The Washington times., 1902-07-29
YOU MUST LAUGH
OR IDEALIZE.
BY JOSEPHINE BENEDICT.

There are Just two things, speaking
in a non-rellgious sense, which are
absolutely essential to a woman IL she
is to get comfortably through this
world. They are sense of humor and
the power OF idealization.
| | rut humor first advsedly, for there
are lots of things no human being living
can idealize. and there Is where the
humor comes in. A coed way to divide it
| is to idealize the big things and to see
the funny side of the small ones.
Any woman can idealize her home
keeping and housework. but not the
bothersome details, such. for instance,
as jumping up in the middle of an arti-
Gle you are writing. or plate of cream
you are whipping, to answer ring at
the bell. That has got to be laughed at
or the tears will come, II it is often re-
peated-
| know two women who were invited
on n yachting trip. They were news
paper women on vacation tspent at home
me nding their gowns); so, OF course,
there was no money to pay car fares to
h4N PiSSS VI AIN'ti4i6s CAt VI tEtiu obia
silver bracelet 10 buy the tickets, and
they were the jolliest women on the
trip. They saw the fun of the episode,
and when the week was over they told
the whole story to the party, who had
thought them living on assured incomes.
One OF those same women had such a
quick sense of huInor that she really
vrau fot on sayoi g. -.ratiop Che ,,sad
TO laugh at the bad times she had. One
of her best jokes related to one day on
which she had not eaten a mouthful.
She was invited to a theater party that
night, and could hardly sit through the
play for anticipating the supper. She
told the people bright stories, SO that
they might not notice how much she was
eating; and she said afterward she had
much ado not TO hide a few things in
her pocket fer breakfast.
These are, OF course, exceptional
cases. but it helps along marvelously to
see the funny side of everyday mat
ters. especially ones men folks.
know q man who told his wife the
day they were married that she must
LOT cApeCl HlIll 70 De d1lldDie III the
morning till he had eaten his breakfast
She idealized that through the thirty
FIVE years of their married life, and
taught herself to believe it was lovely
thing for him frankly to have confessed
his weakness.
II she had not done that, the twelve
thousand eight hundred and five morn
ings Of bearishness would certainly have
been hard to endure. Personally, could
have laughed at that man and made a
joke OF the way l avoided him till he
had breakfasted.
/ have known woman sit suddenly
down during a toilsome day when every
thing went wrong and everybody found
fault and scoided. and laugh herself
happy again at a funny episode that no
one else had noticed. or fairly rout
thoroughly unreasonable husband by
seeing the funny side of his i'll temper.
A good rule is never take any duty up,
or down, seriously till you have tried to
laugh at it. If you cant see the funny
side, try idealizing it. If both fail. there
are. no hopes for you, and you may take
it tragically with clear conscience.
Lots of things and many people are
like pills, and must be coated before
they can be comfortably swallowed.
The coating must depend on your tenn
permanent.