Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-06-18
REDUCE YOUR DENOMINATOR.
Two Ways of EquaIizing Attachments and
Desires.
Harper's Magazine
Harper's Magazine

10 most earnest people life is hard and
fast, and growing continually harder and
faster, and to many it is becoming more
and more burning question how thew
shall meet, like men and women, the de-
mands OF each day without falling under
the condemnation of that law. 1t would
be comparatively easy for the society fol-
lowers, If they had any desire so to do, to
settle their problem by following Carlyle's
plan, and reducing their denom1nators.
He makes it very clear to all those who
have passed beyond the stage of childhood
and consequently do comprehend the nature
OF fractlon-an impossible thing for a
child to dc, because it lies in the region of
RELATIVELY our wishes and desires
stand to our abilities, either pecuniarv or
mental, in the same relation as the de-
nomlnator of fraction to its numerator,
and that the value of the fraction OF each
| one Of us expresses in terms easily written
down the total amount of our solid happi-
ness or contentment. In this view it fol-
lows that there are always two possible
ways OF increasing the amount of the lat
ter-and this is no doubt the main object
toward which are directed most of the
efforts OF most men-namely, to increase
our numerator by increasing our possess
slons, or to diminish our denominator by
decreasing the total amount of our desires.
The first OF these ways is the one generally
perceived by the majority of people, and
the one to which they bend all their efforts,
but it is often the impossible way, while
the other path lies always open to most
people, with absolutely sure result. Since
that resultant alteration in the value of
the fraction-is what we are many of us
after. it may be surprising that the always
available and sure method is not more
generally selected But, as has been said,
to many of us there is no liberty or choice
left open. Forced by the demand of the
working world to which we belong, we
have already reduced our denominater to a
surprisingly low figure We find positive
| pleasure, as we walk in the city, seeing
shops loaded with innumerable things that
we do not want, and would not have even
| if we could. Even in the matter of books
the number which we care to own grow
smaller day by day instead of larger. We
have learned the great lesson that Il is
easier to climb at once to the high hills.
and drink from the springs which run
there, than to accept the diluted stuff
which is delivered to us in conduits often
AAOo VI CIC CiCluCSU- lHlS loSSOlI, OlCC
| acquired, frees one from many perplexi-
ties, and confers a not inconsiderable
amount of liberty, besides giving us feel
ing of buoyant health, which the jewellers
In the lowlands, who depend upon aque-
ducts, and are subject to all the incon-
veniences resulting from negligent or in
competent contractors and engineers, never
can know. With regard to society, too,
tha number of houses into which we do not
desire to enter is infinitely larger than
that of those to which we aspire. And it
confers almost a feeling of royalty to see
so many people around us who do not
hesitate at any sacrifice or any effort to
obtain an introduction into certain circles
of society to which no entreaties of our
best-meaning friends would be able 10
drag us for single evening. We have
had SO much to do all our lives that we
have learned the value of time, and we are
blessedly thankful for it, for nobody who
has not lived life of constant labor can
possibly know the exquisite delight of
whole half-hour in which one has at least
the right to do what she pleases. The
fifty years of Europe hold more conscious
throbbing life than cycle of Cathay, and
even if we had the liberty of choosing, we
would take the fifty years.