The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-06-23
To the Legion Of the Cheerful.

An unusual welcome has been given TO
the message of the man in khaki which
we passed on to Herald readers some
weeks ago. "Tell her." said he, as the
soldier train started, chat our first vic
tory must be cheerfulness--a wen dig
ourselves in to hold IT," He little
dreamed, this man so staunchly tender,
that his words would reach such numbers
of people besides that one woman upper
most in his thoughts. Yet, should he
ever chance to hear of what has come to
pass, we trust him to smile good natured-
| ly and forgive our invasion of his right
! full privacy. There are so many these
| days who need such a message as hist
From near and far have come the re-
| sponses to our proposal that legion of
the cheerful be formed at once to with
stand the assaults of anxieties, hardships
and losses, to do away with gloomy talk
and depressed action. Indeed, our man in
khaki SENS to rival the wonderful Roose-
welt in power to draw valiant host aft,
er him. Better still, his legion is sure
of prompt welcome into the nations
fighting army. We therefore proceed
forthwith to salute the Legion of the
Cheerful and to issue, as it were, the
order of the day.
The victory of eheerfulness, it is here
by bulletined is never TO be sought by
indifference to actual conditions or neg
lect OF the duties they impose. On the
contrary, it is to be won by buoyaney of
spirit in full view OF conditions as they
- kxr Erv. raftt1aI 80, lat III fnrahnIiuns
make them worse than they really are,
and by courageous self-giying to help
meet and master them. These three reg
ulations should be thoroughly fixed in
mind and strictly maintained in action
by all recruits in the Legion OF the
Cheerful.
When Thomas Carlyle heard of Marga |
ret Fuller's declaration that she had |
made up her mind to take the universe |
as she found it, the old sage chortled: |
Cad she'd betterl' The sooner we do I
the same in this dazing war business,
so like the universe in its dire ineyita-
blities and mysteries of suffering /
through mans strange blend of evil and
good, the sooner and the more surely will /
the end of il all be ours TO welcome. The
spirit of a people has often been the de-
Gliding factor in the ordeal of war. COP
timism," as writer in the British Week
ly recently said, optimism is the invari
able specific for success in war" Depres
sion, gloom, dark breeding are the
worn stones in the descent to the inferno
Of incompetence, helplessness, delayed
victory and even ultimate defeat. This,
we know. is true eyermore in our indi-
vidual life struggles. 1t is just as true
Of nations.
And the heart of a nation, whence
flows the vitality that nerves and en-
powers the whole body, is its homes. If
hey be depressed. weakened OF cheer
ind buoyant courage, the nation will be
ike a man whose heart is functioning
transformations unable to achieve. The
deepest reason for eheerfulness is that it
S the surest way TO end troubles which .
We must face until we ourselves end
hem. While young men are training.
While munition plants are turning ont
vars terrible tools, while shipyards are !
fashioning a host Of sea !
ervants, while Red Cross funds and sup
lies are growing like summers yield I'M
Ter the warmth Of our love and compass '
ion. we who are left in the homes OF I
he land must generate in fullest stores {
he spirit Of victory, the cheer Of the !
ndaunted and overcoming heart. For
his only can send the thrill OF power :
Trough all the rest Women arc the O
most valuable recruits in making up the ;
sgion Of the CHEERFUL which must do this g
part in winning victory. :
bat they. alas. suffer most from the ter {
ors OF war. Home bound men should 2
therefore, see 70 81. BY al that manhood's &
trength ad tenderness can devise, that q
othing y left undone TO help them win
his victory. 30 shall victory he ours e
I the front-snd then. then only, viii d
1r troubles end-Boston Herald. {.