The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30
ToWORRYTHEYSAY "SHOop
AND so THE DON'T WORRY Els
ARE GETTING HAPPY.


being Just rs surely as death; thnt is worry
The average person looks upon death as a neccs-
sary evil, except when somebody clso docs tho
dying; he views worry much in the same light,
never stopping to think that worry is n master
OF his own choosing. There are a lot OF people
in this city who arc fighting worry with all
their mental. moral, and spiritual strength.
and thoy hope in time to drive It off tho face
Of tho earth. They are the members OF the va.
rious Don't Worry circles, and their ranks arc
filling up every day with new recruits. There
are already seven circles in working order and
others will bc.organizcd within a month.
Tho idea grew out of a little book untitled
Don't Worry; or, Spiritual Emancipation tho
Scientific Law Of Happiness" Theodore f.
oward Of Brooklyn is the author, and It is said
that he evolved his theories from personal OK.
p%erlence, for no is a great man to worry about
things that never happen. MIR. Seward Is an
active member Of one of tho circles and takcs a
1.-Two interest in all. Tho first circle was or
ganized on Nov. 8 at the homo of Miss An
drews, who is greatly interested in mental
science. A fcw days later Don't Worry Circle
No. 2 was formed by Dr.. John Hamlin Dewey,
conductor Of the School of the Higher Life, at
his home, III West Eighty.fourth street. This
circle takes the place Of a mid.week meeting
with Unity Congregation, Of which the Rev.
Hugh o. Pentecost is pastor. Tho third circle
was organized at Judge CowinG's house and
now meets in st. Jamcs's Episcopal Church in
Madison avenue. There Is also q circle in
connection with the Metropolitan Independent
Church, of which the Rev. Henry Frank is
pastor, and one called the Circle Of Divine Min.
istry ut 81 Irving place.
Don't Worry Circle No. 2 Is one of the most
prosperous and is q fair type of all the others.
Tho Rev. Hugh ". Pentecost conducts tho
meetings. When asked to tell about tho work
ings, aims, and success of the circle he said:
Don't Worry Circle No. 2 Is n very thirty.
ing one. AS soon as 1t was established by DIR.
Dewey, Unity Congregation, which holds it's
church services In Carnegie Music Hall,
adopted its exercises as its mid-week meeting,
instead of a regulation prayer or praise meet
ing. We already had the don't worry idea in
Unity Congregation, for in ono of our congregn-
tional prayers we cxpress~a desire to be free
from anger, worry and fear, q desire for ability
to rid ourselves Of q mind which secs only the
dark side of life. Already in our circle wo
have a membership of about 100. and it is in
creasing at the rate of five or six weekly. AS
we hold our meetings in private houses, we
have about as many as we can manage IN this
circle; so other circles will be formed to accom-
modato the newcomers.
There is no real organization in any Of tho
Don't Worry circles. We elected by common
" Seoe INV 4hVtO 40
no regular President, though some ono takes
the lead just to start things of. We take up a
voluntary collection to pay for senuing out
notices of meetings, and SO on. All our meet
ings have been and will continue to DO very in.
formal. 1 see to 1t that some one opens each
meeting with q talk or paper on some subject
relating to the don't worry idea. To give an
idea of the trend.these talks take I'd like to say
that H. L. Wilson. editor OF PUCK, read a very
excellent paper on How Not to Worry He
was the very man to handle that subject. for 1
never knew a person who lives in such absolute
mental peace as he does. The Rev. j.. NJ. Scott,
q Unitarian minister, talked to US at one meet
ing about the Don't Worry Idea as Taught by
Buddha.' / talked obout the Don't Worry Doc
trino as Taught by Socrates At another meet.
ing DR.. Dewey made q really remarkable dis.
course on .lUnfailing Health and Perpetual
Youth and at our last meeting Mrs. A. d..
more. who is in Europe. on Power Through
Reposc.' {. "; Patterson. one Of the editors of
After tho introductory. talk or paper every
thing is open. You ask II any Of the members
inssl some say ay' that When they Joined ohe ne the
circle the worry habit was so much a part OF
them that they were miserable and that they
These Don't Worry circles are absolutely free
from bigotry. The atheist is Just, as welcome
as s the old lady who saddles off all of her wor-
Our object is e enable people Of all sorts,
relic we'd from worry, feap. and anger. The at
mosphere Of tho circles is one Of cheer and
health. and no one can fail to be benefited ex:
ccpt n hopeless pcssimist. 1t Is a very helpful
place to go. and anybody who wants to shake
of the worry habit is made welcome, We try
urge people not TO say that they don't worry IL
they do; Every meeting takes a different
turn. There is absolutely no control exercised
over its directions; it runs its own way. One
time IL takes, to an abstract question, and an
other time the whole evening is devoted to
personal experiences.
had never been there before. He was a man
had heard OF, the Don't Worry circles and
thought he'd como to see II be could fnd a way
he owned city real estate valued at 100000
and that he worried Al the time for fear that he
s but / w tSiS n take h Il as sa a Siift from 5m1s thSt % man
III had to take his feeling of fear with II, and
believe that all the other members of our cir
that first meeting that money, when 1t brought
anything but happiness, was more Of 4 curse
meetings ever since and has come hero to havo
several 'ong talks with me. and be is winning q
victory over worry, for now he bniy feels that
fear OF losing his property part OF The time.
%l"stS1ss Is boy sI Hs 'sSI sS i ! VIII fsIS H. a lsi;s%,s1
where lived for some time. Whenever il
that worried me no end. Finally | found that
1t would be more convenient for me to live in
the city. so ] rented my Orange house.
SHORTY. after l was comfortably settled in
town and had my tenants also comfortably
Ind been coming down for "a day l began TO
worry about the cellar out in Orange. The
longer 1t rained tho more J. worried. ] could
sec the water creeping up inch by inch until
finally tho house was submerged In my mind.
the walls ready to fall. and the tenants pack
ing up to move away; with u very poor opinion
OF me. At last ! could stand 1t no longer. and
after two days and nights of utter indebtedness
/ went out to Orange. For some time ! didn't
dare face The people in my house, but finally
plqeked up courage and rang, the d%oorbel,l.
ing ms a May morning. "How's the c~ellari"
managed to gasp. .'As dry us n bone" she an.
swered swectly. "As soon hs ave camc hero
my husband saw that by laying a pipe in a Ger.
tain way all Of the water could be carried OF
and the cellar kept perfectly free from damp
ness Now, how was 1 to Keep from worrying
about that ce!larf he appealed TO the circle.
pathetically..
"'You ought TO have been able to so to Or.
ange, find your cellar full of water, and still
not worry r%etorted u bright member, and she
was right. Worry, You know, wouldn't bail the
A. a ~ nuf nf N rnllnr