Don't Hunt by Adelaide Bee Evans

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 12, 1916

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 43, No. 36.

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Don't Hunt

By Adelaide Bee Evans

After

Trouble

"*No Man Sees His Shadow Who Faces the Sun.*"

By Adelaide Bee Evans

"YOU'LL never strain your eyes by looking on the bright side of things, my dear," said Aunt Ann, in her gentle way, to one who had poured a long tale of worries into her ears; "and that is more than can be said for looking at the dark side. Tears dim the eyes, and roughen the eyelids, and set dark specks and light specks dancing in all sorts of fantastic figures before you, so you can't see even the plain, ordinary, everyday side of things straight. Big, dark clouds are often made of trifles that a cheery breath would blow clear out of sight, taken soon enough.

"I remember Susie Belknap," continued Aunt Ann, a far-away look in her eyes. "She went to work early, as the girls used to do in our town, in the big printing office that buzzed and throbbed through twelve or fifteen hours of the day during busy times. That was before the eight-hour day was the fashion. But the long hours didn't bother Susie; she was greatly taken with the wonderful privilege of being permitted to earn enough money to keep bread in her mouth and a roof over her head, and never thought of complaining at the long hours.

"But she didn't get through without trials. She was set to work at 'composition,' and a teasing boy was her instructor. A rare specimen of a lad he was, too; for he set an almost 'perfect proof.' Galley after galley came back with only one or two marks. Susie was his first pupil, and he took the notion to make her work perfect too. That was a dark time for Susie. Often she'd slip away to the wash room and wipe her eyes and bathe her face; and sometimes, in spite of all, the rebellious tears would fall dripping into the little boxes of metal letters.

Crying over Johnny's Scoldings

"By and by, the proofs improved. There were fewer mistakes, and the bright side of the work began to be apparent. But about that time, something else happened — Susie's eyelids smarted constantly, and little hard, white, scratching lumps began to appear on their edges. She had to stay at home, shade her eyes from the light, and have them treated many times daily. Out of that expensive and painful experience, Susie came to a resolve — she would not spoil her eyes crying over Johnny's scoldings for her mistakes, 'for her good,' as he sometimes teasingly explained.

"She began to see that it really was for her good, though perhaps not in just the way the boy intended, and that was a real glimmer of the bright side showing through. And when she, too, could set perfect proofs, the dark cloud was turned 'inside out,' as the old rime says, and nothing but the bright and shining lining showed."

"But I don't see —"

"Susie's a good deal like the rest of us," continued Aunt Ann, serenely; "had to have a little real trouble to keep her from making it for herself. She wouldn't even try to look at the bright side when there it was all the time, but she had her eyes so filled with tears she couldn't see it.

Magnifying the Molehills

"LOOKING on the dark side has a worse effect than that on the eyes, too; it warps and changes the whole nature when it becomes a habit. Troubles are magnified so that the molehill that might be easily flattened under our feet becomes a frowning, impassable mountain, often, as likely as not, standing right in our way to the heavenly city. The influence of gloom and foreboding and anxiety is spread to all in our circle; and our friends are depressed or rebellious, according to their temperament or disposition."

"But no one else —"

"Of course you have your troubles, child; but — look on the bright side. Don't stop looking; and often your mountains of difficulty, wrapped with black clouds, will vanish like a mirage of the desert. Even real heart sorrows are more easily borne by looking at the bright side, and trusting in your heavenly Father's love and care. Moreover, the people around you will gather strength and inspiration and courage from your cheerful, pleasant presence.

"Don't hunt after trouble, but look for success. You'll find what you look for — don't look for distress. If you see but your shadow, remember, I pray, That the sun is still shining, but you're in the way. Don't grumble, don't bluster, don't dream, and don't shirk; Don't think of your worries, but think of your work. The worries will vanish, the work will be done, No man sees his shadow who faces the sun."