The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-06-26
THE OPTIMIST.

The human heart hungers for sympathy
and aches to share It's woes with others.
II is hard sometimes, 70 be optimistic
when. in spite Of the fact that we have
troubles Of our own which we are
trying bravely 20 live down, some friend
greets US with a long face and a long
winded discussion Of how things went
wrong with him. And yet, perhaps. that
narration Of another mans troubles IL
the very relief we need to help us to for
get our own, for nothing can possibly
bring greater happiness or make US less
selfshly regardful Of our own worries
than a sympathetic interest IN the woes
Of others
One most curious manifestation Of this
trait Of sympathy hunger on the part Of
many people is to be found in the col
umns Of certain newspapers. which make
specially Of an Obituary Column.
Here you shall find people who heed not
at all the lines Of Tennyson:
sometimes feel II half a sin
To put IN words the grief I feel.
Rather they flnd-they must fnd-some
solace I'm making their woes known to
the world And the curious part OF ii IS
that seldom are these obituary verses the
work Of the bereaved ones, for the most
part they are written By a near-poet,
who makes a speciality Of fitting all forms
of grief. The verses that do duty for
John Brown" on Tuesday are worked
over for Jenny Lind" on Thursday. but
always they seem TO bring some satisfac-
ton to the aching hearts. and are paid
for al so much a line.
The worst Of It is that so much Of this
obituary verse is 80 bad-bad in construc-
ton. faulty in meter. meretricloUs in SEN
timent Here is a sample in memory OF
a woman, who ne doubt. was estimsble
It Is signed, by Her Son George and
Daughter Mamie Il runs.
How long she struggled against disease
That bailisd skin ard care;
How long she fingered ra-ked with pain.
And suffering hard 20 bear.
And though az times she brsT5ly smiled
A smile n heavenly birth.
And when the angels said. Come home,
She smiled farewell 20 earth.
What grief and pain she suffered here
None Of as vii ever kn0w:
But Jesus took her home with Him.
Where 10 tears win ever f0W.
Her busy hands are folded;
Her '0 on earth is done;
Her troubles al are ended;
Her heavenly crown is won.
Now, that may sound spontaneous, but
farther up the column one finds another
verse % the memory Of a man, and this
one ends.
His busy hands folded.
His toll on earth is done
His troubles now are ended,
His heavenly uUEu is won.
So that one has 10 doubt, rather, the
spontaneity Of the grief
Most Of the grief-poems are shorter than
this. Here is one by a mother over the
death Of her daughter.
Once my home was bright and happy:
Oh. how q and drvar to-day.
Ter nv dear snd loving daughter
Has forever passed away.
And one from a daughter about her
mother.
Mother dear has gone ard left ne;
left me here % weep alone.
But he who uufllv t5rrft me-
VIII lead me 90 His happy home.
Surely, while these poor illusions in
verse seem @ bit absurd and cheapening
70 the dead. one can respect and honor
the feeling that prompts them. The verses
themselves-and YOU shall see them In
many newspapers-bear evidence that
their authors are seldom Of the educated
class. but these authors. knowing moth
ing Of verse and its functions. turn In
sensibiy 10 t. and rhyme out their grief
between sobs. But one thing is patent
through all these sorry obituary verses.
and that is that they all. withoutsexcep-
ton, press-iamely, perhaps bat none
the less earnestly or sincerely-the hope
that IN the world 20 come sorrOws viii
cease and there shall be no more grief.
They show that the great heart Of the
people turns naturally toward optimism
and optimism means faith.