The Washington herald., 1910-12-25
By THE OPTIMIsT.

Our subject for this week, 'The Power
Of Goodness seems to have invited the
members of The Washington Herald OPP
timist Club to thoughts on the Christmas
season, and that in itself is good. a wise
metaphysician says
Some there are who complain Of women, for in
stance. never dreaWing that the first time man
meets a woman single word or thought that denies
the beautiful profound will be enough to poison
forever his existence IN her soul. Fur ny part.
sid sage 70 me enc day, II have never come
acTOss a single woman who did not bring 10 me
something thai was great" he great himself.
INST q all that his secret.
Many OF US are afraid, 1 fear, OF giving
expression to the beauty that is in Us,
and even when a beautiful thought rises
in the heart it seems often 70 have so IT.
tie relation to the material world about
Us that We are meticulous in uttefing H.
There can be no sadder mistake. for no.
bility is never lost If il is once sent out
on its career OF life. Speak the helpful
hopeful word that is within you; ex-
press in articulate speech the beautiful
thoughts that rise within your soul. Even
il the word you speak-being foreign to
the moment-raise laughter. or sneers, If
It shall not die. 1t cannot dissolve or
perish The beauty, the higher goodness
chose you as All instrument II you fail
IL, the failure is all your own
And # you have courage 10 speak apid
the darkness, II il is given YOU 10 launch
a new thought to beauty, some day, when
you have quite forgotten what the soul
said in those far-Off yesterdays, it will
come back 10 you, having travelled far
and touched many souls. and because il
has been a great influence fer good to so
many, il shall return 10 you more beau
tiful than ever.
II is not alone through our own souls
that we may reach 10 the highest that is
within US, but through the souls OF others
that work a mysterious influence upon
US. Nor must we think. however humble
we be. that We have not something OF
this power on the souls OF others. Are
there not souls we know that We deem
incapable of evil, impossible of ugliness2
How should we lost faith in many things
lose confidence in the universal greatness
IT, suddenly. these souls should fail or
disappoint u.s. SO, too, your soul and
mine acts and reacts on the souls OF
others, and that duty is laid upon Us
that we express beauty and not ugliness.
courage and not fear. goodness and not
evil, for these forces are aided or bet
tered by what is withiR ourselves.
If we will but let our souls free. they
viii work, by the divine instinct, toward
the good. even as the flower turns to-
ward the sun. AS Maeterlinck says,
Might not everything naturally turn to beauty.
were not increasingly InterUTting the arduous
labohs q aoult Does not eyil itself heo,ne
precious il has gathered theFefrom the
deeplying diamond Of repentance! Perhaps
a great wrong has been done you to-day, the act
itself being mean and disheartening the mode Of
action u the hassst. and ugliness wrapped YOU
around your tears fell. But let some years eiapse
then give one look into youT soul and tell me
whether beneath the recollection Of that act you
not something that is araady pureT than thought
indesTihabe unuanable force that has natR nj
in olmmun with the forces Of tins world a mys
ferrous neXhAustibie spring II the other life where
al you may drink for the nest Of your days
That is the power of goodness in your
soul; that is the power that We all may
cultivate, encourage, invite; the power
that enables US TO help ourselves by be
ing ourselves Of great and most wonder
ful. most beautiful help 10 others.
The prizes this week I award 10 the
two contributions that Immediately fol-
low this. sent in by Michael T. OLeary
aO03 + street. and Victor p Hammer. lO9
Fifth street
And now 10 you all, fellow members,
who have helped me so much during the
year. and who, hope, have helped your
selves, too / want 10 express hearty and
sincere thanks for your fine loyalty to
lofty ideals and the spirit Of heipfulness
and hopefulness that has informed so
vitality all that you have written. On
this Christmas Day that means so much
10 all OF us-the birthday OF the Man who
first Dreached tho rsoSDeI NJ ODtiU7i gvT-I
reach TO all OF you the hand Of honest
friendship and gratitude and wish you all
the blessed peace OF Christmastide and a
new wear fun of iOy