Who Are Happiest And Other Stories

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"What troubles you, William?" said Mrs. Aiken, speaking in a tone of kind concern to her husband, who sat silent and moody, with his eyes now fixed upon the floor, and now following the forms of his plainly-clad children as they sported, full of health and spirits, about the room. It was evening, and Mr. Aiken, a man who earned his bread by the sweat of his brow, had, a little while before, returned from his daily labour. No answer was made to the wife's question. A few minutes went by, and then she spoke again: "Is any thing wrong with you, William?" "Nothing more than usual," was replied. "There's always something wrong. The fact is, I'm out of heart." "William!" Mrs. Aiken came and stood beside her husband, and laid her hand gently upon his shoulder. The evil spirit of envy and discontent was in the poor man's heart, -this his wife understood right well. She had often before seen him in this frame of mind. "I'm as good as Freeman; am I not?" "Yes, and a great deal better, I hope," replied Mrs. Aiken. "And yet he is rolling in wealth, while I, though compelled to toil early and late, can scarcely keep soul and body together." "Hush, William! Don't talk so. It does you no good. We have a comfortable home, with food and raiment, -let us therewith be contented and thankful." "Thankful for this mean hut! Thankful for hard labour, poor fare, and coarse clothing!" "None are so happy as those who labour; none enjoy better health than they who have only the plainest food. Do you ever go hungry to bed, William?" "No, of course not." "Do you or your children shiver in the cold of winter for lack of warm clothing?" "No; but"-- "William! Do not look past your real comforts in envy of the blessings God has given to others. Depend upon it, we receive all of this world's goods the kind Father above sees best for us to have. With more, we might not be so happy as we are." "I'll take all that risk," said Mr. Aiken. "Give me plenty of money, and I'll find a way to largely increase the bounds of enjoyment." "The largest amount of happiness, I believe, is ever to be found in that condition wherein God had placed us." "Then every poor man should willingly remain poor!" "I did not say that, William: I think every man should seek earnestly to improve his worldly affairs-yet, be contented with his lot at all times; for, only in contentment is there happiness, and this is a blessing the poor may share equally with the rich. Indeed, I believe the poor have this blessing in larger store. You, for instance, are a happier man than Mr. Freeman." "I'm not so sure of that." "I am, then. Look at his face. Doesn't that tell the story? Would you exchange with him in every respect?" "No, not in every respect. I would like to have his money." "Ah, William! William!" Mrs. Aiken shook her head. "You are giving place in your heart for the entrance of bad spirits. Try to enjoy, fully, what you have, and you will be a far happier man than Mr. Freeman. Your sleep is sound at night." "I know. A man who labours as hard as I do, can't help sleeping soundly." "Then labour is a blessing, if for nothing else. I took home, to-day, a couple of aprons made for Mrs. Freeman. She looked pale and troubled, and I asked her if she were not well." "'Not very, ' she replied....

Timothy Shay Arthur (June 6, 1809 - March 6, 1885) - known as T. S. Arthur - was a popular 19th-century American author. He is famously known for his temperance novel Ten Nights in a Bar-Room and What I Saw There (1854), which helped demonize alcohol in the eyes of the American public. His stories, written with compassion and sensitivity, articulated and spread values and ideas that were associated with "respectable middle class" life in America. He also believed greatly in the transformative and restorative power of love as is shown in one of his stories, "An Angel in Disguise". He was also the author of dozens of stories for Godey's Lady's Book, the most popular American monthly magazine in the antebellum era, and he published and edited his own Arthur's Home Magazine, a periodical in the Godey's model, for many years.

Now a new series on Peacock with Rainn Wilson, THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS is part travel memoir, part humor, and part twisted self-help guide that takes the viewer across the globe to investigate not what happiness is, but WHERE it is. Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Qatar, awash in petrodollars, find joy in all that cash? Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy? In a unique mix of travel, psychology, science and humor, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions.

Rich in detail, shrewdly observed, and vividly narrated, these 6 tales include "Three Deaths," "The Three Hermits," "The Devil," "Father Sergius," "Master and Man," and the title story.

Curl up with this delicious collection of bite-sized treats from the queen of feel-good fiction! A Recipe for Happiness takes you through a year with No.1 bestselling author Jo Thomas and includes seven heartwarming short stories, tons of mouth-watering new recipes and some personal family memories for an insight into Jo's life and loves, along with an extract of her most recent novel. It's perfect for fans old and new! **Jo Thomas' new novel COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS is out now in ebook and paperback!** Your favourite authors love Jo Thomas: 'Bursting with flavour, adventure and romance' Ruth Jones 'Delicious and delightful - Jo sweeps you away to a better place with every book, which are always filled with warmth, love and a big spoonful of happiness' Veronica Henry 'Heart-warming, moving and romantic, with beautiful settings - what could be better?' Katie Fforde

Now featuring new research and the most current information on the science of happiness, this book presents an outline of the nine choices happy people consistently make. Also included are tools for self-assessment to allow readers to measure happiness-and to find out what might be holding them back from having more of it. Insightful, intimate, and inspiring, How We Choose to Be Happy lets readers learn by example, and take substantial steps toward joining the ranks of the extremely happy.