Poem July 19, 1900 Issue

The Secret of Happiness

Edward E. Norwood

'Tis foolish to look in the past,
Except to gain profit thereby;
Its failures good lessons should teach,
Its triumphs make courage rise high.
But here is the secret I've found,
(A treasure from Wisdom's mine),
Just do your best and wait on God,
And live one day at a time!

It seems quite easy to say,
(I'm afraid not so easy to do),
For cares and forebodings may come,
Which tend to make one feel blue;
But cheerfulness findeth a way,
And banishes every ill,
So we learn to trust, and watch, and pray,
And do our Father's will.

When troubles and trials seem real,
And we don't seem to see the way,
We should always remember the darkest hour
Comes always before the day.
So by holding fast to the good,
And pressing bravely on,
The sunshine comes where darkness had been,
And lo! our troubles are gone!