Evening star., 1925-01-01
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

mother" Yes-yes-how can you
| judge-maybe what you did was a
| crime, now after all-maybe you de-
served to be shot at sunrise for hav-
| ing dared to touch an elbow without
a proper introduction-rnayb
Lord, I'm glad 1 haven't such dis
position,
Yes this is a terrible necessity we
are under, to be as happy as we can
Mind you, not happy If there Is need
| for unhappiness There Is such a
| thing as unhappiness, just the same
as there is such thing as sickness.
| The very fact that certain words ex-
| ist in our beautiful language stamps
| the existence of the qualities for
which they stand as bona fide- I'm
| less they had been, the word for them
would never have been, either.
So there is an unhappiness that is
rightly held, because the cause is
just Such a cause may be terri
| BILE thing in itself, yet II has being
| 1t is something, one cannot rebuH IL
| with a sneer. To those who are un-
happy because there is no other way
| for them to be, one can send only
sympathy. Yet many of these cases
are as they are because of the mental
| state accompanying them.
There was an old lady in one of
| the local homes who expressed the
wish that she might die. Life held
nothing more for her.
Then a radio set was installed by
| her bed, and 10, the superintendent
| of that home writes that Mrs
wishes to live now, since she has a
! radio"
This Is real necessity we are
| under. to be as happy as we may, be-
| cause each one of us influences every
| other person with whom he comes
| into contact
The unconscious influence of the
suggestions of others is commonly
! not held In enough regard Most of
| us are inclined to laugh at such a
| doctrine, perhaps believing that tco
much stress is placed upon it. Yet
! every one knows cases of children
stunted for life in their mental and
| character habits by the constant
| reiteration of parents that Johnny
| isn't any too bright"
This underestimation of others,
especially children, is something that
will be treated more fully tomorrow
in this column. I mention it here to
| bring out the point that each one of
us is under a necessity of bein &
! happy, not only because Of ourselves,
! but also because of the influence we
have upon others.
We ought to be happy, too. because
we have so many things to be happy
| about, and with. No other age in
| history had radio, for example. Think
| of the sport of hearing Santa Claus
| talk from 10 different cities,
| Think of the infinite JOY of tunin g
| in a church service and listening to
! the minister say, "and now while we
take up the collection, let US recall
| that il is more blessed TO give than
| to receive.
We turn the dials. tuning in an
| other service in a distant city. The
minister is speaking. And now,
| lection. let US remember that 1t is
| more blessed to give than"
X
| We ought to be happy because we
are warm in Winter, have enough
| food to eat, because our city is great
| and our country is greater.
| We ought to be happy because we
| cherish the instinct of happiness
| planted deep down in the very roots
| of our being.
We ought to water it, and tend 1t
| like the precious blossom 1t is, the
| very flower of human life.
If our unhappiness is ingrained,
| something that seems born with us,
/ and hard to eradicate, nevertheless
| we should try to get at the cause
| and remove il, if at all possible.
| If the encumbering unhappiness is
| self-applied, in very shame we should
| tear it off and cast II forth from our
| home and hearth forever
We must be happy.