Omaha daily bee., 1915-11-03
Joy of Being
Yourself
The Reward Is Not Only Salts
faction 10 Yourself, but to Others
by BEATRICE FAIRFAx.

The greatest Joy I over knew" sii
very fine girl 20 me, was that felt
( on the day I saw my first poem in print,
/ l looked at II and knew Il was good, aud
! had a glorious feeling that I myssic
! through tho use Of my powers. had
written this verso and that it rni.;ht have
message Tor the rest OF the world
and must have for myself the mtssng,
that l could go ahead and make some
thing Of my life. Besides. It represented
I SO earned"
And my friend laughed so sanely that,
knew she was neither an impractical
! visionary nor yet a self-sufficient crea-
turo 80 satisfied with her own work
that she would ignore the world about
her.
II suppose Ill be happier some day
n ever / hold my own child In my arms,
but it that blessing Ia denied me- at
least l shall make something OF my
life." concluded the girl, quietly and
reverontly.
II seems TO mo that her little grafton
holds wonderful philosophy for all
women In H.. II speaks the 10y OF being
an active part OF life about you. OF work
ing and OF doing your best, CT glving
what you feel you have IN you 10 give,
and OF trying ever to give more, Of
finding Joy In achievement ITO LOOK on
your work and know It Is good" Is prob
ably the most blessed thing In life.
Expressing yourself is wonderful!
privilege that makes part Of the free
dom and real liberty of life today. But
! expressing yourself must never be
thing that lntefferes with the self-ex-
preston OF others, nor yet an insane
thing OF unchecked emotionalism that
might Influence others to express them-
selves wrongly.
The JOY OF being yourself Is yours TO
! take II you can do 1t cleanly. sanely and
finely and with certain conformity to
the large splendor of life. II means
working for humanity or giving a mes
sage to humanity; It means service and
striving TO aid growth. II means achieve
ment-but never achievement which asks
from others heavy coll.
The Joy OF being yourself has a tree
mendous force for uplift In II. Check
ing your desire for work, inhlbiting your
ability to express yourself (be 1t through
the most ordinary manual labor or the
most wonderful artistic efforO is an un-s
healthy and morbid thing that has to
eat into your soul
II you can express yourself by bring
ing up your children beautifully, by MAX
ing your home artistic. by helping
humans in distress-in any Of these
splendid ways-you can be a fine force
for humanity and it's growth.
II YOU have to express yourself by
baking apple pies or trimming hats. don
resent the form your expression has
taken, but work It out with all the
power for beauty that lies within YOU.
II modelling in clay, singing song or
painting a picture is your form OF ex-
precision, then let your artistic nature
work itself out In full measure Of love-
illness.
Never, never as you value your indl-
viduality or happiness, try to make your
self coloress or negative. II you are
born 20 society and prefer taking settle
ment classes to attending afternoon teas
let society laugh at you, but don't let II
deny you the Joy OF expressing yourself
II YOU are a millionaire's son and want
70 work out chemical problems don
let the conventions of your world keep
you from donning overalls.
And II you are a little shop girl who
prefers reading Browning and Maeter-
linck to going out, Just let your COM
rades call you goody-goody. That can
never hurt you as It would do for you
to deny your better nature It's ehance
of expression.
Whatever your vocation. wherever your
place In the scheme OF things, you may
feel called TO something finer and bigger
Don't stife these splendid yearninss'
Work them out. In being your true
self lies your chance for place In ire