The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-07
Cheerfmness.

CheeItuIncsS.
Somebody has said that Cheerful
ness can be as much cultivated as
cabbages, given the seed or slip--fafth
in God" And IL is certain that moth
ing so repays one as the constant;
looking at life bravely and even Joy
ously. We are all creatures OF habit.
and 1t Is very easy in this sad. mad.
bad world as Browning calls 1t, to
get terrible frown set forever be-
tween our brows and fearful wrinkles
in our poor hearts and deep burrows
in our souls. Generally, we are none
OF US conscious that this is being done.
The fretting plucks at our sleeve; the
us; the irritating briers that constant
ly entansle us, are trying enough.
Heaven knows. though they are as
culables-the failure of the invest
ment on which we have staked the
welfare of our dearest; the false.
treacherous friend" King David's
own familiar friend. the dagger
terrible creature betrayins our love
and trust even by our own hearth
fire: the sudden loss Of fortune, health,
limbs. Of ones home. and all that
illusion, disillusion. delirium. Yes. We
NAVE excuse enough for gloom, II we
need any. in a world whose shadow
almost blots out the sun But still.
calls death Natures last eclipse'D,
there remains the corona, and cheer
fulness was we'll named by Addison
the daylight of the mind" We have
to learn to live in the light, no matter
how manned and sorrowful we may
be, how incomplete, how anxious, how
lonely. There is fish in nature that.
when storms come and the ocean is
simply a wild, foaming, engulfing fury,
swallows a stone and sinks into the
belt OF calms--that region where there
- perpetual peace. which the wind
never reaches at all. 1t is some such
refuge that has to be found In God
for every human being, little as the
joyous young people who are sailing
happily across 'life's solemn main"
think it or crave it.
Some or them are in tubs like that
or the three wise men or Gotham OF
the nonsense book. like the pltcn
dauoed osier ones that go whirling
| around in a circle down the rivers OF
Africa. They have neither chart nor
compass, and they go to the bottom,
too. when rocks loom up suddenly IN
| the Captain OF their salvation" their
log-book. their clearly marked course
I, and by them the great journey is safe-
| ~ made.
In Medieval Times.
Tar = more nor si faith and unseiashness than
drals. for one thing. show. So II was
| the practice OF all Christians 10 Sas
| daily this prayer for al nesh: I -,
/ Lord be all thy coming, my s.anu-
| ing, thy going," with the Holy Name
snd sign Is It not beautiful and com,
i nrehsnsiyee we build bridges and
Eiffel Towers and balloons ana canals
| nowadays, and talk no end OF our pro-
\ gress. But think OF that magnlncent.
s,perh chain OF cathedrals stretching
from the southern coast OF Texas TO
| the Pacific, built by one order Of CATH
o;tcs for the conversion of the heathen
| indians. Now that the FIRST move To-
ward unity has been made BY tho AS
ISOLATED Christians OF the World
trot Episcopalians, nor Methodlsts. NOR
prasbvterians. nor Baptists,. nor Greek
i,nurch believers. nor Roman Catholics
lust Christian, and the Laymen's Mis-
/ sinnorv Movement Is doing such grea.
s1htnr !. we would do we'll to recall that
| nI,thnrst Of Christian feeling, as flne
aa the French one. which converted a
w,,darness into Canada and gave tbs
,,nrld q roll OF martyrs not more than
I watched in the first century. of .Chrts-
tnndol11 1t is the Light Of the World,
NE lantern to our paths, and 1t Wilt
,.nen us from sinking into the slough
nr materialism, the gulf Of unbeliet,
this modern quest or the "HolN Grail
the GOOD Of all One hears a tremsn-