The Washington herald., 1908-01-07
THE OPTIMIST.

AAG@ IA \
1t is an axiom that worry kills more
mel than work does. and worrying is a
species Of insanity from which healthful
OPTIMISM firm belief that things will
come out all right in the end if we but
do our parts well-can save Us. No man
with faith viii let worry eat into his
soul, for worry is a sort Of atheism
The man who worries breads the future
re grets the past, and rebels against the
present. lie forgets that man has much
Of the divine IN him-that God has a
plan OF which we are part. As Emer-
son said:
Our life might be much easier and simpler than
we make H. The world might be a happier place
than t h.. thcre Is no need Of struggles, conTul-
sions and dCspars; misereate Cur own evils.
We interfere with the optimism Of nature. for,
whenever sc get this vantage ground Of the past,
OF Of wiser mind in the present ge are able to
discern that We are begirt with spiritual laws which
heget themselves.
One trouble about worry Is that We
who deserve so Httle-expect SO much!
Let us take the happiest of men; the man
Who calls himself happy, and you shall
find that he is sad every day. for each
day Of life has its own great grief or
little care. As We pass through life We
may reckon that there shall be scarce
one day out Of year which IS wholly
joyous and sunny.
Optimism teaches US tie futility nay,
the Wickedness Of worry, and such op-
timism is not mere blind faith or
-redulous belief. it is founded in sound
philosophy and demOnstrable logic. Hark
10 Jeremy Taylor:
II Il be well to-day. it is madness 10 make the
urezent miserable by fearing it may be i'll to-nor-
1908. But II it chance 60 BE- ll to-day. DO not IN
0case it by the care Of tomorrow, enjoy the bless
iugs Of this day. if GCd sends them and the evils
OF il bear patiently aud sWeetly Tor this day oHi]
is auFs; We are dead % yesterday and We are not
SET born % the morrow
/ Worry is cowardice; the veriest fear and
craven terror that knocks at the soul Of
every man and against whieh-that we
run not into the other extreme Of reck-
/ lessness-we must with the greatest
| scrupulosity, guard ourselves
/ lis Wel my soul shakes on its load Of care:
Tis only the ObsruTe is terrible.
/ Imagination frames events uuknoEn,
IL Wild fantastic shapes Of hideous ruin,
And what it fears. creates
And Henry Ward Beecher once said in
la sermon. 1t is not work that kills men,
but worry. Work Is healthy; you can
I hardly put more upon man that he can
/ bear Worry is rust upon the blade"
/ There IS, perhaps, no vicious habit to
which mankind is addicted that grows
upon one SO rapidly and clings so te-
/ naciously as the habit Of worry; 1t leads
inevitably 10 dependence. which is the
most pernicious foe to virtue and 70 hap
/ piness. As George Sand wrote; I'VE must
/ not lose courage. The loss Of money is
| but "a veXation; the loss of moral work
and useless devotion are troubles whicf
must not be allowed to worry Us toe
much; and there is but one useful device
/ Onward, Onward" "
/ TO those who worry about the tTifing
( tdisapp0intmeuts and discomforts INSOFAR
able from life there is a panacea Dc
not let your mind dwell upon unpleasant
/ reflections; that sort Of thought is de-
/ structive and contains nowhere any good
! There are enough real distresses and
/ evils in wait for every one of US. enough
/ 10 try our souls and to strain our cour-
/ age. DO not allow grief 10 be the diet
/ of the mind cast away gloomy thoughts
and determine IN your soul no matter
+ how dark the present prospect seems, tC
/ look hopefully and trusting TO the future
/ Let us remember that nothing can hap
pen but what is good Those who have
f faith viii never worry. AS kingsley says
I Fret not. neither be anxious What God intend
/ % DO TIE viii DO.
/ Peace. Why these fearsy
/ life IS too short for mean anxieties.
/ SOUL Thou must work, though blindfod.
For there is no possible cause for worry
/ Life is good; the progress of the world 8:
not to be disputed; the goal 10 which wt
are all Fastening is much 10 be desired
/ Healthful industry will cure worry; FOL
/ industry is helpfulness. and in unselhsh
/ ness we shall find whatever true hsppi
/ ness is coming 10 us in this life. And
as a final message in an optimistic pro
/ test against worry let us hear Mrs
/ Browning:
The little carvs that fretted me- lost them yestera
/ Among the fields above the sea. among the wind
az play;
Among the lowing of the herds. the rlstling o
the trees.
Among the singing Of the birds, the huuming @
/ the bees
The foolish fears Of what might chance, threy
! them ali away
Among the eioyer-scented grass, among the neg
mown has,
Among the hussing Of the corn where drous
UOUUies nod.
Where in thoughts die and good are born.
ont in the fields with God.