The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-10-05

| RETIRING FROM BUSH Ess-There are few
men, perhaps, however active their habits, who
do not contemplate retiring, at some time, from
business. They only wait, in fact, till they shall
have acquired, as they say, ''enough." FIRE.
quently that golden period never arrives. Mis-
| fortune, sometimes, is the cause; and sometimes
an increasing desire for wealth; but, perhaps,
| four men out of Eve, who contemplate retiring,
| ..die in the harness. We are not sure that il
is the best for them after ALL Everybody re-
| members the anecdotc of the London soapboiler,
who, upon retiring a millionaire, became so
| ensuicd, that he went back to his old shop, and
begged to be allowed to work two hours every
day for amusement. The story may be apocry
phal, but is founded at least, in truth. Men,
accustomed to a certain routine through long
life, find themselves, when deprived Of that
routine, to use a common phrase, "like fish out
OF water They do not know what to do with
themselves. They miss the active occupation
for the mind, even il they do not feel the want
of their accustomed exercise. Their digestive
organs fail, their temper becomes irritable
Without their old habits which had become the
key stone of their happiness, as it were, their
life is no longer symmetrical, but becomes a
wreck to themselves, if not to others. The ruin
Of many a man, indeed, may be traced to retir-
ing from business.
lie who understands the philosophy of hu-
man nature, will never abandon his business,
however, rich he may become, unless he has
other resources to fall back upon. II he cult
Yates taste for science, literature, or the fine
arts if he intere SITS himself in the Of edu-
cation, temperance, prison discipline, or the
other reforms Of the age, he will find himself,
when he retires from business, not wholly with
out food for his energies, he will have secured
happiness for his declining years. But there are
few Americans who do this. They seem 10
think that, in the prime of life, man has no time
for ANYTHING hut making money. Short-sighted
wisdom, For nature avenges herself on such
persons, by makiSg them, in the end, fit for
nothing else, Just as she withers the arm which
the Fakeer ties up, or deforms the limb which
he holds horizontally for years.
Not only the happiness ofthe individual re-
firing from business, but the good Of society al
so, would be advanced by less exclusive con-
centration of every faculty on money getting
The republic wants good citizens, not mere ac-
cumulators It requires men of enlarged ,ho't
not mere narrow minded traders. Even while
actively engaged in business, that citizen is the
best who interests himself in the affairs Of the
day; takes part in all great reforms; in short
does his duty to society as well as to himself and
his family. Such men, also, when they retire
from business, become our wisest philanthropists,
and sometimes our most statesmanlike legisa-
tors. Their great experience Of affairs, their
high character, their wealth, their unemployed
time, and the hundreds of acquaintance whom
they are able to influence, give them an envia-
BILE position az .sdoers of good" Who does not
know such persons! Who has not known
such persons? Who has not wished there were
more Of thems