The Washington herald., 1910-04-03

HAYS YOU ttth lullb AAlA iNQs s-4-' ~
Have yen seen young April, deckd so gay!
Greet her, salute her take her hand
Young April's smile Is Ger the land
BY THE OPTIMIST.
With head held high comes April.
Spring is indeed here budding time has
become flower time In the woods and IN
the meadows one may gather garands
Of sweet new bloom. The pussywillows
are soft and gray: the pink and white
azaleas; the purple carpet of violets; the
spring beauties; the blood-root. the nod
ding bluets, all greet young April with
glad acclaim.
April is the month of preparation.
Nature is preening herself for the sum
mer pageant Living things are awake;
the winter Is gone and there are no re-
grets. Everything is filed with new
hope. 1t is the month of optimism.
In the optimist's heart II is always
spring. He feels happy and his happiness
is reflected on other people. Some OF you
associate April with showers, Aprirs
way Of smiling through tears has been
the inspiration of poets for ages. April
is thought to be changeable in mood. but
It is just her way of being an optimist.
TIC ram AAhHG VI -AbAAA AA4es 10 tAAN NNtit -
of spring, but they are happy tears. The
rain sinks down and softens the hard
frozen earth, and Lol April has wrought
a wonderful. magical. change.
Sing as much as you like in April Be
happy every day and every month in the
year, but in April doubly rejoice in life
in youth, and in cOntentment. The merry
smiling month is the justification Of the
optimist. The frowns and the groans Of
winter are swept away, and the world is
ablaze with the light of cheerfulness and
goodwill
How the optimist Is to be envied. He
sees what no other eyes can see. He
knows that all things work together for
a common good as my friend Optimist
Copp has discovered. The optimist prac-
tees what he breaches. and he tries 10
wear his optimism so becomingiy that all
the world will want To possess the same.
Smile back in the face Of April and be
an optimist
Much TO my regret, I am unable TO
record any new members this week.
don't want the old members. or prospec-
tive members to think that because we
are temporarily limited for space on Sun
day. that I do not want to welcome new
names into our band.
Optimism has made such wonderful
strides in the past year that it could
almost be called a phenomenal growth.
The membership of this club does not
begin TO represent the number of opti-
mists there are in the community. Every
vryb1 oh
broadening in their views. who are be-
coming more and more willing to work
for others and 10 help those who are less
fortunate than themselves.
Selhshness and unfriendliness are out
OF keeping with the spirit of our times
The physical and moral growth of the
nation depends upon optimistic men and
women-those who are willing to lend a
hand.
The Let's Help" idea was a small
seed, last year, sown in the hope of a
modest harvest The result has been
extremely gratifying 10 those who started
the club, and the old members, the char
ter members, feel proud of the fact that
they were among the pioneers OF this
movement.
So keep up hhe good work Of getting
new members. Each new member means
new thought. a helpful idea. The Sc
lection of topics. also. is left to the men,
bers and have a standing invitation to
each and every one of you To make sug-
gestion for the subjects
For next Sunday. Youth" has been
selected. on the request of a member.
and TO follow, I will announce Beauty"
as fitting topic TO continue the delight
full spring symposium in which you have
all displayed so much interest and zeal.
mention the topic ahead Of time for
the reason that some of our friends at
distance write me that they do not see
the announcement of the subject until
too late to get their contributions into
the Office on time.
One other thing I wish to mention to
you. and that is that I will be glad 10
receive any suggestions regarding plans
for the club for the summer-a series
OF subjects, for instance, or some way In
which we can raise money for some
charitable object Late last summer one
or my optmists proposed that The Wash
ington Herald Optimist Club make con-
tributions TO the Fresh Air for Children
Fund. The sending of poor children to
the country for a short vacation during
the hot weather is, in my opinion, one of
the worthiest of charitable objects.
viii be glad 10 start fund In the name
Of the club, II you report favorably on
the matter Let me hear from you about
this. Just write your views on a SEPARATE
slip Of paper and place it in the same
envelope with your regular communica-
ton addressed TO 1.-THE Optimist." The
Washington Herald
And now comes April. with its refresh
ing showers, bringing US a rush of bios
SONS and vernal melodies. There is
something in the softness Of the air, in
the frightening Of the days. in the very
sounds and odors of the sweet month,
that enlivens US with spirit of hope and
a prophecy of happy days yet TO come.
Mrs A. E II, AVERILL
With me vast JOY stirs natures heat,
Each moment deeper"
And how true this is of April.
1857 Irving street.
The months of April and May bring
home to optimists a most forceful lesson,
and makes their duty plain. in the sweet
est way Imaginable
As the warm, radiant sun of May wipes
from the face Of the earth all traces of
Aprirs tears, so each optimist should feel
il his or her duty and nrfviIaoa n xvina