The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1922-01-11

back; it is stronger than you. Per-
haps you endow Libraries and hospitals
and supply endless red flannel shirts
for the savage in Timbuctoo but, God
help you, nor your amassed gold, nor
your Wanting charities, bring you any
happiness.
Some there are-we call them earn
al; and medical lore tells us they are
legion-who seek happiness through
their mouths; guzzlers and gormand-
| lists. They live to eat or to drink.
Look around among your friends and
note how many there are whose SUI
! premest joy seems to be found at the
table or bar. The poor wretch who
seeks solace and happiness in those
directions soon deserves our pity. A
doddering drunkard or senile gournl-
and is the end of all such. At first,
! perhaps, for a few minutes, there is
unspeakable bliss in exhilarating wine
or dainty Wand But much demands
more. The appetite grows with indul-
gence Indigestion, Nightmares,
spooks, snakes, ten thousand demons
with Tapping ears, burning eyes, curly
zig UdllS dIld louI -ClIlCu 1OIh dIC IAAO
retinue of indulgence. Happiness
Bah! One had better not have been
! born.
i And so we might go on, passing in
review the various means we poor
mortals take to accomplish one of the
ends for which we are supposed to
have been made, the pursuit and grab
bing of happiness. / have seen many
in that pursuit, weary and foot-sore,
well nigh dispirited, and legions of
them fallen by the wayside. But those
are the ones who do the pursuing"
metaphorically speaking. Never have
seen fellow who really did some
good, hard physical and actual "pur-
suing" fail utterly to catch and to hold
at least good big chunk Of happiness.
The man who believes in and consist
emily practices healthy, normal ex-
ercises, naturally cannot indulge in
any so-called excuses. He hasn't the
time and besides they don't appeal to
him. His body is in trim condition,
his mind works easily, he gets at life
with vim and enthusiasm, and if he
meets reverses, they do not embitter
him. He starts afresh and smilingly.
It's good fun. And the competence he
is eventually sure to reach means in
finitely more happiness to himself and
to all about him than the great riches
of him who pursues riches for their
own sake. The physically active man
goes to bed wholesomely tired. I don't
mean necessarily the poor fellow who
has to work hard with his hands all
day, back-breaking work. But even he
will find comfort and diversion in some
form of exercise that is different from
his regular work, pleasurable, ex-
hilarating exercise. 1t tires one, but
he sleeps blissfully. No Nightmares
and snaky things for him. The form
of exercise he likes particularly may
be game in which there is keen COM
petition, golf, tennis, racing. He does
his best, his desire is to excel, but if
beaten by better man there is no
:, rancor. He doesn't swear vengeance
nor stay up nights devising means Of
circumventing his enemy" as does
the man who is pursuing" success,
his temper is serene, his digestion
good, his view of life broad and SYM
pathetic. He can love some and enjoy
the loving as no other can; he can eat
sanely and digest his food without
! realizing the process is going on; he
can succeed; he can even become great,
as the world understands that word,
and all without bitterness and carking
care-so long as he keeps in mind that
physical well-being, health and manly
vigor constitute the one great happi-
ness he is sworn to pursue.
I But you cannot daily with it. You
must keep on pursuing and ever at it.
Yet it becomes pleasurable sort OF
run. You see, you have the goal right
with you; it isn't something always in
the distance, only it's goal you can't
plant down and sit on and grow fat.
You must keep a-going.
Talk to me about great souls in puny
bodies, unwashed saints, and prophe-
tic hermits. Bah! and again POUNDS!
You get them, perhaps, once in while,
freaks of nature like seven-toed pup
pies. But give me the good, big,
clear-eyed, clean-bodied, physically
- sound and active man. Not neces
!, sarily a great athlete, but an active
i outdoor fellow, lover of real sport
|: and healthful exercise. If he can't
indulge in expensive games, he can at
least go out and tramp in the country
:, land few exercises are as good as
walking). If he's city man and busy
in shop or office, surely he can get up
an hour or two earlier and saw wood
and run around the block and fill his
lungs with better air than that he finds
in bedroom or store He can always
battle in cold water-the most effective