Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-10-16
EVERYDAY TRIFLES.
small Things Thrt Make or Mar the
Happiness of Life as We Go
Along.

In the ordinary acceptance of the
word trifes there would seem to be but
little suggestive of care or interest. vet
it is question if the sum total of sue
cessful human existence is not oftener
composed of an aggregation of small
things, which considered separately
might well be described by this title.
By success is not meant the acquire
ment of wealth or fame, or the gratif-
cation of some absorbing am mbition. but
rather the fullness of comfort and con-
tentment which results from proper
ordering of that which is essential 30
daily life, writes Elizabeth Robbins
Perry, in Boston Budget.
Fooc is indispensable to the main
tenance of human life, yet were no care
expended upon its preparation thou
sands might starve in the midst of
plenty. 1t is a small matter. a mere
trifie, to properly arrange the tray of
an invalid, that the infinitesimal NOR
sci of nourishment which may be TAX
en- may appeal to the finer senses of the
sufferer. yet lack of such care may be
the straw which shall turn the deli
cately poised scale of life against all
hope of recovery.
How much of the comfort of a jour
ney is often marred because of some
! trifiing, but absolutely necessary. arti-
Gle which one has forgotten. or which
is out of reach in the trunk in the bag
| gage car, when it should be among the
handy belongings of ones handbag.
| Most women know of the total change
of plans sometimes necessitated by the
neglect to procure some trifie needed
| to finish a garment the completion of
i which at a certain fixed time meant
much to the one who was to be the
wearer. The lack of a single needleful
of proper thread has been known to
result in the failure of that which
otherwise would have been thing of
great beauty. yet who would think of
a mere bit of frail fiber as other than
the veriest trifle.
Yet so it is along the entire course
of our lives. The word of sympathy
we did not speak, the kindly act we
failed to perform, the unltind thought
we allowed to form itself into Ian
guage, all these and many more things
I apparently tritling confront US at some
unexpected moment and cause us much
discontinue.
In the home as nowhere else due re
gard for trifles is factor of success
The forgetting of some minor ingre
dent may cause the failure of favor
lite dish. In, like manner a lapse Of
memory in some comparatively smal
matter may result in the disarrange
ment of the entire household. Atten
tion to little things may almost b,
said to bridge the gulf between the un
happy and the happy home. The littl
courtesies. attention. services, all ten,
toward the realization of the hom
ideal, and their absence creates man
painful gaps in the home circle. Th
placing of few fresh flowers is tri
fling act, yet is not the appreciativ
smile of one who comes to the hom
wearied by day of toll and anxiety
sufficient reward?
Attention to trifes is an in spiratiol
to respect and confidence in all the re
lations of life. and the boy or cir
trained o such observance will find TIL
path of the everyday life of activit.
outside the home an. easier one t.
tread than will the one who. throug1
carelessness. Incidence or perversity
fails to consider so-called trifies. TIL
: ''day of small things" is the one upo1
which one should exercise unremittin!
vigilance. Larger interests and hap
, penings will oftener provide for them
selves.