The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-08-25
If and Perhaps.

"If everyone were kind and sweet
And everyone were Jolly,
Ifeyery heart with gladness beat,
And none we're melancholy,
If none should murmur or complain,
And everyone should labor
In useful work, and each were fam
To help and cheer her neighbor,
Then what blessed world 'twould be
For YOU and me, just you and me.
"And if. perhaps, we both should try
That glorious time to hurry,
II you and l, just you and |,
Should smile and never worry,
If we should grow, just you and |,
Kinder and sweeter hearted,
Perhaps in some near by and 10y
That good time might be started
Then what a blessed world 'twould be
For YOU and me, just you and me.
1t is said TO be one Of woman's ways
to bear on her shoulders the burdens OF
the world Now, precedent, which the
English at least would bow down before
AS the gospel of the law, is established
by mythology wherein this duty was
ages ago assigned to Mr.. Atlas. 1t may
he that Mrs. Atlas established the prece-
dent to the contrary; none of US were
there to notice. The procedure is pic
tured with provoking detail something
after this fashion,
We order our breakfast, lunch or din
ner with an eye open and a receptive
ear for the order of our neighbour. While
we are charging her with mental incom-
potency for ordering so imbecile COM
bipatiop as pickles, pudding and pie, we
have criticized her manners, her hair,
hat and hands and have (also mentally
made them all over with the extenuatlpg
plea of suiting her better, but really to
better suit ourselves.
Or we shudder at hearing the man al
the next table order conglomeratlon Of
indigestibles, which will take all the
surplus energy of his body, presumably
needed for earning the daily bread with
perq uistes) and leaving the minimum
of nourishment as reward for the ar
duous work.
In the meanwhile we are said to be
complacently nibbling our cake, tasting
our ice, slipping our tea and Stamping
chocolates.
Or we are worrying over our neigh
bors' habits; or their children are grow
ing up all wrong; or Mrs. Neighoor Ii
obviously living beyond our estimate O
her liege lords means. Or we WORT
over our own household and its AFFAIR."
in the past, present and future tenses
also individually, collectively and ever
lastingly. But why prolong the list?
IL all this ever was true, we canno
say. but we know full well the up-to
the-minute woman of to-day does no
for moment permit herself 10 indulg
in such folly. Don't you suppose W
know that worrying adds, if not con
lures. needless burdens? Do you SUI
pose we know DO better than to max
our atmosphere of fear, so creating tn
only real obstacle in the path?
1t is a part of our creed that each c
us is a divinely appointed committee
one to Judge not"
1t is good to realize that Mrs. Atlas
woman of the past, and If he absur
creature pictured by "our friends u
enemies" ever existed outside OF the
lamentations, she has reached the val
ishing point. The woman of to-day
wiser. She is daily growing to realiz
better and to practice more happine'
and charity and love, and the more the'
take possession of the soul the less roo'
will there be for less desirable qualitle
She daily and constantly uproots II
weeds that would otherwise sap II
strength OF her flowers, and the roses
ioy and the lilies of peace put forth
more vigorous growth, for is not II
mind worthy OF the systematic and tlr
less care. which is bestowed on we
ordered house and garden!
Doing so, she radiates the sunshine
healthy, soun1 thought and sense inste'
of being as NJ :. Atlas must have oeen'
irritating and depressing presence' al
with the force OF positive, constructi'
optimistic thought and word and de-
she removes messy obstacles from {
way and plucks the wheat thief ire
the fields of grain.
Circumstances.