Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-10-25
HAPPINESS IS A HABIT.
How Pleasure May be Cultivated-Good
Nature is Contagious.

The wisest habit of all is the care in
the formation of good habits" and one of
the best and most helpful habits to form
is that of happiness.
No doubt you have often noticed when
on the street or in the ears the expression
on the faces around you and have seen
how nine out of ten have a worried, tired
or some other disagreeable expression.
1t seems to be contagious, for as you
look your face will naturally reflect the
atmosphere around you.
To prove how much there is in the law
of reflection l shall tell you of a girl who
boarded car one rainy day. She seated
herself in the middle of the car, paid her
fare, and after glance around at the
various expressions of worry, ill-temper
and care on the faces of those about her,
she settled herself comfortably back IN
her seat and began to gaze smilingiy out
of the window.
At first only one or two noticed her
cheerful expression, and they turned UNI
consciously and followed her eyes 10 see
what there was outside that amused and
pleased her so much, but saw nothing but
the gray skies and the downpour of rain.
The curiosity on the part of these few,
however, attracted the attention of the
other passengers to the smiling, happy
girl, and they seemed to be forced to
smile, too, out of sympathy.
AS the car rolled along the girls smile
perceptibly broadened into silent laugh,
as though at some extraordinarily happy
thought, and the pleased expression on
the face of her small audience deepened
also.
Finally the girl signaled to the conduc~
tor, arose and left the CAR. AS size
welded through the puddles in the street,
still smiling, the wind overheard her say;
We'll, | wondered if | could cheer them
up. and I did"
Many of us might learn a lesson from
this happy young girl. 1t is as easy to
look happy as to look cross and worried,
and far more satisfactory to yourself ana
those about you.
If you think of it and refiec: upon it
often happiness will become ha5itual and
power in your hands for so much good.
We can cultivate the habit of always
looking on the bright side of things. we
all possess the power of exercising the
will so as to direct the thoughts upon 90
jects calculated to yield to happiness ana
Improvement rather than their opposites.
DR.. Johnson said that the habit of
looking on the best side of things is
worth more to a man than thousand
pounds a year.
l believe to bring children up with a
genial nature, a happy frame of mind,
Is quite as important as to perfect them
IN knowledge and accomplishments.
Even a kind look will give pleasure
and happiness.
In one of Robertson of Brghton's let
ters he speaks of a lady who told him Of
the delight, the tears of gratitude, that
L witnessed in poor girl 20 whom, in
passing, l gave Il Kind look on going out
of church on SUNDAY"
What a lesson! How cheaply happi-
ness can be given. What opportunity
we miss of doing az angels work. | re-
member doing it, full of sad feelings.
passing on, and thinking no more about
1t; and it gave me an hours sunshine and
hghtened the load of life to a human
heart for a time
If we try to always look happy and
pleasant, whether we feel so or not, the
effort will gradually become habit with
us.-Margaret Stowe