The Washington herald., 1912-08-11
LET KEEP ON SMILING"
II BE SLOGAN OF YOURLIFE

and restful their faces. Some apparently
carry the worries and the cares Of the
world, SO troubled and disoonsolats they
appear.
And some-why. they look SO cross and
grabbed that you would almost fear to
with them for a single day.
And then You fall to wondertng-what
Of their homo folk?
Long Tests that Count.
For It Ii the long tests that mako US
appreciate the worth OF Aeeriness. and
it Is in the home where it Is the great
est benedjction. for 1t creates an at
mosphere delightful to live In
| After all. We are strange creatures.
nightly Influenced by things We see.
| by folk we meet. and by their moods.
whether they are grave or gay: and
when We think Of being sentenced for
life with some OF the sour-visaged. dis
,, ,,appointed-looking men and women we
meet. We know that the first impulse
would be TO run away.
But when folks are bound by ties Of
obligation and OF kinship IL Is not 80
easy to run away-and there's the real
tragedy of the mournful face and the
discouraged outlook. 1t Is hard to look
at troubled countenance. hard to lis
ten to complaining voice, harder still
to live in cherries atmosphere and to
keep on smiling and bright In defiance
OF the gloomy environment And. tell
me. what becomes of the husband. the
wife, the brother. the sister, or the little
folk in a house where one or the other
of the two that guide and direct is ir-
ritable, sour. and fault-fnding
For not all Of them can run away,
you know.
Power of Dismal Voice.
A human voice drifted to a casual
listener awhile ago. She could not hear
what was said. could not see the ex-
preston. but the gloom was there-ard
she could feel that. II seemed to be
perlneated with sighs and all but tears.
and it sent the mood thermometer down
to the degree OF chills II did not so
much matter 10 the listener. because the
voice drifted away as lightly as It came.
but when II reached home and let
loose its food OF sad. dolefuI notes there
were others to reckon with, others
whose spirits went down to harmonizs
with the voice.
And the listener could only guess wha,
That home might be lacking the CHEEKY,
wonderful influence OF a disposition that
keeps the bright side uppermost. even
though there are complaints and hurts
below the surface.
bound to he Distractions.
In every normal life there are dis
fractions enough TO bring frown in
stead Of a smile. and when one is tired.
disappointed. and none too happy at
best. 1t is easy 10 let the mouth ego
saggtng down in a weary droop, tempt
ing TO assume the discouraged tone
and natural to act as II all the song
had gone by.
But think
Think of the effect and then run, YOU
and I. to the most faithful Of our mirrors.
The very eyes are unsmiling, dull, and
asleep, the light is gone and the whole
face is forbidding. Frankly, We look
just as well-dumpy and uncompan!onS>
able. And do you know that It is no.
ftlr. not fair to ourselves or the folk
around US?
And with that mirror right before US,
suppose We try the magic Of a smile,
re gardless Of the other impulse, smooth
cut the weary frowns. put some life and
expression in the heavy eyes-then go.
with the changed face and changed pur-
pose, and mix with the rest who want
10 tax, laugh, and be comfortable
Left Tears in Attic.
Some one tells that once when Miss
A1cott had a new story in her mind and
was fairly bubbl!ng over with anxiety
to get II on paper. a lot Of unexpected
guests dropped in upon her. and she
was so upset at having to stop writing
and do the housekeeping that she went
Up into the garnet: sat on the fattest
ragbag and cried hard" But the mar
rator gives the comforting assurance that
Il was known only to the rasbag and
the attic walls. for when she went down
ssairs she was all smiles and hospitality.
And one believes that is the secret of
much Of the cheeriness of the world-ths
determined effort to keep on smiling.