Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-05-22
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DRIVING AWAY GLOOM.

soul and why art thou disquiet with
IN me?-Psalm xiii, 16
Perhaps David's dependency was en-
gendered by the ingratitude and rebel
lion of his son, dissatisfaction with his
own life, remorse for his sins. He had
cause a-plenty for being cast down.
And so with most Of us, if we be honest
with ourselves the cause of our de-
preston of spirit will be found in our
own acts.
We have refused to live in harmony
with the laws of our physical, mental
and moral well being. An exhausted
body, an overworked brain, a guilty
conscience are the answers to the hours
of gloom that so unaccountably steal
upon us And yet the seasons of dejec-
tion that occasionally dominate the
bravest spirit are not always sign
that we have sinned or displeased God.
They may spring out of the inevitable
circumstances of life, trying relation
ships, the narrow, monotonous routine
of work, for which we are not respon-
sible and from which we seek to escape
in vain. But whatever the cause we
cannot entertain or indulge gloomy
Thoughts
Nothing is so bad for man-body,
mind, soul-4as dependency. 1t clouds
the intellect, dampens the ardor Of
life, saps the will power. 1t will put
colored glasses on his eyes; everything
will be seen distorted. Molehills will
be magnifed into mountains. Man can
yield himself to moods of depression
till the vitality, the JOY and beauty of
life are gone and he untitled for its
duties. He can live in shadows and
darkness until he becomes unable to see
the rainbow in the clouds and forgets
that the sun still shines above them.
"Why art thou cast down." We must
assert OUT intelligence and will power !;
seek to forget ourselves think of the
condition of others. Go on the street
and see the aged washerwoman bending
over her load, the cripple hobbling to-
ward the paSser-by to ask an aim, the
thin, fear-haunted faces of half-starved
children; think of the hundreds of in
durable shut-ins, the hospitals over
flowing with the sick and MANNED and
benighted, the thousands who tramp
the streets looking for work; read the
newspapers Of the disasters by fire and
food and accident that blast homes.
break hearts and cast thousands upon
the mercy Of the world, and perhaps
In contrast with the condition OF your
neighbor you will feel ashamed OF your
own complainings.
But we must not only look upon the
woes of others we must seek actively
to lessen them, so far as lieth in us.
if we would escape our own. If we
can do nothing else we can cultivate
the habit of hopefulness. We can fol-
low the good example of the man who,
when assaulted by the blue devil,
sought occasion to speak cheerfully to
some one who looked as gloomy as he
felt A pleasant face, sympathetic
word. hopeful prophecy may do more
good than hundred sermons about
| heaven. No higher compliment can be
paid one than to speak of him as good
humored and good-natured, for these
| qualities usually spring from healthy
body, a healthy mind and a healthy
soul.
! Laugh, and the world laughs with
YOU; weep, and you not only do not
weep alone, but you cause others to
weep; so woe begets woe just as JOY
business begets joyousness. 1t is more
difficult to maintain bright spirit
| than to say bright things, and much
more conlrnendable.
Then drive away gloom with glad
ness. Many q man has laughed himself
into health, into friends into success
and into heaven.
Finally, Hope in Cod But it
! won't do any good to pray and wall
your complaints to the Eternal until
| YOU have done all in your power to
overcome the cause Of your despond-
ency. If the cause is overlooking, lack
! of pure air and exercise. exhausted
BODY or mine, remoIsr of soul, reforma-
| tion of habits must ,ome before prayer.
If we live soberly, keep good con-
science toward God and man, the spirit
of gloom will take its fight. life will
seem worth while and we will have en-
tered the kingdom of heaven, the king
| dom of goodness