The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-25
SECRET OF HAPPINESS.


A man had been told that the secret Of
happiness and of heaven on earth was
to get rid of worry and anger At frst
the idea struck him as being as ensy to
say and as hard to do as 'be good and
you will be happy" or ''be sure you are
right. then go ahead" Nevertheless he
made a careful investigation OF the idea
which chung to his mind with n great
deal of persistency. The more he thought
OF II the better he liked 1t, and the easier
he found IL apply to his own daily affairs
He had planned a trip toward which ne
was looking with great interest and
pleasureable anticipation He saw the
train move out without him because his
baggage was delayed. While tho train was
yet in sight the porter appeared In breath
less haste and expected an outburst OF
anger for his failure to arrive on time.
The disappointed man. instead OF doing
what most people would rave done. quietly
listened to the mans explanation and then
paralyzed him by saying; 1T doesn't mat
ter at all; you couldn't help II. so we will
try again tomorrow. Here r. your fee 1
am sorry you had so much trouble in earn
ing it." The next day the man would not
take a cent for his services. and the two
are friends for life.
The pleasure which shone through the
porter's surprise at not being met by an
outburst of anger was SO evident that the
traveller. who happened to be Horace
Fletcher. said he felt repaid ON the spot
Furthermore. besides having q very pleas
ant time while waiting till the next day
the train which he intended to take WAS
wrecked, with two passengers killed and
several injured. Such instances as peo-
pie missing trains that have been wreck
ed are not very uncommon. and may come
partly from the fact that missing trains
Ia extremely common. and that II IL a
matter OF hourly occurrence for someone
to miss trains that so through without "A
uishap. and then. again. IL must some
times happen that people who are wreck
ed had missed trains that had gone all
right, only to be thrown upon the one
that went wrong. There seems sometimes
10 be strange fatality In such matters
and the way we are led by accidents. do
lays or other unexpected occurrences TO
DO what we do. certainly makes u seem
worse than idle TO ever spend a moment
I'm anxiety or worry. As Fletcher says
we certainly need more and more 10 sub
stitute calm forethought for anxious fear
thought, Take II in the case OF the por-
ter who failed to get the baggage 10
the train. what good could have come Of
working oneself up into a frenzy OF anger
and abuse over such q matter7 Some feel
that IT should be done simply to make the
porter know that " he allows such things
10 happen he will bring down upon him
~eR severe condemnation Then, again, Il
10 50 very common to give way to anger
merely TO show authority and superior
ify' that the average porter might simply
think thai In the case Of q man who didn' I
ny Of the handle At being made 70 miss
a train he had struck somebody who was
either '.sort' or ttiosic. In other words.
81 IS such q common thing for US to do
the wrong things that people are most
apt TO be SURPRISED when We do the sers.-
bic rational and decent thing tn such
eases. Many people feel chat the only way
they can get their dues or impress others
with their Importance In BY sicrminx and
Acting up when s.ipe are made by SOME
one Else. The thought OF governing by
fear and bulldoxinx u a strong legacy Of
savaEery that cilnxs TO our civilization =
Chicago Drove-s Journal