The Washington herald., 1907-09-21
THE OPTIMIST.

One Of the rewards Of being an op-
timlst is the knowledge that one Is, by
his firm faith In the ultimate goodness
of things doing much toward keeping
sadness and melancholy out Of the world.
There is bound to be sadness In the
world: there IS all too muca cause. our
own failings our fallings short, the
knowledge that the ideal which We
bravely pursue still eludes us and must
still be striven fOr-these thoughts may
rightfully make US sad. But there Is
marked difference between sadness and
melancholy. The one is, or should be,
hidden in cur hearts, the other Is a yis-
ible, patent sign that is bound TO COM
municate gloom and sorrow wherever we
go. Melancholy is the pleasure Of being
sad" said Victor Hugo; and there is
much truth in the phrase.
Nothing is quite SO damnatory TO ones
character or sets high living and striving
al naught as that sort Of melancholy
which comes of being sorry for ones self.
1t is a common failing Of all Of US as we
look back on yesterday and see how Fate
ill-treated Us, 10 drop into the habit OF
feeling abused. Instead Of that fine sort Of
resentment which leads man To spring
to his feet. determined 70 try again, there
comes a settled and melancholy gloom,
born Of unreason, which is quite fatal 10
the optimistic soul II Is such a mood
that Pope describes:
"O'er the twilight groyes and dusky caves.
Long sounding sisics and intcrmingiCd graves.
Black Melancholy sits, and round her throws
A ceath--ike silence and a dread Tepose.
Her gloomy presence saddens all the scene
Shades every flower and darkens every green:
Deepens the mumar q the falling foods
And bre4tEes a browner horror Oh the woods"
In other words, in the melancholy mood
We look at life "as through a glass,
darkly," and vainly through the gloom of
our own making do we seek TO see the
good that is about US. And melancholy
is such a cowardy mood, It is made up
I largely Of fear and sorrow; we are timor-
GUS Of the future because Of the rebuffs
OF the past; We are sorry for our failures.
with hardly courage enough TO make a
new attempt Hugging our wrongs 10
our breast, we. in the melancholy mood,
| refuse TO be comforted, and even take a
| sad and mournful pleasure In thinking
/ how badly we have been abused. We
I feel like saying, with Rogers;
Go, you may call It madness folly
/ N0u shall not chase my gloom away
| There's such charm m melancholy
/ would not if / could. be gay"
/ And the real antidote 10 melancholy Is
your true optimism, which Is not only tn,
/ gospel Of hope. but the gospel Of go3c
/ cheer. Melancholy would hold us back
we are striving for distant and much
to-be-desired goal Throw OF the bur
den, then. remembering that:
"A merry heart goes ali the day,
Your sad tires in q nile-a-"
/ Cheerfulness IS the very spice ant
SAVIOR Of right living As Montaign
says: The most certain sign OF wisdom
is a continual cheerfulness. Her state (
ike that Of things In the regions abov
the moon. always clear and serene"
Nor is cheerfulness something tha
must come 70 US from the outside. some
thing we must be helped 20. 1t must b
born IN our own hearts and souls. il mus
glow there and be fed by ourselves, z
that il radiates from Us like a light an
I lL5 beams penetrate ll4t 4tkS tl 44tl1l
/ cb0ly and drive them all away. II is
duty we owe to the world and % our
selves TO be cheerful, 20 cry with Shake
speare.
let me play the fool
With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles CON,
And llt my liver rather heat with vine,
Than rly heart cool with m0rtfying sToaus
Why should a man whose blood S warm within
SIX like hts grandfather C1t IN alaH1stCr.
sleep when De wEkesl and creep into the Jaundi,
By being peev!sh:'
, Why, indeed2 The gift Of cheerfulnes
{ is free TO all. lie; US all take il and r,
b jOice Work must be done, let US sin
2 about the tasks. We are moving steadil
toward the grave; let Us then think no
- good Il is TO live to-day; how great ii
! privilege We enjoy of walking bravei
81 and Courageously toward the goa
p / Cheerfulness, II implies a contente
: spirit. il means a pure heart; il display
r. a kind and loving disposition; it NEAR
! humility and charity; a generous appr,
- citation Of others; a fine recognition of a
D that is good, and a modest opinion {
ones self.