The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-03-12
THE GRAClOUSNESS OF MIRTH
One of the Greatest Treasures House.
hold Can Possess.
New York Evening Post

New York Evening Post.
The man who labOrs and unselfish-
ly stsuggles all the long days for the
wife and children and home, does not
realize that if he could put into the
family treasury the richness of occa-
sional hours of happy intercourse he
would endOw them more graciously
than when he bestows his generous
wealth The lost hilarity and glad
ness of his youth would be a meas
ureless boon at his own fireside and
endear him to his children. Parents
and children who laugh together be-
come comrades in a very close way,
and when serious speech becomes
necessary it has far more weight and
force, because it is unusual.
Anything more dismal than the Or
binary professional joker, anything
more depressing than the studiously
funny book, it is hard to find. The
temperament which lightens thefam-
lily atmosphere, and becomes pro-
wider OF oxygen to labored breathing
is wholly unconscious OF a mission
and gives forth it's healthful influence
as the sun and thesea breeze and the
ripping water give, with the effort
less benefcience of a wholesome, vi
tally strong nature. The merriment
which is infectious belongs to him
who has a clean heart and a wholly
true nature, whose mental environ
ment is proof against the microbes
Ofdistrust and deceit, and who counts
love and good faith more precious
than a fortune.
Such temperament will triumph
over disease and disappointment and
give out his tonic antidotes against
LIES ills to the last. He who sleeps
at Faillima was a marvellous example
of what | mean. And other such
have | seen, valiantly smiling while
death stood at the door, though help
lessly feeble on a long-required bed
or standing erect, with Il quenchless
cheerfulness OF eye and lip, encourage
ing his loved ones, even when the
summoning angel laid his hand upon
his gallant heart.
Endurance, courage, resignation
[Spartan defiance of pain, are con
cOmitant characteristics of oul
modest men: but when a man infieX
IDLY determines to keep chat side o.
the world the suns upon" and with
quick kindling thought and gracious
cheerfulness reflect it's light. he viii
add to these the remedy for ills which
comes from a glad heart, and give tC
his companions the music of honest
laughter set to merry words.
Let us bear in mind that around &
family board and in the intercourse
Of our daily lives we can, without
knowing it, kill every germ of these
bright qualities in our children
minds by enveloping them in clouds
OF danger-dreading anxiety. Gradu
ally laughter will cease to be hear(
in the house, and the spectre-layins
spear OF quick wit lie idle in it's place
Today it is not rare to see children
boys especially-Of ten and twelv'
and onward, keen and sharp in prac
tice, energetic to an annoying degree
and perhaps bOisterOus in thei
clamor of one sort or another, VIII.
never laugh joyously or sincerely o
attempt any playful raillery. Hom
is responsible for their unnatura
hardness and maturity, and parenta
example has deprived them of tn
Jolly spontaneity proper to thei
! years.
Our human lives and mutual inter
course might well take pattern from
the lovely aspect of midsummer ma
ture, whose smiling face expresse
Joy even when clouds pile darkly OF
the horizon The whole earth seem
full OF iollity, and in the deep shadoy
OF the woods we vet hear the laugh
ing flow of running streams.