The Washington herald., 1907-05-14
THE BRIGHTER SIDE.

About this time Of the year expect the
circus. carnivalous conglOmeration Of
curious contortlons and captivating, col
orful combinations
And by all means take the children. not
alone to delight in the wild animals and
the various acts, but 20 uncOnsciously i'm
bibe the lesson Of the big tent, which is,
to my way Of thinking, one of the finest
lessons in the world.
And by all means, go yourself, no mat
ter how old you are, 20 learn anew the
lesson Of patience and perseverance.
For behind the gloss and tinsel and all
the airy-fairy frummery Of the three rings
stand out these two great necessities, ex-
emplifed In the circus as perhaps in no
other place, and furnishing a sermon
worth far more than the average one
heard in church on Sunday.
It's a hopeful sermon, too. It's the
showing Of what men and women can do
.if they viii only apply themselves with
determination and patience to any desired
accomplishment. even TO the training OF
wild beasts, so that they become not only
gentle but intelligent
Here are several hundred persons of no
more than average intelligence doing
things that cause thousands 10 wonder
and sometimes gasp. Here are men and
women, of no more than ordinary ability,
doing things Of such extraordinary char
acter as to command the plaudits of the
crowd and the big pay of the proprietor.
And how have they attained these sue
cesses?
Do you imagine the lady who rides a
bicycle on a tight wire was born with this
ability?
Think you the man who stands on his
head in a swinging tFapeze, fifty feet from
the ground. came into the world ready %
perform this act as soon as he put of
long clothes?
Is it possible that the trainer of the
real, live Teddy-bears could, when a boy.
go out into the woods and make friends
with any stray bruin he chanced upon?
OF course not In all probability these
very men and women who astound you
were not so highly favored by fate I'm the
matter Of ability or intelligence as you
are, but these men and women determined
and did, while you may not be able to
make a small business pay or run a little
house in the right way.
It looks so easy. you say. as the little
lady in pink dances on the bare back OF
a praucing horse.
Il does look easy, and II you think II Is,
YOU might try il once. I think it would
be some time before you made the second
attempt, II ever you did. Yet to the little
lady it is easy. Why2
Because she has practiced II over and
over again, and suffered her sprains and
/ bruises in silence and stuck at the diff
cult task until she conquered il by MAX
/ ing It an easy task.
Now she thinks no more Of doing this
+ than you or ! would think Of breaking a
soft-boiled egg; probably not so much.
Do you see the point?
I Life IS fun Of tasks that are not easy
and duties that bruise US at first. and un-
dertakings that demand more than lit
I tie courage and perseverance full Of
these, in fact. that many persons become
/ discouraged al the mere thought Of them
and run up the white flag at the first ap-
/ pearance Of the enemy.
They are easy after you have conquered
them, however. The most difficult thing
/ In the world is simple as B G when
YOU know how. And 20 know how one
has only patience and perseverance.
After ALL life is not so unlike a circus
and IL might be wise for you 20 think Ct
yourself as a performer therein. and seek
TO make your act perfect, whatever il he.
LEIGH MITCHELL HODGES.