The Washington herald., 1908-03-12
THE OPTIMIST.

The one thing on earth that We are al
striving for. working for. hoping for, is
happiness. and so elusive is the quality
OF happiness that often when we have
found 1t we do not know H. Some men
find their greatest happiness in absolute
seifishness, in the pIling up Of money: fn
huggins to themselves all the good quail
ties they possess and never sharing them
with their neighbors. Others find their
happiness is free-giving; in the giving OF
money, II they have it; IL not. in the Civ
ing OF themselves; Of sunny good-nature,
the bright word. the cherry smile.
And yet who is there can tell US what
happiness IS? We all know the story OF
the king who was told that he might be
happy If he could borrow the shirt of a
cOntented man. and when. after a long
and weary search, he had found a man
who was eontented-behold. the man had
not shirt to his name, Nathaniel Haw-
thOrne reckoned something OF this wiII-o'-
the-wisp quality Of happiness when he
wrote:
Who can ten where happiness may come, q,
where. though an expected guest Il may ever show
its facei And IT, out of t0n, sacrifice
prayer Denitsnce. and earnest effort toward righ
things there comes at length a somber and thought
fui happiness. taste II and thank HeaEenl
II IS a wiIl-o'- wisp, this happiness
Always It seems to lie further on: un-
less, indeed. it hes behind US. Lookine
back cn life, cannot the most Of Us say
that in spite Of sorrow, Of hard times. OF
bitter struggles, OF the loss OF loved ones
The great e4rv, % - al s-,,---.- - .hs-
That the Joy Of life has outweighed the
sorrow and the pain.
Most Of Us hope on for the time wher
real happiness shall come TO US from
external things; when. as a matter OF
fact. the only happiness lies within our
selves As Dean Farrar said:
The only real, the only eternal secret Of snythin,
WHICH can remotely Be called happiness depends II
40 respect on external things The sources of 5ol
ana glory lie solely within Us II a mans heart b,
not az peace Il be does not poss-ss his ouu sD
pfoFal' II a peaceful cousciencs does rot she'd II
hs1t upon him-then nothing can make hin happy
Rear happiness for human beings lies
within The human heart-the same source
from nnich springs our greatest sorrow
Indeed, I think II is true that we know
happiness only as we have capacity for
sorrow Those who live placid. TRANQUIL
lives; who Go not dare much, nor suffer
much. may live in dull sort OF content
and go 70 their graves ignorantly salts
ned with themselves, but these peopl,
nave never touched the high points ot
hfe-they have never made fair tes.
| OF thelr capacity. either Of suffering OF
or Joy Milton tells rs that
Happiness consists In religion rietv i,s+ice
prudence. tempe-anee. forbearznoe fortitude. an,
the contempt q avarice and ambition Thev i
Enou-soeEer these Firtres dwell emineutly need DO
kings 70 make them happy bat are the architects o
thelr own happiness, and whether % themselves O
Others are not less than kings
But. after al. that is but the negatly,
side OF happiness. To sit still IN a eel
IS prudent but IL IS not nfe 20 have
contempt for ambition may be well. bu
II VIII not help the world upon its wear
way No thinking man could really b
happy with the consciousness tbat hi
/ duty was undOne because he had feare,
} pain and sorrow IN the doing Of II. Wha
we are put on earth for is 10 express
/ ourselves; 20 do the work that the Mas
ter has sent US 70 DO. and 20 take crate
/ fully the rewards and with humblenes
the suffering.
IL may be well thar struggling alont
the road OF life we shall be IN pain an,
turmoil and trouble. but the true optimis
viii thank God that he has the strength
10 endure, and AZ the end he VIII reioic,
| m his soul that the wonderful happines
has come 70 him Of having achieves
something; OF having, at whatever acht
OF heart at whatever sacrifice OF him
self, achieved something that viii make
for the ages yet 10 cone-the world bet
ter place 70 live in.
Happy, ny brother! First O. al. what dise-enc
Is u whether tho1 art happy OF notl To-Day bc
cones Yesterday 50 fast. AZ to-morroWs become yel
leteA3s and then neTe IS no question Wharergr Z
the happiness brit quite another question Tl,e onl
/ happiness brave nan need ever trouble hinse
WIRE asking much about was. happiness enough
I set his work done