"Cheerfulness comes from health and hope. Animal spirits make us cheerful in the enjoyment of life and its sensations, but hope and charity give a spiritual cheerfulness, and even gayety of manner, which is very delightful. As far as possible, we should never show gloom or melancholy to those around us. If we carefully conceal what is unpleasant in our bodies, we should do no less with our humors or dispositions. We should never let it be seen that we are angry, cross, peevish or low-spirited, where such mental states can give disquiet or pain to others. But the best way is never to be angry, cross, peevish, fretful or disagreeable."
The above came from "The Glory of Woman or Love, Marriage and Maternity" by Monfort Allen and Amelia McGregor, published in 1896.
Imagine what the world would be like if nobody was ever disagreeable!
Margaret xx
If only! Tolerance, good manners and empathy seem in short supply now and it is a delightful surprise to meet with a genuine smile from a shop worker, rather than a grunt and a scowl!
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