The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-03-12
Retiring from Business.

A man will seldom do it il he knows
himself. To be able to retire signifies
that he is able to do business, no drone
nor dead-beat, but man of faculties,
who has always been girded tight with
responsibilities. In some weary mood
under the depression of a worn out
feeling, he thinks of slipping off the
yoke and turning himself out to grass.
1t is a delusion. What is he going to
do with himself, with his habits, his
faculties? Does he want to make an
end of himself before his time? Is he
ready tc drop out of the world? This
is the result of retiring from his busi-
ness. The question will soon prick
| him uneasily, both from within and
without, what business he has to be
in the world, and 3 very uncanny
question it is. He feels "as one who
treads alone, some banquet hall de-
serted" sit is good for q man to bear
the yoke in his youth," and to keep
young just as long as you can. 1t is
question of resources, but not OF ex.
ternal resources. They must be of
''the life which consisted not in the
abundance of things which he posses
SETH" Let q man retire from the bus
iness that has kept him alert and stir
red up his gifts, and put his internal
resources at usury, and he becomes
like scrap iron that was once bright
machinery, rusting out in the weedy
corner OF a backyard, or like one of
the details in Hogarth's pictures of
Finis.
A leader in the dry goods trade of
Boston, had by dint of hard and sys-
tematic work and keen ability amas-
sed fortune. Visiting rural cousin
and country parson, who fiourished
under the spreading elms of one of the
loveliest Of our Connecticut valley viii
lagos, he was so charmed, soothed, re-
freshed by its leafy, restful beauty,
that he vowed an escape forever from
the racket and hurry and din of the
payements, and the crowding BRAIN
work of the counting room, to retire
into fine old mansion that stood op-
posite the parsonage in the aristocrat-
ic and smiling beauty of lawn and
avenue and groves and garden, to in
vite his soul to steal away from cum
bering cares, and attach a finis to his
earthly troubles.
But going back to Boston with this
lovely day-dream in his fancy, he
must first consult his business friend,
Mr.. Abbot Lawrence. "Don't do it,"
was the sage advice. SIT may be well
enough for a while, so long as you
can be well occupied with your re-
pairs and improvements; but after
that, what then? What are you GO
ing to do with yourself? Where are
your resources? They are not inter-
nal, apart from yO1r business activi-
ties. You won't settle down to au-I
thorship. You and never enjoyed a
liberal education. We are dependent
on external resources, the surround
ing circumstances to call out mental
activities. Let us stick to our last"
DIR. john Todd was constrained by
his good sense at the age of seventy
to make q martyr of himself in retir-
ing from his pastorate. It was hard
and noble struggle against the strong
est impulses and in-wrought inclina-
tions OF his fresh and buoyant nature.
"What shall I do?" cried he. "If I
stop preaching, it will be the end of
me-" The internal resources of his
vigorous mind rose up in protest; his
whole being revolted against retiring
from the business Of his life. 1t was
the healthy action of q manly soul,
and that which best tones up and pre-
serves the physical powers, and keeps
the linen ssans in sano corpore."
Reoreate-in order TO recreate. Play
with Work-and above all the refresh
ment of good company and social
cheer,-but let US work while the day
lasts SprinqfieLd Republican.