The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-11-18
EMBODIMENT OF SUNSHINE.
George T. Hargraves Sympathetically
Describes a Radiant Personality.

Beyond the dotted field of golden rod.
whose brilliant noddlng tops calendar the
approach of autumn, lives Sunshine
Sunshine" is not a faxen-haired,
laughing girl nor a boisterous, romping
boy, but a little woman from whose
chestnut hair peep strands of silver and
| across whose gentle face affiiction, not
! age, has scanned its wrinkled way. Yet
nelghbors for blocks about call her "Sun-
shine"
Her ways have not lain in pleasant
| places. Within the past four years she
has lost by death baby boy. n girl just
blossoming into the teens and husband
to whom she was devoted. Since that
last death need has pressed her to toll
and scrlmp and scheme in supplying the
requirements of two young children, both
OF whom are still on the care-free side
of ten. She has assumed mans as
well as a woman's work, for long i'll
nesses had depleted thoroughly the
meager family nest egg.
why do l always smile?" she said
to neighbors who craved her secret.
Necessity mostly"
Wonder grew that necessity, breeder
of discomfort and drudgery could cause
their antithesis.
1T was a matter of education, stern
and, at the start, almost heartbreaking, .
she went on. MY little son. aged <.
was deepest, after my husbands death,
and it seemed that tears just could not
be stayed, he said to me, Mamma, why
do you cry SO much and always look so
sad?? 1t makes me and sister feel
dreadful
THAT opened my eyes to myself To
live so that | made the two dear children
left to me unhappy was a complete SUBJ
version of the remaining purpose of my
life, for they were all ] had to live and
work for. | wanted to see them happy
always. Many long, silent nights | de-
bated the problem. Then came the reso-
luton that my children hereafter should
hear me in song instead of seeing me in
tears; that my face should wear smile
not smile l would look only serious, but
never mournful.
Difficult? Indeed it was. Many a
night, after tucking my little ones in bed,
the struggle to look happy seemed almost
unbearable. Try as | would, in the 81
lence the sad lines crept into my face
and the tears moistened my eyes until
finally hit upon the expedient of calm
ing myself by always reading just before
retiring something light and humorous.
From this developed the habit of dis
ciplining my mind to occupy itself in it's
last moments awake with recollection
of some witticism or mirthful quip.
1.-THE result soon followed that my
face as | dropped asleep always bore
trace of a smile. Nor did it take long to
discover that when | awakened in the
morning the smile and the pleasant
frame of mind were still with me. / have
followed the practice for over a year.
''The experiment was worth while. 1t
has helped me, | am sure, to view life in
more cheerful mood, but. most of all, it
has dispelled from my children's lives the
cloud that threatened to make their days
gloomy and their nights fearsome."
And the neighbors, recognizing the hui
manizing, cheering influence of one
brave woman's gentle, kindly, ever-smil-
ing face, have become valiant supporters
of 'Sunshine's" philosophy.