Evening star., 1934-02-01

been rebuffed and, because Of his gen.
uine love for humanity. feels it more
than the average, He feels that it Is
not to be put up with. He will not
stand for it! But if he will not, what
can he do about it? There is a belief
among men that nothing ought to be
greater than one can bear, but every
one who looks faithfully into his own
heart and mind knows this is not true
doctrine. The difficulty comes in see-
ing it for other people.
One may silently bless those who
bring out such wit as one has. because
they insensibly add to the Joy of life
and often help tie one to society
whose members are not so invariably
good.
AS we have said, there Is no telling
just who this happy person will be. He
may be one whom one seldom sees. but
always with pleasure.
He may be, indeed, the last person in
the world one would suspect of bringing
out flow Of wit.
But there he stands In the doorway,
probably at the Office, urging one on to
say something good.
Can one disappoint him?
Not If one can help it,
There is a gleam of expectancy in
his eyes, as II he were saying to him.
self This fellow is good, he always says
something good"
Perhaps this is the secret of such a
friend. after all.
He expects.
How can one be as wise and witty as
one may when a sour face is looking
at one, as If saying, do the best you
can, but you will never please mel"
Expectancy is a great thing, in any
realm. but particularly so in the mental.
1t Is akin to hope. that great prophy-
Tactic, but different, because 1t repre-
sents sort of solid attitude. as if a
statue stood on tiptoe waiting for dawn.
Hope is. or at least ought to be, ac-
tive in every way, but this good mental
expectancy of which we speak may be
perfectly static without forfeiting one
degree of its potency,
Behind 1t lies faith faith that one
will deliver.
Yet there is very active ingredient
in his attitude. after all.
He removes. as by the very alchemy
Of love, all doubt and hesitation that
one can be witty.
Only he who. as a child, was forced
to listen to other human beings declare.
You think you're smart, don't you?"
can altogether understand the value Of
another human being who never seems
to think that
The wit-winning friend who comes,
now and then, and stands in the door
way, as if daring one to do ones best
for him in the way Of a Joke or a small
pleasantly of the everyday. is first and
foremost one who says not You think
you're smart" but i think you are
smart"
There is a great deal Of difference.
He who really thinks you are smart
because in the past you have performed
smartly. in the conversational way will
always have that belief in his head, that
you are clever and witty and that you
Will be able to perform again, If he
provides the proper spark
The beauty of it all is that it so often
works out that way. because trust and
faith have co-operated with expectancy
to produce something good.
1t is combination which does not
often fail. having in it more than a
mere appeal to pride, more than a mere
belief that one will make good"
There Is knowledge. in that beamng
face, that one possesses the power to
say something worth hearing
1t is knowledge which one one's
self does not always possess. but. feel
Ing that faith, tries ones best to make
come true. And sometimes the results
are surprisingly good.