The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-10
Nv THE OPTIMIST.

subject of Youth" has proved 20 be a
nopular one. believe there is no other
band of workers that so thoroughly feels
the buoyancy and the gladness of youth
as my club of optimlsts.
Youth. as you all must know, is not
question of years No. indeed: far from it.
Commonly. know, the distinction be-
tween being young and being old Is very
sharply drawn. It lies largely. of course.
IN the nhvsieaI aspect. To be young
means TO have ones life before one; to
BE- old means TO have One's life almost
spent.
Naturally, then, youth means hope
buovancy. fearlessness, and happiness;
old age means experience, knowledge
and oftentimes passionate regrets and
self-reproach Oh, how bitter is the cry
EFF could live my life over again. But,
nv friends, that is of course, impossible
The moving niger writes. and having w.t.
Move one nor all your piety nor WI
Can lure It back 10 cancel half line,
Nor al your tears wash cut Woid vi H.
To those of the optimists who are still
Young | say let this verse of the 'Ruoai-
VAT sink down deep IL the memory.
Never lose sight Of the fact that wrong
living. mistakes. and selfshness are
causes for regret in the future
I don't mean that the hope and prom
isc of youth should be overcast by a pre-
mature caution-an apprehensiveness. as
II were. lest the future should fail TO pro-
d1ce all that we expect. This would not
he youth" at all nor would it be opti-
mism- And that would be pity, for
optimism is an Unborn trait of our race
the Young have it, but they don't realize
II II is only when we have gathered
some of that experience that old age mas
earnered in such great crops that We
begin to feel the great and abiding good
that optimism represents,
So Won see, / am almost declaring that
youth and optimism are synonymous, and
perhaps when all is considered they are.
What shall we do to preserve our opti-
mism? Keep young. What shall we do
10 keep younge Be full of hope and OF
courage; be fun of generous impulses, OF
unseIfsh deeds and thoughts; extend the
helping hand and walk always in the sun.
Mere weight of years need not neces-
sariIy mean that your youth is gone,
brother optimist. Those wrinkles In your
face need not indicate that your heart IS
nc longer young. sister Optimist. If you
are an optimist in the truest and finest
meaning of the term. you are young. If
SO, I declare you to he possessed OF the
waters of the fountain of eternal youth,
TO have springtime in the heart Never
mind the withered frame, the grazing
hair. Your eyes still sparkle. There is
still smile upon your face and happy,
cheerful word upon your lips.
The keen, unalloyed JOY of living keeps
youth forever within your grasp.
have had a good many responses to
my invitation to send in your views about
the club doing something for charity
this summer. Later, after l have re-
ceived all the replies, I VIII take this
matter up l am exceedingly anxious to
hit upon some plan whereby we may all
work together for some tangible good
and turn the principles of the club into a
real benefit for those that we cannot
reach with contributions to the Sunday
optimist corner.
Some OF the optimsts are complaining
because their contributions have not sp-
peared in print
Now, there may be several reasons for
this state of affairs. The principal one Of
which has been a lack Of space for the
past two or three weeks. This directly
affects those contributions which are too
long. I have repeatedly stated that I
wanted to get as many of the selections
printed as possible. meaning, of course,
the greatest possible number II I print
ed a dozen or more of the longer essays
there would be little room for the short,
crisp thoughts that make the page so en-
tertaining and diverse.
The campaign for new members IS still
going on. and II is only fair that as many
Of the expressions that are received from
them be given consideration, although, of
course, they are printed strictly on mer-
its. the same as the rest of the cOatribu-
tlons
I noticed a good many new members
recently who have only sent in their mi
tial contribution and then stopped They
should try again. There are plenty of
members who write every week and who
do not receive prizes very often Ere
qUently their matter is omitted altogether.
There should be only unselfshness and
good viii in the club and I am sure no
one intends to be inharmonious. And by
the way, Harmony is TO be the topic
TO follow Beauty" which we will dis
Ouss next Sunday.
Ideas on Beauty should be received
by me not later than Wednesday next at
noon.
The prize-winners:
Most of US, no doubt, have read of
Ponce de Leon, who, it is said, discovered
I'm Florida a fountain known as the foun-
tain of youth; that whatsoever drank
therefrom would become young again
Doubling the uuthfulness of such a dis.
covery, we would commend every reader
10 the fountain OF optimism. Whoever
drinketh daily therefrom may be re-
freshed by the water of cheerfulness.
sunshine, smiles love, happiness. con-
tentment all of which have a tendency
10 make US youthful and keep us so.
ABIGAIL THOMPSON ROWE.
National Cathedral School for Boys
In the lexicon of youth. which fate re-
serves for a bright manhood. there Is no
such word as fail.-Edward Bulwer Lyt-
ton. NJ AGNES DrNN-
1924 C0rooran street.