Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-06

Hence to create Joy is the great science
OF God; but to foster happiness may be
the art Of man." Prof. Dowden, in his
essay on Milton Ga splendid essay, by the
ness as '.the most beautiful and most
difficult Of the divine arts" And he Is
quite right. because. being born OF hope,
1t demands all the power of vision, all the
the splendid force Of faith which attend
the creation of any masterpiece OF music
or painting or sculpture; the grasping
of great ends and the knowledge Of life's
undertone. There is no more beautiful
thing In all the world than happy ma
ture.
1t sheds sunshine in the midst Of
shadows: 1t turns discord to harmony; It
Gains excitement into peace: it opens the
door OF opportunity and points to light
shining calmly In the distant sky. When
| say to my friend. BE happy" what do
meanr That l wish him to laugh and
be gay and care-free? That wish him
to rise above sorrow. to Danish toll and
10 ifs , demands and to go skipping along as
Assurediy not. But I wish him to have a
quiet spirit. deep faith in ultimate good.
a confidence in men. courage which
snail support when all seems lost in the
experience of the days I wish him to
drive away fear. to turn his back upon
apprehension and dread with all their at
tending miseries. to face the sunrise and
let its rich glow envelop him and reflect
from his face. And this he can do. II
he will, by calling upon the power OF
nope to show him vision of the final
good which shall conquer evil. And
as he seeks to make others happy the
glory shines in upon his own soul with
through comforting happiness upon his
fellows So ! feel at peace corcarninu
my friend only when l know, he thus
pains or is gaining In this fine art-that
he is happy.
The pursuit of happiness In a nositive
way Is always the chief thing. and have
no patience with those who wiIlf,Illy rest
In the darkness and, because thew can see
no Hgnt with their eyes covered, declare
that all JOY has fed from the world. It
Is one OF Satan's temptations to make us
gloomy. and he even entwines with his
guile some good people so that they. al
most glory In their self.created sadness
~ II IS once realized that God wants us
TO be happy, that IL is His will for us to
have peace OF mind and heart. and that
our love for Christ Is not genuine and
true unless we seek for the possexsion Of
this art. Then the acquisition is easier II
calls Tor enort-everything that Is worth
while calls for effort--but the EFFORT avs
alike In ones own growth and in the
loyalty TO God which Is so pleasing above
all else TO Him.
Before Suggesting positive ways of pur-
suing happiness 1t may be we'll to think
OF some of the foes which obstruct the
/ path And the first is seif-consciousness,
an extreme thought of self. The fixing
OF the mind upon ones own troubles and
trials. the counting OF them. the rehI arsal
OF them. the plying OF ones self the con-
ceit which makes us imagine ourselves
the most i-bused OF all people-all this is
the outcome OF self-centered existence
which Is both physically unhealthy and
| mentally abnormal and spiritually de-
| pressing: Il cried out the other night
| I am the loneliest man IN the world q
And them revolted from the idea and
began to think Of how many friends l
had in heaven and in the beauties OF
nature, until I grew not only ashamed
| of my complaint. but exalted by my
! privileges. So said a friend to me the
| other day. and then lie added: There II
| nothing unhealthy for one as too much
l. consciousness of self lie was right
You never can be happy or make others
| happy unless you cease thinking OF your
| self.
Another fault is seltishness, self-seek'