THE WINE OF LIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15884, 3 April 1915, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE WINE OF LIFE.

BY LOrtSE EUGENIE PRICKITT. KiTHKMXK was to marry Tom, and we , were discussing tho marriage. " How 111 envy Katlierine!" exclaimed a friend. a " What !" 1 cried in astonishment, " you 1 certainly don't envy Katlierine Tom. You L have never admired Tom." " No," 1 replied the friend, laughing at the idea, I '• certainly not Tom." No, I envy L Katlierine her state of mind." 1 That speech recurs to me again and r . again, and I think that, after all. to put f; it figuratively, it is never so much Tom, however desirable, as the state of mind of t his fiancee that is to be envied all through t life. If only we could keep our spirits up f| Ito concert pitch and so learn to make n our destiny our choice," that our Tom, 1 though ho were neither handsome, rich. « nor clever, might yet always seem to us a j < prince, why. that would be to find the I <• "royal road" to happiness that so many a philosophers and sages have searched for t in vain. c Some people always seem to be having t such a good time, wherevar they are, so - much so that they actually seem to colour 1 their surroundings with cheerful hues, and < their houses are always pleasant places.no < matter how little luxurious they may be. Their names are the first ones we think of when we invite a party. Why? Well, to , make use of an automobile phrase. we t don't have to "crank" them to start ' their motors going. They are so amused ' before we commence to amuse them that : everybody else unconsciously catches the , spirit of their enthusiasm, and our party i turns out to be a success. Now. there are j other natures that, no matter what elaborate entertainment we prepare or with , what " brightest arts " we would fain 1 decoy them, are always sure to "dis- ! trustingly ask, if this be joy " Enthusiasm is the wine of life," de clared Ellen Thorncycroft Fowler, but the power of being enthusiastic seems to be I entirely a matter of temperament. The New Thought advocates claim to teach I anyone how to grow it and furnish many a i manual on the subject, but so far it remains about as difficult to change the complexion of one's mind as the colour of one's skin. The misfortunes of Little ' Em'ly seemed to have worked a miracle upon Mrs. Gummidge, but I can't help wondering if the lone and lorn " side of her nature, so long dominant, didn't reI assert itself after the more tragic aspect of the case had passed. I can't imagine, for instance, her ever looking at life in the way Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch did I am afraid the best of her cheer must always have had a Gummidgy flavour. Mrs. Wiggs' recipe for having a good time, "If you git knocked out of one plan, you want to git yerself another right quick, before your sperrits has a chance to fall." is a good one, but I suspect -Mrs. Wiggs of having been born with the comers of her mouth turned up—decided advantage—but the secret of it emanates from somewhere far back, "from o'er the gates of birth." That sudden drop in spirits, how many a failure can be laid directly to it. Just when a bit of enthusiasm is needed for the last dash to success, the reaction comes, and the hero, so to speak, falls on broken wings to earth and mediocrity. Our happiness, out success, depend upon the fortunate state of mind, and yet we cannot quite account for our possession or our lack of it. Wo sec all about us evidence that it has nothing to do with any seeming advantage, such as wealth, culture, or favourable environment. One of the happiest women I know lives in a tiny village whero there is on'.v one mail a day, which she walks a mile to a village store and post office combined to get. This modest building represents her entire shopping district.' She lives in a little house with an outside well, and never dreams of hot or cold water. The strawberry festival at the village church is her idea of social gaiety; and the world outside has the vaguest of outlines to her narrow vision. Indeed, when you are with her it seems as if the world had got out of focus, and her village was the hub round which the rest revolved. She takes me into the " front room" of her house to display to mc her gaudy parlour ornaments, her gilt-framed chromos, cheap lace curtains, red plush " parlour set," and parlour organ, and, following my glance, she says proudly, little divining my thoughts : " Yes, I'm gradually getting things about, as I want 'em." the taste is no doubt questionable, but it is not to be envied, since I am certainly a long way off from getting my " things" just as 1 want them. " Poor woman, a humdrum life." one might unreflectingly say, but her radiant face as she surveys her Saturday's baking with pride, puis the idea to scorn. I would not give up my own experience and added culture, and yet I envy her her state of mind. The fortunate state of mind has supplied many a romance so funny and so pitiful we don't know whether we ought to laugh ; or cry when they come under our notice, j The cynic may" jeer at the poor little, i romances with drab-coloured wings, yet j even such wings as these can fly above a \ ; dreary earth. j The fortunate frame o, mind has re- i '■ suited in many a comical pride. 1 came ; I across a woman who was so proud of her ; ; I son that she confided in me. This par- , - I titular son was a butcher, and her pride ' ' consisted in his being able to kill more 'pigs a day than his rivals. Again the • | cynic may' laugh, but that mother is a i [ happy woman. ' I There is a good field for amusing ■ j speculation along this line of thought in j : J considering the brail less yet vain wife j -iof a distinguished man. He is modest, ' f humble almost before his vision of Ihe unattained, but she wears his honours like i i a mantle of purple and mine.nor realises ' i how incongruously, how ludicrously even, . ' its sets upon he'' commonplace shoul--1 i ders. You may think her ridiculous, hut | - ' tell me isn't her sta'-e of mind to be enI ; vied"' Is she not more to be envied than - j tho awkward, embarrassed Socrates who : ! wearily walks in her train? Alas, the ! "shyness of scholars' of which Hiizlilt I ' wrote, has so reversed the rightful order r ; of the game that the pawn takes the king I and makes him hold her fan. . i 1 have an acquaintance who. happy s i woman, always feels well dressed and i ; stylish. I have another who enjoys being ■ a "beauty, and a third who thinks she is t, : a wit. I might dispute these qualities. I - ! might convince myself to the contrary in s : regard to them, but I cannot rub my » ; friends of the "fairy gold" that gilds their . ' lives. It is in the texture of their natures, s ! woven securely in with the warp and woof , i of their characters, f i Henry James is an astute thinker, and - i in one of hil stories occurs this passage: f "'A pretty woman''' someone said. 'Why s I her features are very had.' 'I don't know 1 ; about her features,'' a very discerning ob- >' ' server had answered, 'but she carries her I head like a pretty woman.' Of course! She e had the state of mind for it which as a s I consequence convinced two thirds of ner . j audience, and sr she bore off as many t bouquets or more as legitimate beauty r That is why so many plain women have 1 been married for their beauty, a miracle y we have all witnessed, f dare say, many v times. It's a bluff, but the bluffer doesn't e' realise she is bluffing because of her fort'J- : nato frame of mind. The New Thought v people see the miracle and have grasped f. the why of it. but will they ever be able a to furnish us all with an imitation ' ready to r wear' state of mind that shall enable us 2 whatever our real qualifications to always D confidently 'nut in our thumbs' under the crust of life s pie and triumphantly "pull ' jjjut ft ulna. 1 "