The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-11-21
by THE OPTIMIST.


benefit to me. I pray that there shall be
no thoughts In my heart that are not
pure and noble; that I may not forget the
help that have received from my friends;
that I may show how glad I am for the
possession Of health. life. and happiness.
BY making each day OF the coming year
bright and cheerful so far as 1 am able.
and that I may strive with all my might
10 make each day that Is TO come better
than the one that has passed.
Public praise and thanksgiving are
the outward evidences Of gratitude.
1t is fitting that one day I'm the
year should be set aside for the pur-
pose OF reminding us OF what privileges
and blessings we possess. Otherwise we
might grow careless, and, without mean
ing TO. forget 10 whom we owe all that
we enjoy here on earth.
Optimism teaches us many things. and
chief among them cOntented and CRATE
full spirit II teaches US not 10 look for
more than we have, until we have earned
the right 10 more; il teaches us that mere
possession IS not contentment but that
heart brim full Of thankfulaess for what
ever we have. is a priceless possession.
Thanksgiving time brings with II sense
OF the Joy OF living; it gives Us pause in
the round Of daily existence and sets us
thinking of what we have been allowed %
receive Every mans gifts are according
10 his lights. and somewhere, or other. as
our optimism teaches us, we find COM
pensation.
We have learned many lessons of op-
timism during the short existence of this
club. and now we come 20 the first
Thanksgiving Day Of our organization.
IT is fitting that every member of The
Washington Herald Optimist Club should
voice a special prayer Of thanksgiving,
for each and every one of you has de-
rived some benefit from the good and
helpful thoughts Of your neighbors.
Every week we find comfort and hope in
the expressions that others have given
us-and I'm turn have benefited them by
our own feeble efforts.
II takes many drops OF water 20 make
UP the ocean, and one drop alone will not
float a snip. but robbed of each and every
drop. the ocean would be dry. So il is
with the cause Of optimism. one man or
woman alone cannot spread the gospel Of
help and cheer-but each happy thought.
eaOh smile. each kind work i'm passing.
goes 20 make up the mighty total of OPP
timistic endeavor.
That optimism has taken so firm a hold
upon the world is a cause for thanks
giving to-day. and each one Of us can
take some small credit for contributing
toward that condition, each one Of US
may be thankful for the part we are
PLAYING IN the furtherance of this excel
lent cause.
s-fr..
! have received this week. and regret
again that there is not room TO print
them all. I am proud. too that so many
of the Optimists realize that they have
much 10 be thankful for The very sum
and essence Of optimism is a constant
realization Of the blessings and the bCne-
fits of life. An optmist seldom thinks
about himself except TO indulge I'm that
introspeCtiOn that makes for self-im-
provement; he is usually busily engaged
In living right and has no time to waste
on selfish thoughts, but wien Thanks
giving time rolls round and he stops to
think OF what the day really means, ne
Is apt 10 cXclaim:
why, I'm an optimist. I'm thankful
FOR everything"
Others may say. well, I'm thankful.
but things could be better" and so spoil
all the real spirit Of Thanksgiving
But the optimist knows that things are
good, and II he sees certain matters that
need improvement-he knows that they
cannot be helped by grumblng. but that
it is IN his power to make them better
SO ne is thankful for seeing his duty as
best he can. and takes d new grip on
his weapons for fighting the Crouch, -
'the pessimist," and the calamity howl
err He has made good record this
H.. -. l.. -
year.
That's the true optmIsts attitude If
he cannot afford TO eat turkey on Thanks
giving Day, he remembers that there are
more people who are worse off than bet
ter or than he; and he makes up his
mind that a dinner Of herbs" with
peace and optimism. is better than "A
stalled OK or a turkey. when indigestion
and the crouch hover about the board
The Optimist though, is pretty apt to
have his turkey. You can't hold back
the good things Of life from the man who
courageously and sincerely sets out u
win his battles. but If he takes part OF
the turkey off the table and passes II on
10 his poor neighbor who has none, as
likely as not he has spared himself and
his family the unpleasantness OF over
eating, and has made, besides. llfe-lons
optimist out Of his poor neighbor
wouldn't be surprised If some of the op-
tmists this year should 90 without sheiI
turkey entirely. I'm order 10 make some
one else happy and thankful.
! am forcibly reminded by a beautiful
letter received from an old lady who
doesn't want her name printed. that CD.
tiInism isn't a question of age or station
but rather Of individual disposition. This
lady wrote me her THANKSGIVING procfa.
a
herself simply ~. She is one Of those
dear souls that has looked through rose.
colored spectacles for nearly fourscorc
years, and still keeps those rosy aids tc
vision polished and bright. so that her
dear old eyes may beam upon others anf
soften them with her philosophy ] have
thought so much Of this contribution thai
have decided to give the lady first nrize
although ] had never 50 many fine seler.
tons that 7 had 10 lay aside-an Of then
richly deserving, too.
Bot somehow l thought that not a sin.
gle opumist among you would fail n
agree with me that her ThanksriyiDs
proclamation Is striking victory for
optimism. since it shows how good lif,
must be, II. after seventy-seven years on,
can voice such a beautiful and heartfelt
prayer Of thanksgiving
I hope az viii give us permission z,
print her name next Sunday. 7 have no
been Ga favor OF anonymous commuuica
tions and usually give the initials but p
this particular case I have made an OK
ception
Time" has been selected for the sub
Ject TO be discussed next SUNDAY. Man,
Of the members have suggested this as !