A Cheerful Soul

1902

"Hanks always looks on the bright side of everything. Do you know what he said when he lost his job the other day?"
"I haven't heard."
"He seemed to be quite cheerful over it. 'You see,' he explained, 'I applied for a raise of salary nearly six months ago and didn't get it. Think of how much more I would have had to lose if they'd given me the increase." — Chicago Record-Herald.


He Dropped the Subject

He was talking to the pessimistic, sharp-tongued damsel.
"Have you noticed," he asked, "that, as a general thing, bachelors are wealthier than married men?"
"I have," she replied.
"How do you account for it?" he inquired.
"The poor man marries and the rich one doesn't," she answered. "A man is much more disposed to divide nothing with a woman than he is to divide something." — Chicago Post.

"Smile Club," the Latest in New York

1910

NEW YORK. — Miss Sara Carolyn Stright is the originator of the club which has just been started. In its few weeks of existence it has gained 75 members and they are widely scattered.

Florida is represented and California. There is a Wisconsin man who has joined and this is how his joining came about: A New York city man went to Buffalo on business and was asked by a stranger with whom he was talking: "What order are you?"

"Smile," returned the New Yorker, beaming on the questioner and pointing to the tiny gold pin with the words "The Smile Club" on it.

"I'd like to be a Smile myself," and so the Wisconsin man joined the ranks of the Smile club.

"There is a great demand for such a club and we are trying to fill it," said Miss Stright at her home, 241 Park place, Brooklyn, according to the New York Evening Telegram. "We appeal to the best in every one, and we appeal to all classes. The uneducated are seeking happiness as earnestly as the most highly developed persons. We are working out the ideal of innumerable people in the simplest way possible.

"It is somewhat misleading to call ourselves simply the Smile club. But if people would only realize the real meaning of 'smile' it wouldn't be misleading at all. We shall help people to forget themselves, to eliminate all destructive criticism and thoughts and to see good, and good only, in people. They must love life — animal life as well as human life — and God's out of doors above all things.

"One of the aims of the Smile club is to build a summer home for little city children who could not otherwise go to the country. The atmosphere will be entirely of sunshine, smiles and cheer on all sides. Nothing that is unhappy or unclean or unwholesome will be even mentioned."

No Monopoly of Brains

1905

Hopeful Sign That Proves This the Age of Opportunity

One of the most hopeful signs of the times is the apparent decay of the breed of so-called great men — those mighty personalities that in former times stood out like a solitary tree in a vast prairie.

The reason for it, of course, is the distinction of all those old-time monopolies of brains which stunted all human beings except a few who, by chance rather than by superiority of fibre, grew and developed. There are thousands, literally thousands, of men now living who, if they had lived a century or so ago and had done a work similar to which they are doing without any very sonorous fanfare upon the trumpets of fame, would have been the talk of the world and the main topic of history.

And how many of the so-called great achievements of so-called great statesmen, soldiers and thinkers of former times would be impossible to-day, because those achievements depended chiefly upon the ignorance and incapacity of the overwhelming mass of the men of their day!

Truly, this is the age of opportunity. — Saturday Evening Post.

Advertisement (1895) — Two Frogs in The Milk Can Fable

Middletown, New York, 1895

TWO FROGS.

Once upon a time, two frogs without being consulted in the matter, found themselves shut up in a milk can and on their way to market. They soon found they could not live below the surface, and they had to kick vigorously in order to keep your heads above the milk. One of them, after working hard for a time, became discouraged and said, "There's no use kicking longer; let's give up and go the bottom." The other frog said, "Oh, no, let's keep on kicking as long as we can, and see what the outcome will be; we may get out alive yet." The other frog said, "It's no use," and went to the bottom. The other frog did not give up but kept on kicking, and when the can was opened he had kicked out a lump of butter on which he was floating with ease. The moral is plain — during such times as these, do not get discouraged and go down, but keep right on kicking, and perhaps a few more kicks will bring the butter.

We take this opportunity to remind you that we are still kicking way at 30 North street, and will appreciate very much any orders or business that you can give us or turn our way.

Our special kick, to-day, is Japanese Tooth Brushes. The Japs beat the world on good Tooth Brushes at low prices. We've captured a window full of 'em. Try one with our Ivory Tooth Wash.

McMonagle & Rogers, Druggists.

—Middletown Daily Argus, Middletown, New York, March 18, 1895, p. 5.