Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1877-02-01

49, N' ooiSoS |
I'LL we are haply able to look down ON him
from the exhalted summit of our new sue
cess'in money-grabbing. By a continue
ton oil this process, supposing that happi-
ness is gained in this manner, it will be seen
that to one man only, the supremely rich,
is the perfection of happiness possible. He
alone attains the heaven of the gospel of
getting on.'
Happily for us all, that is evidently a spu-
rious gospel. There is no good news at all
in it, for the one man who attains its heay-
ell does not know he's there, and, if he did,
would weep, with Alexander, at his "ne
plus ultra
The question of wealth, possession of
goods, is altogether one of relation. Think
how wealthy the man of the most moderate
means, living within the pale of civilization,
IS, compared to a prince or king in the inte-
rior of Africa, yet the African prince is rich
in the eyes of myriads of abject subjects.
Come nearer home: think how rich any
class among ourselves is compared with the
same class a century, even, ago. For ex-
ample, think what necessaries of our every
day life were almost unheard-of luxuries to
them. Not only in matters of diet, free use
OF tea, coffee, sugar and such things, but in
a thousand and one ways, facilities for
healthy living, for travel, for communica-
ton, for pastime, but above all for learning.
Think how laborious a task it was before
printing became general to obtain ever the
rudiments of knowledge; think of poor.
footsore scholars, toilsomely travelling to
tutors living weary hundreds of miles dis
tant. Think Of these tutors wrestling I'M
armed against the overwhelming odds of ig-
norance and bigotry and vested interest Of
ten yielding their lives in the struggle, that
haply we might VIGOROUSLY wave the stand
ard of truth over their and our sworn foes.
They labored, and, verify, we ale rich who
enter into their labors.
Think how rich you have been made by
them in the society you may enjoy. You
can be entertained in your home by the wit,
test, the wisest, and the worthiest of men
who have ever put pen to paper. Their
choicest sayings, their most charming ex-
pressions, their keenest thoughts and high
est aspirations are continually at your ser.
vice. You have not to travel a thousand
miles to a university to pick up a few grains
of gold after much Pan and shovel work
The clean gold is offered to you, nay, some,
times pressed on your acceptance somewhat
too urgently, at your own doors.
Books make mental culture, and, as a con
sequence, mental and bodily refinement
possible to all.
Education gives you the power to use
books. Do not suppose that when you have
mastered "the three RS" at school, tina
you have an education. Education extends
through a lifetime. Never feel too old Of
too proud to learn.
Happiness mainly depends on the exten'
to which you are educated. The
more you know the more you have
in life to interest you, the wider
your sympathies will be. Your eyes see jus
what your trained capacities allow them
One man picks up a piece Of rock and see
nothing there but a piece of rock; another
picks up the same piece and finds a who'll
f: history there. Johnny Whopstraw sees
dead tree on the ground, and all he sees is
log; Claude Melnotte, the artist, com
7 along, and the fallen trunk, with its wealth
of messy and lichenous jewels, its rich har
monious tints, is a " thing OF beauty and
: joy forever"
Whopstraw may have the most gold coli
at command, but Melnotte is the richer mar
he has most pleasure in life.
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