The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-12-14
Living Too Fast,

The following admirable article, from the
Chicago Inter- Ocean, will suit very well for
many localities besides Chicago;
GIVE us the dollar of our daddies," and
prosperity will flow as river over the earth"
Give us gre nbacks, and happiness will
brood in every household" The cry goes up
on every hand, awe want money-pcnly of
money" We have never doubted that
money was good thing to have, beside be-
ing remarkably convenient but we have fire.
quently been impressed with the fact that
often we had better wish for our daddies'
cool heads than their dollars, and Il little
more of their back bones rather than a pro-
fusion of riches To be honest with our
selves, are we not just little fast in these
modern times? We don't m an to insinuate
anything against THAT Wife of Nine" or
THAT Awful Boys" but you, my dear sir,
with your gold-rimmed glasses, and latest
style of broadcloth clothes and you, my dear
maCam, in your palatial home in silks aud
velvets, don't you think we are rather going
it with rush? How our grandfathers, the
old daddies themselves, would open their
eyes, and how our good old grandmothers
would sigh over the extravaganza and lux
ury of their sons and daughters. Hundreds
of men in Chicago who feel poor with
hundred thousand dollars, had fathers that
went twenty miles to mill, and felt rich with
enough silver in their pockets to rattle; and
when their grists were ground drove whist
ling home, happy as men could be- There
are thousands Of ladies in Chicago whose
mothers blessed be the sacred name) were
not ashamed ofhonest household cares, milk
ed the cows, churned the butter, spun the
yarn, and manufactured the cloth, and vet
as society exists to-day, these daughters of
honored palentage are nearer lovely orna-
ments than true helpmeets. generation
has not passed since our mothers, in simple
dress, on horseback or on foot went miles to
make their calls or to worship; now the
daughters 60 in the latest styles of bonnets,
with silks trailing in the rear and fingers
uncovered to display the jewels; and if the
call is devotional, the livered coachman sits
upon his elevated seat in front of the church
without an invitation to enter its sacred Dor.
tails. We are not even limiting that these are
not good people. Perhaps they are charita-
BILE, generous, give literally to every benevo-
lence, and mourn because they have not
more to give.
We are not wise in ourday and generation,
and rich and poor arc living too fast, and
chats what's the matter" The mechanic
and laborer can be Just as happy now, and as
prosperous as their fathers before them, if
they had the same desires and wise heads
The rich could not be, perhaps, for few rich
men are happy. But few ofour fathers were
rich, and therein was their happiness promo
ted
A man seldom gathers wealth without get
ting a love of it, and the Bible doctrine of a
love of money is as certainly true as that man
exists. What is the remedy? Plainly
greater simplicity of living, less costly dress
ing less specializing, less stock and exchange
gambling, and more producing. Set your
children an example of work, with head or
with the hands, and then see TO it that they
are fitted for the duties of honest livelihood.
Educate sons and daughters alike sutstan-
TALLY, and then see to ii that they spoil the
lily white hands in actual labor in the work
shop, on the farm and in the kitchen. 1t
does not matter whether we resume or not,
increase the issue of greenbacks or not, get
the dollar of the daddies or not unless we
can get out OF the modern manner of fast
living we will pitch out of the windows fas-
ter than we can bring in at the DOORS The
kind of Civil-Service reform we most need is
one which begins at home, in the marble
front, in the home of the tradesman, in the
home of the mechanic, yes, in the church, as
well as in official position. Let us be honest
with ourselves We have received glori.
Gus heritage from those daduies We are
our own care-iakers, and make our own ru.
lers. We have at our call blessings such as
are enjoyed by no other people. The cry Of
Dugaine, that millions of hands want acres, ,
is answered from the great prairies, ant
echoed along fertile valleys, millions o
acres want hands |" Let us moderate oul
growing about the times, and manfully pu
our shoulders to the wheel, with the spiri
and industry worthy of men living in tho
nineteenth century.