend.
ent upon our outward fortunes as we
are apt to imagine. "a mans life
consistent not in the abundance of the
things which he possesseth." Even if
we ignore both the past with its men,
ories and the future with its possibil-
tiles, it is still true that our welfare
depends not merely upon what we
have, but upon what we are. For
this reason, while the rich are of
course better able than the poor to
procure the means of comfort and
luxury, yet if we leave the utmost ex-
treme of poverty out of the question,
I doubt whether, upon the average,
life affords more enjoyment to the
one class than to the other.
1t is also fact that the life of each
moment contains not only what it de-
rives from present circumstances, but
what it borrows from the future: and
that while some people hab;tually bor-
row trouble, others quite as uniformly
borrow pleasure. A man who is al
ways in dread of losing the prosperity
which he already has carries heavier
heart in his bosom than his neighbor
who, knowing that hie fortunes can
not become much worse, is always
looking for the proverbial turn in the
lane. There are we'll people who, for
one or another reason, perhaps be-
cause they expect to be sick, are sell
dom in the best of spirits; and there
are sick people whose cheerfulness-
perhaps because they expect soon to
be wells SO contagious and exhila-
rating that it is treat to be with
them. know man who, when the
air is soft and balmy and the golden
haze of the Indian summer bathes the
hills in beauty, invariably says that
such day is a weather breeder. So,
in his mind he carries the chill of the
coming storm. | know another man
who, if l meet him in the fercest
blizzard that ever ragged would be
sure to say that such storm would
certainly be followed by great deal
of fine weather; and SO in his heart
he would carry the warmth of the
coming sunshine.
Altogether it is more than prob
able that if we could get at the
statistics we should find that in
the life of the average man, the
proportion of smiles to tears, of
sunny hours to wretched moments
depends, not SO much upon the things
which happen to himself in particu-
lar, as upon his disposition to dwell
upon the bright or dark side of those
occurrences which are common
to the experience of mankind in
general. Indeed, so uniformly is this
conceded, that, if we were asked to
designate the least happy person of
our acquaintance we should instantly
think, not necessarily of the one
who had experienced the greatest va
riety of misfortunes, but of the one
who possessed the most unfortunate
temperament.
On the other hand if we were asked
to name the happiest person whom we
know we should think, not of the
man or woman who had inherited or
earned the largest fortune, or wore the
best clothes, or moved in the most dis
tinguished society, but the one who
had the most cheerful disposition.
Let me also add that this special
blessing, being the result not merely
of inheritance but of cultivation, is
not among the uncertain things of
life, like bountiful harvest, or busi-
ness success, or professional reputa-
tion, or even immunity from accident
or disease, but lies within reach of
every one.
This then is the blessing for which
we should most earnestly pray, and
for which we should chiefly bethank-
full; that quality of disposition which
shall fit us for material and social
prosperity when these are given; and
which shall also enable us to be
strong in trial, and endure adversely
without losing the steadfastness of
our faith, the freshness of our hope,
or the sweetness of our spirit.
| AKRON, o.
Bishop Wilmer of Louisiana once