Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-11
LIF.E'S PROBLEMS
ARE DISCUSSED

But this minute take the stand
| that you are going to wipe anxiety
off the slate forever. and begin to
| form the habit of looking on the
| bright side and expecting the most
delightful things to happen.
OF course it is easier said than
done. but anything in this world
can be accomplished by persistence.
when you fall down hard, don't be-
gin to moan and say, II am worrying
twice as much as did before | tried
not to worry" Take it lightly and
admit: Il have had another awful
worrying spree, but what of it? I'll
make fresh start"
Quote Browning to yourself: II
hold we fall to rise, are batfied to
fight better. sleep to wake"
And keep on, no matter IT, like
the frog in the well. you seem to
fall back three inches every time
you climb up two.
Napoleon once wrote to his broth
er Henri: II have seen with pain
that you represent everything to
yourself on the black side. Take
resolution and stand by it with your
whole strength"
1t was my sad fate to be thrown
recently with a woman who views
life through the darkest of blue
glasses. There is no reason for 1t,
for she has everything that most
persons desire. But if the sun shines,
the glare hurts her eyes. And If it
rains, she is afraid she will take
cold She doesn't want to talk of
anything but morbid and depressing
subjects, and she uses the words
horrible" dreadful awful" more
times than l would like to count.
We drove through the woods, one
of those lovely. soft October days
when the world lies in a dream of
beauty. and all she could say about it
was that the Autumn always made
her feel so sad. 1t depressed her
unutterably to see falling leaf and
fading tree on every side.
l tried to cheer her up by point
ing out the triumphant scarlets and
Colds of the naples, the magniti-
cent russets of the oak leaves, the
wistful blue of the sky. But she re-
piled that her chauffeur was very
reckless driver and didn't half see.
and the probabilities were that we
would never get home alive.
I'm glad she couldn't read my
thoughts. l was wondering why in
a world where brave men were toss
ing. away their lives with light, high
heroism. this perfectly trivial woman
should spend all her time in attempt
ing to preserve her quite unnecessary
carcass?
People always get like her when
they begin to conserve, instead of
spending. l am not speaking of
hYtf nf tnt n
siasms and sympathy and friendli-
ness. In other words. they center
their thoughts upon themselves.
They are always bothering about
their health, and whether they should
or should not eat this or that; or they
are leaping about for fear there is
a draft somewhere. And they are al
ways ailing. The people who are
invariably wondering if they are not
going to make a mistake by follow
ing this path instead of that one,
stand forever halting at the cross
roads and never get anywhere.
1t is better to make a dozen mis-
takes than one hesitation. What are
mistakes any way? Merely mile
stones that mark our growth. And
who are we that we should. expect
to strike twelve all the time, when
the wisest and greatest of the ages
have frequently hit thirteen?
| heard of a man who got eXemp-
ton from tho draft by having his
wife swear that he was necessary
to the support of the family, when
she was receiving a good income
from he: father. He died of the in
fiuenza He gained nothing what
ever. put lost immeasurably. He
might have gone to France and been
killed or wounded, or he might have
gone through great battles without
scratch, and have returned home
in safety. But in any event he would
have retained his self respect. In
stead. he yielded to his fears, una
ware that by doing so he opencd wide
Then why worry? 1t gets us no
his doors to a thousand other fears
where, and it is surely more pleas
ant and profitable to admire the sill
YER lining, rather than silver in ter
ror at the cloud.