The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-04-30
cHEERFULNEss

A cheerful man extracts all the In.
nocent joy he can out of the time as n
passes, and does not worry. He does
not fret and forbode, and spoil life's
sunshine today, in the fear that there
may be no sunshine tomorrow. He is
not disturbed by small evils. for he
KNOWS that the chief secret of comfort
hes In not suffering trif1es to vex him,
ana In prudently cultivating an under
growth of small pleasures, since great
ones rarely come to any of US and new
er last long. 1t is the little, everyday
pleasures and enjOyments that are the
most satisfying. Live today. instead
OF living in anticipation of a good time
tomorrow. Do not grumble, but use
TO the full resources Of happiness that
are available. Happiness depends up
on the treatment of what we have, and
not of what we have not; happiness is
made, not found; 1t comes from with
in, and not from without. If we will to
Keep well and live long and be happy
we must open our hearts to the heal
Ing influences of nature, and cease to
despise simple pleasures. Adapt our
selves to existing circumstances and
use the opportunities of enjoyment that
come our way, cultivating small pleas
ures, making the most of our blessings
and always trying to look on the bright
side of things, and happiness will sur
prise us unawares. The world is like
looking-glass. Laugh at it, and it
laughs back; frown at it, and it frowns
back. Each of u.s." says Ruskin, "as
we travel the way of life, has the
choice, according to our working, of
turning all the voices of nature into
one song of rejoicing; or of whitening
and Quenchlng her sympathy into
fearful withdrawn silence of condem-
nation, or into a crying out Of her
stones, and a shaking of her dust
against u.s." Nothing Is better under
stood than that there is a connection
between cheerfulness and good diges-
ton. What an astonishing amount
and variety of food can be disposed
of and perfectly digested at one sit
ting of two or three hours by a COM
pany of cheerful and happy, not to say
jolly and merry, old friends This one
fact Is worth more than all else to
show the dependence of the digestive
powers on the state of mind. Emerson
says: 1.-THE more of the cheerfulness or
good temper that is spent, the more
of it remains" Cheerfulness is helpful
every day and every minute. 1t grows
upon itself and is contagious. 1t gives
elasticity to the spirit; specters fly be-
fore it, difficulties cause no despair,
for they are encountered with hope,
and the mind acquires that happy dis
position to improve the opportunities
which lead to success. Without cheer
fuIness you cannot enjoy perfect phys
ical, mental or moral health. The best
tonic in the world is that which is i'm
parted to the body through the mental
ity. Just to be glad. This is the cry
of the human heart. Gladness is the
power to live in the present: to make
the moment rich either with work or
contemplation. To dwell on the care
and vicisSitudes of life Is to court sOr-
row, i'll health, dependency and death.
The mind that considers too closely the
evils of the world comes finally to par
take of the character of those evils.
Learn to laugh. Cultivate the mon
sense" in you. Cultivate that part of
your nature that is quick to see the
side of things, to the end that
thus you shall be enabled to shed many
of Iifes troubles as the plumage of the
bird sheds rain. Fun Is better for a
sick child than medicine: and after all,
we are but grown-up children, and
whether sick or well we should en-
deavor to be cheerful. So cheer up!
Our misgivings may not be true, and
that cheerfulness is one of
the best tonics in the world. LEARN
HOW TO LIVE.