Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-04-30
The Love of Praise.
(By Grant Strickland. }

One of the keenest pleasures of eX-
istence is to be able to do something,
to do it, and to get praised for it.
Half of the fun OF writing book,
said Frank Norris, is to read what
people say about it.
Say what YOU please about the love
of praise, if there is anything that
just tastes better 10 a man or woman
| don't know what it is. Quite aside
from the questions whether it be
naughty, or sinful. or low, or selfish,
or what not. concentrate your mind
for a moment on this one point
that it tastes good. Oh, better than
honey in the honeycomb, better than
chocolate creams and champag gne
waters and other things that are not
good for you, as good as tobacco, al
most as good as kisses.
1t is very grand an heroic to do a
noble deed and let no one find it out.
But it's deal more satisfactory to
be caught and exposed.
And what is it to love praise but
keen sense OF appreciation of our
fellow-men's opinions?
So, if You love me tell me so. If
YOU do not like ME, please go away.
It's roOmy world. And even. if we
both go to heaven / doubt not there
will be stars enough so that you can
dwell among the Seven Sisters and
can wag along somewhere in the
tail of the Big Dog.
Not doing thing, nor doing a
thing poorly and getting praised for
it, does not taste good to a healthy
man. For that reason one would i'm
agine that kings and people with
nothing but money would sour in
their souls. To be eternally kow-
towed to, and to be called your
majesty, when You know perfectly
well you are not majestic, that would
make man want to take TO the
woods. The most rational princesses
would seem to be those that elope
with coachmen just for the sake OF
being treated as a woman.
But to do a thing. something
worth while, to put through busi-
ness deal, to make a perfect instru-
ment, to shoe horse well, to paint
a picture, or chisel a statue, or com
pose or perform piece of music, or
TO preach sermon, or to act a part
upon the stage, and to feel that in
any one of these ways you have sue
ceeded-there' fine, healthful
glow about that And then, when the
applause comes, when bouquets are
thrown, when your friend hurrahs
and even when your enemy is forced
to say it's not half bad. that is one
of the sunlit peaks of bliss here be-
low.
Happiness has been defined as the
perfect use OF ones faculties, the free
expression OF ones personality. But
that is only one-half of happiness;
the other half is to have people APP
preciate what you do.
The servant in the parable doubt
less was sustained all along by the
consciousness of industry and prob
ity, but his Joy was like a bulb in the
earth, growing secretly; it never
burst into bloom and fragrance until
he heard his master say, We'll done,
thou good and faithful servant!
Thou hast been faithful over n few
things. | will make thee ruler over
many things"
or course, the love of praise can
be carried too far, but what good
thing cannot? Some persons over
feed. but shall We then have no more
cakes and ale?
Love is good. but love returned
raises 1t to the hundredth power.
Kindness is good, but gratitude
blows its pleasurableness from a
spark to a flame.
They tell us that even God likes TO
be thanked.