The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-03

bic. which he pronounced the greatest
prose work in the language. Mr.. Dun
lap has often lectured in Topeka A
year ago he gave a subscription uni
versity extension course of lectures
here and he has many Topeka admir-
erS. among them d considerable num-
Der of former university students who
were members of his classes. His lee
ture Thursday drew out an unusually
large attendance, the Bible classes of
the city being included in a special i'm
yitation from the federation
The Amphion vocal quartette gave
two numbers and there was short
preliminary business session. Mrs. A.
NJ Cross and Mrs. r. S. Plummer were
voted into the federation as individual
members.
Mrs. A. H. Horton talked OF the
General F'ederat1on's movement to
save Niagara Falls and asked the CO.
operation of the Topeka club women
In the work. Mrs H. o. Carney talked
about the free lecture on Civic Gov
eminent" to be given under the aus
pieces of the civic committee of the fed
GRAFTON sometime this month.
The following paper by Mrs J. T.
Clarke of the Sabean club of Mission
Center was read before the Farmers
Institute at Oak Grange hall at the
last meeting of the institute.
EOAF IL MAIL LIB HAP "
when I was asked to solve the
problem, How to Make Life Happy
and give to this audience the solution
thereof, the first thought that came to
me was that it would not be possible to
give a recipe for happiness that could
be used by all.
Il remembered the noted French
author who found the secret of happi-
ness-for HMM absolute solitude;
afterWard writing of his years of vol
untary exile as being full of 'bewilder-
ing ecstacy'-but to many of us soli-
tude means dearth to all joy That
which is meat to one, I reasoned, is
poison to another; or, condition OF
things that would make one person
supremacy happy would be to another
supreme misery. But I was not salts
fed with this line Of reasoning and
knew you would not be. so I began
more seriously to ponder the question,
and the result is that I do believe, af-
ter all, there is just one rule that would
be SAFE for us all TO follow.
Did ypu ever. in Imagination, stand
apart from the multitudes and witness
the race for happiness? You would
md 1t interesting to note the many
avenues through which this boon is
sought; many confidently expecting to
ind it upon the highway that leads to
riches; others hope to find it in the
worlds applause for their especial tai
ent; very many are following on where
love beckons, and still others are striv-
A4S ~ ESdCn Inc LQBAl9SL SfnlnGnce or
social prestige. But to the onlOoker
it is soon apparent that they are pur-
suing the shadoW-and not the sub
stance; instead Of happiness they have
found vexations.
In olden times the Epicureans were
taught by Bpicuas that the main OBJ
Ject in life was happiness. and the way
To secure twas to live, not for pleas
Hre alone, but for virtue as well, and
we must admit that the ancient pl1i-
fOERF347RF5E idea q hod ono
as we read the drama of their lives, we
md Pleasure occupying the center of
the stage, with virtue always in the
background, and SO of course, they too
failed in their quest.
The prevailing idea Of today is that
happiness lies in the ful1llment of
hopes; the gratifica ton of desires. We
fully realize that that notion is wrong
when We read the little poem written
by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, about a vo-
luptuary; a person from whom Moth
ing had ever been withheld; every de-
sire of his life had been realized=but
longer feel the joy of anticipating
anything; the joy of working for some
thing SO in his discomfort he ex-
claimed:
go, am sick of love reciprocated.
OF hopes fulfilled, ambitions graft
ned
Life holds nothing to be anticipated,
And / am sad, from being salts
4eQ.
Il believe we would all feel exactly
that way under like circumstances
not many of US perhaps are in danger
OF nndlng ourselves in position to
know for sure.
Some times, when the usual bright
ness of our life is dimmed by a pass
ing cloud Of misfortune, we are apt to
take a pessimiStic view of life, and
conclude that, after all, there is no
such thing as happiness that it is but
pretty fancy, used to beautify song
and story, but that does not exist in
reality Fortunately such thoughts do
not dwell with US long. The author of
our being has so fashioned human ma
! ture that hope and joy return to US
know that happiness does exist and for
US. 1t sometimes comes to us in ways
most unexpected. and that brings to
mind great writer, who : the begin
ming of her career had n n ambitions,
and with all her soul she lOnged for
fame, and wrote with that object in
view. to become famous But she
failed to reach the heart of the pub
lie, and became a sad and disappointed
woman. Some years after there came
to her desire to do something good
for the World=and then it was she
wrote from her heart for the good of
humanity, and Loi Fame came to her.
q pretty strong hint of how to make
/ life happy?' The rule I referred to
at the beginning of this preamble is
simply: Eliminate self-Work for the
( happiness of others, and in theirs find
ours.
MRS ]. T. CLARKE"
The Mothers club of the Provident
association was entertained Tuesday
4 81