The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-17
DR.. Marden's Uplift Talks.
Faces and Fortunes.
BY ORIsoN SWEET MARDEN.


There is a story that Luther once
invited a fellow monk TO go with him
on preaching tour. After walking
for hours in the city streets, his
companion reminded him that he had
not been preaching. Luther replied
that they were both preaching all the
time to every one they passed: that
their faces. the mental attitude which
they radiated were sermons of joy, of
cheer to all who saw them.
How true ~ is that the gods we
worship write their names on our
faces" We gradually come to resem-
BILE our ideals. the things which most
occupy our minds. Hope or fear. joy
or sorrow, success or failure event
ually reproduces itself in our express
sion of Countenance, in our manner.
in the atmosphere we carry about
with US, in our personality. The
thoughts we habitually harbor,
whether optimistic or pessimistic,
hopeful or despairing, sad or merry.
will write their record in our faces
exactly In accordance with their ma
ture.
We are all preachers of sermons of
some sort or other. All our faces as
We go about the world are constant
ly preaching the gospel of good cheer
of JOY and gladness or that of de-
spair. pessimism, disappointment.
"A cheerful, Intelligent face"
Emerson tells us. lis the end of Gull
ture, and success enough, for it indi-
Gates the purpose of nature and wis.,
dom attained.
Not what We try to appear but
what we really are, is communicated
to others. Whatever the lips may say,
the eyes, the face cannot lie. They tell
the truth even when we wish to hide
II. Some people never say unkind
things. to others faces. Even though
they say all manner of spiteful, I'M
kind things behind their backs, they
are always polite and courteous to
them when they meet. But the real
mental attitude beneath the fattering
words, asserts itself. makes itself
felt by those they try TO deceive. A
man may smile and smile and be a
villain still" but he cannot hide his
real self. Even child will sense
the real man back of the smiling
face.
Many politicians make it a practice.
especially before election, when put
ting their political fences in order. to
chuck children under the chin. take
babies in their arms and try to make
friends with them in order to win
the fathers vote. But il they don't
really love lHtIl tlc lllNIt oneS very
quickly see hrorgh their deceit.
have seen children instinctively
shrink away from bullying political
trickster of this type. There is some
thing In their instinct which tells
them that he is only pretender.
Animals. like children are guided
by instinct. 1t is said that ferocious
wild beasts can instantly detect q
filthy, immoral character. and THAI
such a person cannot possibly gain
any control over them. An animal sees
the real man through his eye, and is
guided by the feeling which a person
arouses in it. Dogs instinctively know
whether a stranger is a friend or a
foe, whether he likes dogs or Is cruel
to them. st. Francis called the birds.
the fishes. the wild beasts and do
nestle animals-th. whole animal
kingdorh-his little brothers and sis
tiers, and they all loved him. because
they knew that he loved them.
Did you ever realize that your face
is a perpetual advertisement of the
things you have got 30 sell, bulletin
board which advertises what Is going
on inside of you? People can tell
pretty well by your expression what
sort of stuff you are made of. whether
Won are the master or the slave of
YOUR passion or moods. They can toll
whether you are optimist or pessi-
mist, whether you have been In the
bit Of winning or of losing In hfe's