Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-01-03
ny MARGAREE WILDE

Ffhe humor germ within my being.
Now, whoever heard of a humor
germs, to think of anyone springing
q new one on you like that!
Anyhow. that's just like she wrote
it to me in her letter the olner Gay,
and so I'm wondering IL TINS
wouldn't be a germ really o' WORTH
from germ killers, this striving 10
keep one alive-and growing.
All. welcome to the humor germ germ
to obtain an anti for same. Than
far-wen, Wen say the flu, for
instance. Morning grouchiness
fades away at the approach OF its
sun-kiSsed rays. Blue MONDAY 1or-
antics upon beholding after-Christ-
mas bills subside meekly into
forgive me, dear" smile.
Brother hands over the cor coin rd ae
Little brother runs errands and
miraculously returns sooner than eN-
Bis sis ceases to use you as
dumping ground for her lately &C
quired sarcasm.
Aunt Janet withholds her latest
lectures dealing with You should 40
Know the rest, while mother doesn't
seem to mind DG4.5 pipe nor MAKE
him miserable any more by casting
out prickly hints as to how long a
nine can be used as 4 SmokeStack
before it gains strength enough to
walk alone! All, no, mother now
merely takes a puff or two herSelI
to make sure it's the same old pipe
never guessing it's oh, you humor
germ, undergoing your terminating
Now. it's all quite simple to out
line and all that, but when 1t comes
down to realities, just how many OF
us can actually pack up our trou-
bIes and smile, smile, smile" when
everything is "anti' for smiling?
How many can hre up a spark OF
humor when there's no humor in
sight and as for looking for it one
might Just as well be searching for
the proverbial needle in the hay
stack?
arm encouraged a little ever so often,
you'll soon be able to find a smile
where once you'd have solemnly
sworn no smile could show itself.
Possibly it isn't everyone who
would smile as this woman dld.
Here it is just as she wrote it. Think
we'n head the "Humor Germ Devel-
opers'" list with her name. Don't
you? 1t begins:
"Resolved, To further develop the
humor germ within my being.
Yes, 1 mean just that. You'll be
surprised I know, still it's only an
other surprise I'm springing on you
now to keep company with the many
gone before.
used to always have a kick, didn't
I? And crouch at every passing IN
convenience, while l burdened my
friends with my dismal Wa1llngs
over my imaginary woes; now those
same thoubles seem silly nothlngs
to me any more, because I've learned
to live. and be some good In the
world. at last! I've learned how to
serve nv fellow man, to spin like
q spider in all directions, gathering
T in women, children and even consta-
bIes into my web Of love- on, l
forget the exact wording, but you
remember that quotation from To1-
It's servicei The keynote to all
happiness. So my life has become
very rich and very full OF blessings,
indeed You know once 1t was IulI
of empty nothingness. Just to prove
fun out of what, to me, would once
have been a heart-rending tragedy.
let me tell you the following:
1t had rained torrents the night
through, it seemed to me, regular
"east spelP' was on, and you know
how they always "get me going:
when / arose next morn I went IN
the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Well! Water had flowed freely down
the stove pipe, coming through me
+. lust so it wasn't "fu'' coming downA
The stove was wet and mussy, with
water over and inside it..
The pretty crisp sash curtains
that I'd only, put up the Day 9eIo[ -
give that "Christmassy air., hung
linn and bedraggled and otherwise
soaked-just for the world ike tns
mornin' after"
And. there at the east end OF said
Kitchen. water stood in puddles. TO
make matters worse, if possible, the
rain had flowed in r1vulets or river
lets down the old chimney, and
there was one corner of the hearth
stone bearing its blackened burden
of grimy, sooty water, which LOOK
ed like a sickening pool. Evident
ly, the rain was washing out the
sooty old chimney preparatory TO
Thoughtful rain. that. to fix SO h nee.
not get grimy. Ell? Besides all this
the wood in the box behind the
stove was drenched, too. altogether
presenting the most forIorn, dreaFg
aspect imaginable to a woman who
had entered on breakfast bent.
I just stood there looking at the
scene before me. My face register
ed emotions, no doubt, but instead
of mounting 2my old war horse,
for wild gallop I just turned and
fled to the living room aud sat
down to think things over! At
least it was dry in here and with
the three windows to let in sun and
air-oh. yes, we don't even have to
raise 'em up and down for air! This,
house. the house of a thousand
breezes liable to breeze upon you
una wares from rear 10 afterward,
east or west, north or south, but
now I can even smile about that!
Because verify no flu germs could
abide this house with it's thousand
breeZes.
While it serves to keep out flu
germs, it assists me in developing
my humOr germ, you see, so my
"war horse" isn't being ridden any