The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-28
EVENING CHAT
BY RUTH CAMERON.

Il always see the darkest side of things
when 1 first wake up. / shall feel very
differently about this matter as soon as
I have bathed and had my breakfast"
At the foot of the bed in the home of
one of my friends hangs a little passe-
partouted card on which the above words
are written in her own hand writing.
When naturally inquired what was the
Significance Of the most peculiar wall
decoration, she laughed heartily. Then
she sObered down and explained.
w hen l wake up in the morning" she
said. I am apt to feel very much de-
pressed. II there Is any little trouble on
my mind it looks like a mountain to me-
For the first few minutes after l wake up
| hate myself and everyone else and wish
I We're dead, or better still. had never
been born. But in an hour or two after
I've bathed and had my breakfast, l begin
to feel quite differently. l see things then
in quite another light I'm sure anything
that's troubling me is going to come out
all right, and I'm happy Just to be alive.
w ell, when Cousin Ann was here last
spring-you know she's that very original
bachelor cousin of mine-she used to
laugh at me about this sudden transfer
nation And when she'd come into my
room in the morning, find me blue and
depressed and afraid 1 couldn't get this
thing done right, or that that terrible
thing was going to happen, she'd remind
me that L had felt just the same the day
before and got all over it in an hour or
two. And I'd always say, Yes, but this
is different
Finally one morning after breakfast
when had just decided that 1 was glad
1 had been born after all, and that I
would probably be able to make that
speech before the mothers club, and that
if l didn't the world wouldn't come to an
end anyway, she brought me pen and
statement you see. Then she passepar-
tOuted it and hung it at the foot Of the
bed where I'd have to see It as soon as
l opened my eyes. or course, L often
laugh at it, but it does really help me not
to get absurdly blue and depressed
A very eccentric idea?
Yes, 1 suppose So But is it necessarily
such absurd one?
How many times you face some oh
staele, saying, Il never CAN overcome
that" OF course, you do overcome 1t, but
when the next obstacle looms up, you
feel just the same way and say lust the
same thing, with the same conviction.
How many times when the convalescent
has a setback he says, I'm sure l shall
never get over this. I'm not getting the
least bit better And then he has two
or three good nights sleep, things go well
with him, and he is all optimism to think
he can rally so quickly. But when the
next setback comes, ten to one he is as
down in the dumps and discouraged as
ever.
How many times the road ahead looks
so dark to you that you do not believe il
will ever be bright again. And then by
and by things straighten out as they al /
ways do the sun comes out from behind |
the clouds. shaft of sunlight falls !
athwart your path and then another and |
another until all the gray shadows have
vanished And yet the next time the road /
looks black, you are just as certain as /
ever that your road will be gloomy to the |
journeys end
Now, why should it be so absurd to pre- |
serve a record of your optimistic and sue |
cesSful moments a sort of landmark !
to cheer you the next time you travel the /
road of disbursement?
The wave etches on the sand a record /
Of its high-water mark achievement and /
no matter how low the tide GIBBS, we never /
doubt but that it VIII find its way back /
again to that high-water mark.
Why should it be so absurd for US to |
make little records to remind ourselves of /
our high-water marks of happiness and 7
achievement and to reassure US when the
tide is ebbing that it will surely flow
again?