The weekly Arizona miner., 1869-10-09
The Philosophy of Living.

He who works stated number Of hours daily, for a stated price, and who regularly | receives his wages and lives within his income, is said to be the most independent man in the world. With his tools he lays aside his care, and in his family or with his friends spends a happy life-with nothing whatever to perplex him, and every thing to give content. This is one view of the matter, and it is probably entertained by those who are wearied and perplexed with the cares and responsibilities of experimenting a large business, or con ducting intricate operations. People are al- ways inclined to imagine any other position better, in some respects, than their own. The happy man above described envies his employer, and wishes that instead of being the mere agent, bound to move at another's direction, he could change places with his principal For he knows his own embarrass- ments and cares, and if he has not the burden of the direction of great affairs, he has the daily anxiety of contriving how he shall make a stated sum to meet unexpected exigencies. It may be a daily puzzle to him to keep down the demands of pride or necessity. He has, moreover, the contingencies of business to fear, as well as his employer; for if the prin- cipal is unsuccessful the employed suffer; and may on any day receive notice that his serv- ices are no longer required. And as to dis missing all care and thought about his em- ployer's interest, if he can do .that, he is precisely the persoA whose labor can be easi- ly dispensed with. The service of no man so purely mercenary is worth much.
 True independence, as far as one can be in- dependent, is accessible to both employers and employed. The secret is, to undertake no more than can be managed, and to deter mine that you will have hours of relaxation when you can dismiss the cares Of business from your thoughts. As poor Richard has it. "Drive your business, and not let your business drive you" In eager competition men give themselves too little rest and un dertake too much. Some one asked an Eng fish statesman and jurist how he could gel through the amount of labor which he per formed. "As thief gets through a horse pond" was the answer-"I am dragged through it.n There is too much of thi dragging" both among the English anc among ourselves. Sometimes men make sol i'd gains, and secure wealth when too mucl fatigued to enjoy it. But too often the. make shipwreck. Hudson, the English pro jector, whose popular designation few year ago was "the railway king," is now so redu csd in pocket. that his friends are raising subscription to purchase a small annuity 10 him, that his life may not close in absolut penuy. The true philosophy is to regar life as thing to be pushed moderately, an enjoyed as it passes It never should b treated as too many do, as a great game ( hazard. Nor should we fancy that all which we are interested depends entirely uI on ourselves. Other people, it must be COT ceded, can do something. The best bushes results are obtained by finding out worth people and conflding in them. The exper ment of entire direction on great scale h. been tried by the Emperor of the Frencl certainly one of the strongest men that tt world has seen, but he is beginning to lea, that one man is not competent for everything and he, we suspect, may envy the contente lsborer, who has ouly to do his daily wor and receive his daily wages There are thou sands like him. Their empires are narrowe but their experience is the same; to-da success; tomorrow, disappointment-E