The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-05-08
THE nLEssEDNEss OF HUNGER

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The satisfaction OF appetite is usual.
ly considered the supreme happiness
but the highest authority has pro-
nounced the blessedness to be rather
in hunger than in its satisfaction. Il
we examine the subject closely abund.
ant reasons will appear to snstain the
truth Of this view. "Hunger is the
bestsauce for any dinner" is a famil-
lar to us all. The poor. man who
brings to his plain meal Of meat and
potatoes, or, pork and beans, . sharp
appetite, whetted by vigorous toll,
gets manifold more enjoyment from
it than the luxurious epicure who
must be tempted with dainties. The
laborer feels the reinforcement of food
in every muscle, in every drop of his
blood the epicure gratifies in a lam
guild way merely his sense of taste,
while from his fastidiousness he suffers
a thousand annoyances the other with
his healthful craving for food and his
normal enjoyment of it knows moth
ing about.
& The dominant thought in the minds
of those who hunger for food, for
dress, for riches, for knowledge, for
fame, for power, is that the satisfac-
tion of this hunger will bring happi-
ness. 1t certainly does bring happi-
ness, but only in 90 far as the appetite
grows by what it feeds on. When a
man has ceased to hunger he says with
Solomon OF all he has gathered to-
gether, can is vanity and yexation Of
spirit" When "desire falls" man
goeth to his long home and the mourn.
ers 60 about the streets. I4o4
There is no topic so interesting TO-
successful middle.aged and old men as
the struggle Of their early life, when
hunger consumed them. This is true
of artists, Of orators, ofpoete, Of jour
nalists, of business men in every de-
partment OF life. Their joy is not so
much in present success, in the salts
faction of hunger. as.in having over
come eli obstacles that might be satis-
fed. In our academies and colleges
there 10 always q class Of poor, strug-
Cling students, who are willing to wear
shabby clothes, live within bare walls
and on rugged fare, teach during va
cation, do Ahy ;kilt pf work, to keep
themselves along, SO that their hunger
for knowledge and for ths careful
training of the Intellectual faculties
may be satis6ed. With what aston
ishment do these earnest souls look on
the Indifference aud Incidence of those
who 60 to school and college merely
because they would take . liberal ed
ucation as they would take course of
physic-something to be got through
with; to whose unthirsting lips the
chalice of knowledge is tasteless and
nninviipg. Oh, If I had only his
chance. her chance," ssighs many a
famished soul, "wouldn't 1 improve
it'll" Perhaps you would, but only SO
long as appetite remained. 8 The full
soul Ioatheth tho honey comb" There
are cases where hunger too much has
and dwarfcd aspiring men
and women, e. hla . -f7e :.
'.Chilled penury repressed their noble rage,
g And hozc tho genial current Of theie souls 4,
but the deaths by .oyer-feedipg are. far
more numerous thau those by starva-
ton. 1t is well in every sense to keep
ones appetite sharp, for food, for
knowledge, for whatever good things
life may have in store for US. Can any
but the hungry soul be filled? ,.