Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-06-17
HOW MUCH SHOULD WE sMILa
Leave Expression of Face to Take
Care of Itself.

Care OF Itself.
The pleasant expression" is of great
use to the photographer The good
mother tries constantly to imprint it
upon her children's faces. Everyone
agrees that certain kindness and char
ity should beam forth from the eye
yet the face which wears perpetual
smile is usually weak one, always
a tiresome one. Its owner seems al
ways to have been reading only the "hu-
morous pages" skimming only the sur
face, thinking only of amusement, and
never to have buckled down to the real
battle of life. 1t is only honest effort
in this struggle which entities a man
to respect, and he must wear some sign
of having engaged in it before a casual
acquaintance can esteem him. 1t is
hardly possible to smile all the time
without appearing more or less silly,
and as though one appreciatedel little of
the true meaning of existence.
One Of the most distinguished must
clans in a certain large city, who has
done really fine work and ought TO
stand among the first half dozen in
America in his calling. is undervalued
and lightly spoken of by his associ-
.ates. He wears perpetual smile, and
many have attributed to this cause
>his failure to win the place which he
deserves.
A lady, in speaking of two brothers,
remarked that one of them was So
cially far inferior to the other.
Theron enters a room with per-
fectly serious look on his faee,' she
said, land everybody wants to know
him at once and longs to see his rare
smile IhsR comes Harry, Sinking
Gnd grinnfng, and nobody has any in
terest in him whatever. Yet Harry is
fine fellow, and if he would only cul-.
.tivate a little more dignity he might be
as popular and as much sought after
by the best people as Theron"
Amia bility and evenness of temper
are among the most essential qualities
of sane character, but no man need
shipper continually to demonstrate his
sweetness.
Ruskin says that all great generals
have been serious men, and Emerson
afirms the same of all great orators.
The distinguished Tom Marshall. one
of the wittiest men who ever lived. babe
his son observe that the public monu-
ments are always erected TO the sol
eInn men; and DIR. Austin Phelps re-
marks: 1.-TWO classes of men are never
buffoons-very great men and very
| good men,
1t is generally safe to leave the ex-
| preston of ones face to take care OF
| itself, and to devote ones efforts main
| ly to the formation of character. If a
man really busies himself with weighty
| affairs, reads the funny papers" only
| in moderation and a sort of intel
| lectual dessert, avoids the journals
| which treat fiippantly of public ques-
| tons and great national and moral
| movements, ard tries necessarily to
| find truth and pursue it, he will usual
1y have an expression which matches
| his character; but the eminently socia
| and kindly man, though he may be
| good at heart and not silly in mind
must be on his guard lest people de
spise, not his youth, like Timothy S
but his whole mental and moral endow
ment, if he wears an habitual smile
| for the conclusion of the old poet voice:
| the instructive feeling of all mankind
1 Eternal smiles but emptiness betray,
| AS shallow streams run dimpling all tn
| way.
| -T,eS1ie'S Weekly