The Tupelo journal., 1902-11-07
THE ART OF KEEPING SWEET.
"orid cares Little for Man Whose
creed Is Straight, but Whose
Life Is Crooked.

hangs a beautiful card with this
strlklng inscription: Keep sweet,
no matter what happens" 1t has a
peculiar effeco on all those who come
INTO that room. Perhaps there is a
man who Is in a fit of anger; some
one has wronged him; and he comes
to have it out" But he cannot re-
main angry in that room-if he lifts
his eyes and reads the motto. The
occupant OF that office, says the Bap-
tlst Union, is on the side of his mot
to-you cannot disturb his euuanim-
lty; he is kind, noble-hearted, hon
est; he has lived to the years of
discretion, experience has taught him
wisdom; he knows that it takes two
to have a quarrel-and he never has
a quarrel. He is not soft, or senti-
mental, nor 'goody-goody;" he is a
wholesome man., never loses his tenn
per, and is the embodiment of his
motto. So the man who came in
to have a storm goes out with a swee
calm in his heart, if such a thing is
possible.
No one rubs up against this work
aday world, in the rush and push of
business and social life, one who
might be called a lover of his kind.
n Is not often astounded and
grleved at the lack of sweetness
among men. Here is a man set over
his fellows; perhaps he is a proprie-
tor. He has an idea that the dignity
OF his position or the general good
OF his establishment demands that he
be somewhat austere, severe, with
now and then a general tearing out
of things, in order to have his work
done properly. He lives up to his
ideas, and becomes the most hear
tily hated man in the establishment.
People work for him because they
can find nothing else to do; when
they can secure another position they
will take it, leaving their employer
in much confusion because they leave
at a time when he a i'll afford to
have them go. Or, it may be some
underling, a foreman, or superin-
tendent. What a tyrant he is! He
aiihh thoO LII VI W hSCpo h SoOo
terms with the concern he must be
as mean as he can be; and no one
loves him. Neither the employer nor
the foreman have learned the secret
of getting on with people; no mat
ter how good they are, how much
they give to the poor, or to the king
dom-they are heartily hated for the
one reason that they have not learned
the art of keeping sweet.
On one occasion an old mar took
me through his establishment. AS
we passed along he said: "Most of
these people have been with me for
many years." He approached a wom-
an near by and said: "How long have
you been with me, Mary?" She
blushed a little; the old man did not
think he was ungallant in half ex-
posing the woman's age; but she
replied with n smile: "Twenty-four
years." He asked another, and her
reply was: "Twenty-six years"
Throughout the establishment were
men and women who had worked
with that old man for 20 and 80
years. He seemed as happy as u boy.
He said: Every effort has been
made to get these folks from me;
big concerns have offered them fine
positions if they would leave me and
give away the secrets of our bust
ness; but they will not co." and
his eyes were full of tears as he
thought of their loyalty to him. The
secret of his success was disclosed
one day in another place. A number
of team drivers were talking ar
noontime about christians" They
were about to declare that there were
no such folks on the earth, when n
colored man said: "Well, 1 drove q
wagon for Blank & Co. for over eight
years; if there is such a thing as u
Christian in this world, Blank is
one!" He was the man who had
kept sweet through all the years and
so kept his help loyal and true!
1t is related of the Tomb's angel,
Mrs. Foster, who persisted in a ho-
tel fire in New York last winter, that
ahe had a habit of greeting the rather
VI uoquC anu IuCWld ndIu, 1TISA
sheriff in this way: Woodworking,
Mr.. Sheriff; r you good-natured
this morning?" And he would fall
from his stills, his heart would open,
and his best manhood shine out in
the glad reply. She had the art of
keeping SWEEP.
There r some folks who have suf-
fered injury, perhaps uni~ntentional
injury, but it was an injury for all
that. At no time is the memory of
that injury absent. On regular occa-
sions it comes out, the uncanny skele-
ton is ratified in tho face of others,
and life is made miserable for a
whole circle. Why not learn the arr
of keeping sweet? There are some