The Washington herald., 1910-05-22
By THE OPTIMIsT.


Of you have discovered in the compost
ton Of your expressions on to-day's sub
ject. Confidence, that there are two
kinds. self-confdence and the confidence
that we have in others
Self-confdence is a quality, which as
applied TO the daily or workaday life.
establishes the poise Of the individual. 1t
furnishes him an armor to shield him
from the pin-pricks of the thousand liz
tie annoyances which he is apt 70 en-
counter Faith in ones self is half the
battle and unless you have assurance
that you are correct in your beliefs and
\ your intentions. it follows naturally that
you cannot convince others Of the sim
cerity Of your motives.
Self-confidence must be accompanied
by sincerity Of purpose: otherwise what
you regard as faith in yourself will only
be termed conceit. and cOnceit that is
not backed up by a wealth Of good deeds
and accomplishments is merely ridicu-
lous. Even the man who really does
things cannot afford TO fiaunt his self
confidence. Self-confidenCe should be a
modest. but definite belief in ones own
ability and It must be borne out by a
diligence Of effort and patience and con-
scientiousness.
Let your light shine" by all means,
but do not let its brightness be dimmed.
or allow II to be the source Of reproach,
because you have not fulfilled your prom
ises Better never boast until YOU have
accomplished In a quiet and unob-
trusive way, It Is possible 90 let ones
self-confidence be known; and the sort
Of self-confdence that breeds the conf
dence Of others is the kind that we. as
optimists. wish to cultivate
Confidence in others IS a beautiful
thing The man who can inspire IL is
fortunate indeed. The man who betrays
that confidence Is unworthy OF the name
of man. In this worldly scheme of
things. il is absolutely necessary TO trust
others, to confde in them not only our
secrets. but our possessions as well.
The thief who robs you of your worldly
goods is more easily forgiven than the
man who destroys your confidence in him,
for he not only wrecks his own value as
one TO trust in the future, but he sows
the seed of suspicion broadcast until you
know not whom 10 trust.
Fine indeed II is 10 have a friend who
is tried and true, in whom you can con-
fide the innermost thoughts Of your mind
with a perfect assurance that he is above
betraying you. Naturally IN connection
with the subject to-day, the mind reverts
10 recent pitiful case that has been
made public-of a young man thought
TO be full Of promise, whose integrity was
considered by his friends as unimpeach-
able. Yet he weakly betrayed the Sec
rets Of others: matters that he was in
honor bound to hold inviolate. He put
his own misguided scruples above honor
and loyalty, and sacrificed his character
and good name into the bargain. Even
those who benefited by his acts will only
regard him with pity and distrust-
If men only realized how earnestly
they should strive 10 hold the confidence
Of others; If they only knew what beau
tiful trait Of character loyalty is, there
would be few men in whom the greatest
trust could not be placed.
True strength Of character lies in being
able to resist temptation TO do evil. The
man who has never had temptation can
not point the finger Of scorn at the man
who has been tempted and who has fall
len. The best way is TO profit as far as
possible by the experiences Of others. 70
realize that we ourselves are never abso-
lutely sure that in a dark moment, we
will not falter or fall
Cultivate confidence. Do not confide In
a man and then constantly remind him
that ne must be true. After you make
up your mind 10 trust him, take It for
granted that he is worthy. If you give
him your entire confidence, and If he Is
the right sort, he is very apt 10 appreci-
ate it and will not betray you.
You optimists who stand guard over
your characters, and who honestly strive
TO better yourselves and others, will find
the deep, true significance Of human con-
hdence. The way TO happiness lies
through an easy conscience and a clear
understanding of the opportunities and
the blessings Of life.
In order TO fully explain the announce
ment which appeared on last Wednes-
day. to the effect that practical Char
ity" will be the topic of next Sunday, ]
wish 10 say that after I have received
the suggestions that you may make be-
tween now and next Wednesday. I will
make the announcement for the summer
charity which is 10 be undertaken by
the members Of the club. II this scheme
proves 10 be a success. we will repeat
the attempt some time during next win
ter
Our energies at present, however. must
be directed toward the contribution of
money which The Washington Herald
Optimist Club is going 70 make for the
purpose OF helping out the children dur
ing the hot weather. II any Of you can
not give sums Of money your inability
to do so will be fully understood by the
club. Those of you who live in the coun-
try or in the suburbs may find that you
can entertain a child or two during the
summer-say for a weeks visit. Think
OF what II means for these youngsters
TO get out into Gods fresh. pure air.
and romp and play and make the &C.
quaintance OF the things OF nature!
I want every one Of you to make some
suggestion next Sunday. either an ex-
preston of views on practical charity
or a plan by which we can best carry
out the Let's Help idea in this par
ticular manner. Personally know OF nc
better summer charity than the sending
Of poor city children TO the country OF
the seashore for a little visit
This system Of charity is well organized