The Washington herald., 1917-10-14
DR.. MARDEHS UPuFT TALKS.
The Part Hope Plays in Our Lives.
BY oRIsoN SWEET MARDEN,

BY 0RIsOy SWEET MARDEN,
Author Of Pushing to the Front" Etc.
know q man OF remarkable nat
ural powers who has achieved very
little. because all his life he has been
handicapped by his expectancy OF III
health, OF diseace. He came from a
consumptive family. Most OF his an
cestors had died OF consumption. In
his youth everybody kept reminding
him that he had probably inherited
the disease. and he grew up with
that conviction so fixed in his mind
that he never expected to be strong
or really well or to live long. He
was influenced to such an extent by
his expeCt7r,Cy Of becoming a victim
of tuberculosis that ne chose his life
work net from a liking for it. but
because he thought 1t would fit a
very weak constitution. Whether the
disease he fears develops or not, his
expectancy OF it has practically ruined
asi' life.
upon he mind of a child the prob
ABILITY of his always being a weak
Ing or of being fatally Handicapped
by Some hereditary faint which will
interfere very seriously with his ca
reer. 1t is practically cOndemning him
to weakness and possible failure be-
cause it is almost as impossible to
disIodge or to erase from the mind
1VUnN ITO 1Nah H.,
the mind of the child as 1t would be
to erase from the full-grown tree
the initials cut in the tender bark
of the sapling.
Ch'ldfen should be reared in the
assurance OF good health. They should
be taught to expect to be strong,
healthy. robust. immune to disease.
They should be trained to expect
a grand future, to anticipate a glo-
rious career. and superb health to
back up their ability. Their pos
sibilities should be frequently pictured
10 them in such a way that they
would expect a great deal Of them
selves.
There Is nothing like holding a gIo-
rious vision of the future; nothing
like expecting that to come to us
which IL betting the children OF the
king Of kings. There is no stimulus
like believing that We are going to
win out in a grand way; not neces-
sarily in a big way, but in a big-man
way; that We are going to succeed in
eIf-expressiOn to the full; that we
Are going to bring out the largest
ossible percentage Of our possibili-
es; that We are going to succeed in
our character; that we are going to
develop a rich. noble personality. In
other words. it is the greatest of
tonics to believe that we are going
TO do the thing that the Creator had
in mind as possible for Us when He
created us; that we are going to make
the most possible out of the stuff that
was given US; that We are not going
to hide our talent in a napkin, but
to invest it. to enlarge it, to make It
something beautiful.
The optimistic outlook. the habit of
expectation of good. glorious things
to come to one, will mean everything
to ones career. 1t will make all the
difference between a sour, bitter.
gloomy life, and one of cheer, of hap
piness, of Joy. Expect to be happy, and
you are already happy. Multitudes
Of people are not happy because they
never expect to be happy. On the
contrary. they expect to be miser-
able. They are always looking for
something to make them unhappy;
they are always seeing unfortunate
things ahead of them; snags ahead,
failures, disappointments, heartaches,
Affections. losses of all sorts.
Now, this Is not the way to face
life; this is not the way to look
ahead. No matter how the present
may seem to contradict its POSSIBLE
itA, we should look for brightness, for
good cheer. The only way to attain
a thing is to expect It; to work for 1t,
to look forward to It, to struggle to-
ward II, with all the wisdom and en-
ergy we can muster. That's the way
we accomplish everything in life.
Few of US ever stop to think
what a tremendous part expectancy
plays in our lives. We are always
looking forward. Hope always
goes ahead with bright, aIIuring
pictures on her banner. expectancy
Of better things.
Take the poor day laborer work
ing for mere pittance. barely
making living. Although he has
never lived in real comfort, has
never been surrounded by anything
like ideal conditions, he is always
. hoping for something better. Even
though he may have reached the
age of declining powers and dim
infshing returns that blessed hope
which is the boon of human beings
under the most trying conditions
still buoys him up. gives him cour-
age for the next days task. takes
the drudgery out of his work. 1t
is the home he yet hopes to have.
80 which he expects to enjoy
.5gNe day that keeps up his cour-
Hps keeps him going and takes the
sting out of his misfortunes and
diAppointments.
There are muItitudes of people
today.> happy and in good circum-