The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-03

not perhaps too much to say that cheerful
ness is heart health.
Cheerfulness is practical power AL
though Carlyle himself was not a good ex-
ample of this he speaks truly nevertheless
when he says: "Give us, oh, give us the
man who sings at his work Be his occu-
patton what it may he is superior to any
who follow the same pursuit in silent sui
lenness. He will do more in the same time,
will do it better. will persevere longer. One
is scarcely sensible of fatigue while he
marches to music. The very stars are said
to make harmony they revolve in their
spheres. Wondrous is the strength of
cheerfulness, altogether past calculation it's
powers of endurance. Efforts to be per-
manently useful must be uniformly joyous,
spirit all sunshine, graceful from very
gladness, beautiful because bright
But beside this cheerfulness has money
value. We see many people who stay but
little while in a place, not so much because
they are inefficient, incompetent, too old or
too young, not because they want exercise,
but simply because they want an amiable
disposition. One must indeed have his
bread cooked, his garments mended or his
books kept, but who will condemn himself
to very long association even for such noble
ends as these with a cross-grained, ill-tem-
pered man or woman? Our clerk, our sec
rotary, our bookkeeper, our salesman in
addition to knowing his business must also
be a gentleman. Cheerfulness is one ele-
ment in friend making, and friend making
is valuable everywhere. In a kitchen, in
counting room, in a workshop or in the
pulpit it has money value
SANE JUDGMENT.
1t is also a condition of sane Judgment.
The fretful, nervous, peevish man does not
take sane view of business propositions.
His judgment is impaired, and rather than
continue to do business under such circum-
stances, it would be infinitely better to take
day off week off, find rest or refresh
ment if that could restore his spirits and
his sane view of the business involved The
cross and petulant man is not fair Judge
of other men. He is inclined to look upon
all men as dishonest and unfair. His tenn
per has colored his judgment. 1t requires
good cheer to enable man to fairly judge
his fellowmen. So also it is the cheerful
man who takes a sane view of this world.
1t takes cheerful man to see the flowers
and hear the song of birds and interpret
the music of life. Such a man will see the
glory of the sunset and the beauty of the
world around him. 81 am glad" says one,
that 1t is no worse" 81 am sorry" says
another, that it is no better One says,
Our good is mixed with evil" Another
says. Our evil is mixed with good"
But" says some one, I'VE know the
value Of cheerfulness. but, in face Of the ills
of life it is often impossible" This is pre-
cisely the confession we must not make,
and what. in view of the facts, 1 believe
we need not make. There are indeed evils
enough and ills enough and discourage
ments enough, but Sydney Smith expresses
the true philosophy Of life when he SAYS:
Il have govt, asthma and seven other
maladies, but am otherwise very we'll"
Goldsmith says a slave in the fortihcations
at Flanders was one of the happiest men
he had ever seen. "A man with but one
leg, deformed and chained, condemned TO
slavery for life and to work from dawn TO
dark, yet he seemed TO see only the bright
side of everything. He laughed and sang
and appeared the happiest man in the gar
rison." 1t is not freedom of hand and feet
and body which gives freedom of spirit
and joy Of soul.
Nor need the joy of life be confined to
the young. Many a man past the meridian
OF life, not rich not strong, sometimes
weak and ILL., has yet gone on down the
way of life serenely. hopefully and with
undaunted spirit. 1t is possible in youth or
age, fortune or misfortune i'm prison or
at liberty, in sickness or in health TO keep
on the sunny side of life. 1t is a quality
of the heart, of the mind. These forces
are internal and not external Whatever
the adversely may be. whatever the mis-
fortune may be. however dark life may
seem TO be, there may always be a sunny
side. 1t is possible to keep in the sun
shine.
If you would like 10 be cheerful. will to
be so. a mans mind is not necessarily a
slave. lie may shake himself free from
somnre and depressing moods. He need