Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1858-10-01
From the Cosmopolitan Art Journa
The Philosophy Of Life.

There is the homely story of the farmers
wife, who when her husband had settled
in a new country, declared, ''that she did
not wish to be rich-that all she asked
was TO be coDltortaJIe" Time passed on,
and when the old farmer told the story on
his spouse, lie said:
seI am now worth a hundred thousand
dollars, and my wife is not conlf0rta6Ia
vet !" A truer illustration, of human ma
ture was never found. Let man begin
life with ever so moderate an estimate OF
q ffsrs,tHe with which -AilI
be contented, the passion "grows with
what it feeds upon )" and just SO surely as
success leads him to the point conteIn-
plated, he will still cling to her hand,
and compel her to lead him to farther
and farther heights. Most men, except
the lew who begin life (very unfortunate
ly) upon inherited wealth, start Oft with
the wish to acquire competency
But competency becomes a thing as
uncertain as the possibility of the old Ia
dy's becoming ''comfoftable."
Men deem themselves justified in Civ
ing themselves up, body and soul, the
first few years OF their business lite, to ac-
quire enough to warrant a living. 'Prov
be provided against" All most true. A
The only difficulty is in the setting Of a
wise and sensible boundary to the desired
living. The modest home that lay, sunny
and beautiful butAed in the love-light of
the eve of youth, before his vision, grows
apace into palace; there are far-stretch-
ing lands about the palace and costly de-
coratiOns within. 1t lies even farther
away than the charming dwelling did
but it must be attained, for his neighbor,
a little older than he, has already become
the master OF such an one. Ambition
prompts him not to linger behind. 1t is
true, his neighbor has other lines and
wrinkles in his face than the kindly hand
of well-treated Time would have placed
there-tell-tale prints of anxious hours,
of untiring hurry, of sharp speculation,
perhaps of dlshonorable thrift and unholy
covetousness but his follower sees
nothing of these he sees only the marble
and the gliding, the broad lands, and the
smiles with which all the world greets
the successful aspirant for its favor. II
there is anything dark in the history OF
the accumulation of that fortune, be sure
the glitter of the gold plays before it,
and nobody cares to drag it to the
light.
sI will not oiust as this man has done, .
says his follower: Il will not allow my
affections to wither; Will keep little
time to myself for the culture Of the beau
ties and amenities of lfe; will not forget
to be charitable my generosity shall in
crease with my means; the richer am
the more good | can do" So with self:
deception he bends himself to the work
which grows upon him and demands more
of his energies, till mind and strength are
given to its accomplishment, and all the
nobler part of his nature lies decayine
from disuse. THIS is the great curse O
the pursuit of wealth. 1t becomes SO alb
sorbing, so fascinating that all other pur
pursuits are swallowed up.
Look upon the faces of the men of busi
ness who are so rapidly growing rich
What of Gods glory, Illuminating the I'M
age of man, fingers there unshadowed =
Do those keen, inqnisitive glances seem
familiar with searching into the beautiful
mysteries of life and death, the present
and the future Do those brows weal
the calm reflection of quiet hours spent il
earnest uplifting to the broad heaven? Oh