Although we may not be able

Although we may not be able to explain why, moat of us are conscious of the fact that we have a liking and a certain amount of aptitude for music. Someone has well called it the most universal avocation, meaning that it is the thing we most naturally turn to for a hobby, when we would study, briefly, our reasons for liking music.

We like music because it instills in us a sense of well-being; it sets us up, so to speak, both physically and emotionally. We seem to be endowed with some sort of mechanism that reacts and responds to sounds. „

Another, and very important, reason for our liking music is the fact that its domain is so largely outside our ordinary world, its field of operations so entirely beyond these sensory impressions and physical reactions. We may not be able to help reacting to music physically, but our greatest enjoyment of it eomes from the fact that its world is so largely one of memory, imagination, and feeling. In the midst of a humdrum, practical, pressing world, one which badgers and confuses, music takes us outside ourselves,, transports us, as nothing else can, into another existence. What haunts our minds and captures our spirits is music’s peculiar blend of things that exist best in ■the memory, and its suggestion of things that have never really existed at all.

National Smile Week

" According to bulletins — and ‘ whence they come, no man can ■tell— this is National Smile Week.

Its purpose is not a false one. No suggestion is offered that you forget your troubles. The purpose is to spread sunshine by being pleasant in appearance. Greet your fellow man as if the entire world bad a rosy hue just because be hove into sight. Spread your face and make him feel assured that your day would have been a complete failure had you not chanced * to view bis countenance.

Tbe doctors will tell you that it takes so-many muscles to frown or scowl, and only a few to smile. The frown radiates discomfort and gloom to your fellow man, while the smilerequires much less . effort on your part—spreads cheer and good will. Goodness knows, there’s little enough cheer and good-will running around loose, eo if squeezing a few seldom-used muscles will help, all of us should put forth the effort.

’Tis admitted that a smile is difficult at times. Man is not given to a cheery countenance when he strikes his shin on a rocker. Neither does he wear the appearance of the Cheshire-cat when the apple season is bad and business is worse. ••

Now, the preachers may expound that a lie "is the intention to deceive," but even the best of tiie preachers will hold that it doesn’t hang dn the wrong side of the recording-angel’s ledger if you try to help lessen gloom with a good, broad grin even if times do not warrant it.

"Laugh; and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone," was one of the few sayings thrown about in the oldfashioned schools. This can’t, be termed a particularly brilliant bit of wording. It is too logical. Laughing—smiling—is a companionable act. Who wants to sit down by himself and laugh like an idiot? The main pleasure of a good laugh is in sharing it. And when a fellow wants to cry, gracious knows, h« doesn't want com- ' pany! Neither does he'cry better for sharing it, nor does he want another to cty with him. He take* his misery alone because he like* It better that way. Likewise, he takes his laughing with his friends, for there it is a better laugh.

The only virtue reasoned so far from having this National Smile Week is this: if we try a whole week of smiling, wo will like the change so well that we will continue it throughout the entire year, ■ ■ i -»*• r; <o*r c.