Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-10-05
A short Sermon on Happiness and


A short Sermon on Happiness and
Riches.
In the search for riches-s desire practical.
ly almost universa-there is a great deal of
mistake made as to the object sought. There
are thousands Of people who believe that II
they had a certain capital or income they
would find life very much more agreeable
than they now do. These people are found
not solely nor even principally among the
poor-though, Of course, they who know the
pangs of hunger are likely to be more impress
ed by the want of enough money to buy their
daily food than would be those who wish it
only for luxuries-but from the people of the
lowest to those of the highest income there is
q constant craving for more. 1t matters not
what their absolute comforts are they crave
more money to secure for them a relatively
higher amount of enjoyment. Thus when
they have, perhaps, reached tho point toward
which in the past their hopes were long direc-
ted, they are generally unconscious Of win
ming the prize once 80 desirable, but are look
ing beyond to something still more slluring
in the way of pleasures to be gained by great
er wealth. And even though the realization
Of their wish should be sudden and momenta-
rily complete, the next impulse Of the mind
carries their longings far beyond all present
probabilities, and postpones perfect content
until a still higher elevation is gained.
1t is related of one of Kentucky's wealthy
governors that, more than thirty years ago,
while travelling alone on horseback through
Crittenden county, in that state, he lost his
way and was obliged to spend the night in
the log cabin of highly respected widow.
She was a woman Of much independence and
originality, who had toiled all her life and now
began to feel a need of some provision for her
fast.approaching old age. She had no very
extrayagant ideas, and was not one of the
complaining kind but the governor drew out
from her that she would be perfectly happy
If she had two hundred dollars in cash. On
leaving her house he told her that he was anx-
ious to make one person in the world perfect
ly happy that he was rich enough to crafty
himself in this instance, and that he accord
ingly wished her to accept from him the sum
mentioned. The old woman followed his
form with her eye as he passed down the road,
but occasionally she turned her gaze from him
to the pile of gold in her hand There was
the realization of her widest hopes-s veri-
table miracle so far as her expectations were
concerned. Just before he turned out of
sight at the bend of the highway she remem-
bered what he had said about mis- wealth be-
ing sufficient to enable him to give this for
tune TO her without noticing its loss. Then
for the first time she spoke, dividing her
glances between the governor and his gold,
and what she said was "Wish I'd said three
hundred !"
This old womans thought illustrates the
impossibility of securing happiness by mere
ly acquiring wealth. We are all prone to
wish we had ''said three hundred, " no matter
what favors fortune may shower upon u.s.
While, however, this tendency exists so wide
ly, it may affect people differently. No one
is insensible to the advantages of possessing
money, but there are many whose lives are
hard and whose existence is very joyless, who
attribute their lack Of capacity to enjoy life
solely to their lack of money. This is a mis-
take. Their incapacity lies not in their pov.
erty but in themselves. II all the wealth of
the world we're given them they would be lit
tie, if Sny, more contented, and not bit
more happy. If their possessions had any
limit at all they would be unhappy at these
limitations, and would fancy that little more
money would rid them of certain eubsrrass-
ments in the qualification of their tastes. II
their wealth was greater than they could use,
the accomplishment of all plans would be un-
attended by any pleasure, because, having
been successful without effort, their plans
could be abandoned without regret.
1t is here that the thrifty man has an ad-
vantage over the unthrifty. The peculiar
habits of life and thought of the former
have accustomed him to regard pleasure as
something to be worked Tor and heartily en-
joyed. The needless, wasteful spendthrift,
on the contrary, has been always living at the
top notch of gsyety, and while money may
give him more opportunities it cannot restore
tone to his satiated mind Always on the
search for variety, he finally tries and exhRusts
all species. 1t is evident, therefore, that
pleasure is relative and not an absolute SEN
sation, and the presence of difficulties is es-
sential to enjoyment. In short, nothing
worth the having can be had without an eff
fort, and the qualification of possession de-
pends almost exactly on the number of obsta-
cles overcome. The purest enjoyment un-
doubtedly comes from a successful encounter
with great difficulties, and the opportunities
for pleasing conquests are greater for the
man of limited means than for him whose
wealth alone is his weapon. 1t is manifest,
therefore, that a man who is perpetually
grumblng for lack of wealth would continue
to grumble even though riches came to him.
He disregards the advantages that he has be-
cause he wants something more and thus he
lives burden to himself and a nuisance to
his associates, because he doesn't know how
to get the good out of life as it comes within
his reach. 1t is not possible or desirable that
man should be tamely contented with what he
has but he should take the bitter with the
sweet, and make the best of the inevitable
PhiLGdd. Record.