The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-07-12
How to be Miserable Though Rich.


Oafora, Ga,
How to be Miserable Though RIch...
Some time ago we were considering
how it is possible to be happy though
roor; to-day we will look at the other
side of the question and find out if it
is feasible to be rich and miserable.
If we happen to be poor ourselves we
are likely to think it would be difficult
to feel very miserable if we had wealth,
hut a great many people who are bles-
.sed with an abundant share Of riches
find no difficulty whatever in being
PERFECTLY wretched at the same time.
The old fable Of ''The Touch Of Gold"
is not without many parallels in these
Gays of enormous fortunes. Several
Ct the wealthiest men America has
known have had but little pleasure in
their fortunes, except what could be
had from seeing everything they
touched turn to money. All else that
1aen most prize, as honor, "love, obedi-
enoe, troops of friends they have
raissed and at last have dropped into
the grave without a-tear Of. genuine
sorrow being shed over them, and are
vell-nigh forgotten.
We are not, however, going to con-
slider these extreme cases. It is a
common remark that we have no very
wealthy people in this community, and
SIS fortunes count elsewhere it is quite
true; butt. as some millionaire remark
ed, "when you have hundred thous-
and dollars you are just as happy as if
you were rich,' and a good many Of
cur readers can claim happiness on
that basis at least, Whether they
find it's for them to say. We shall
not limit the meaning Of the word
wealthy to the possession Of any par
,ticular sum Of money, but take it in
the sense of having enough to relieve
lis Of anxiety with regard to the NOR
row, and enough to furnish us with
every reasonable comfort for to-day.
Surely great many Of our citizens
ere that we'll off, and it only remains
for us to ask, does it make them happy
or miserable 2
For fear Of being accused Of indulg-
ing in personalities we will illustrate
cur meaning by imaginary characters.
If readers choose to fit the caps on the
heads of acquaintances they are re-
sponsible, MOTIVE. Here is a middle
sged lady Of some wealth, with beau
tiful home, no relatives, and no one
especially dependent upon her. Her
handsome rooms have never echoed
the sound Of children's voices nor the
ratter Of little feet, and the immacu-
late furniture has none Of the scratch
es and defacements that characterize
the rooms Of her next-door neighbor
who has troop of noisy, romping
boys and girls. Every table, chair
and other. piece Of furniture stands in
lis appointed place, just where it was
PUT when first purchased fifty or more
years ago, and one of the owners mis-
cries is in seeing the array disturbed
by visitors. Either natural mistrust
or unfortunate experience makes her
suspect the motives Of everyone who
shows her, kindness or attention, SO
she has no intimate friends; and not
having many resources within herself
time generally hangs heavy on her
hands. When the silence and empti-
ness of her home becomes too oppres-
sive she closes it and goes away some
where to be more lonely than ever in
acrowd of entire strangers. Certainly,
in this case, riches have not brought
happiness with them, because they
are kept wholly for and to herself, and
she has never learned the happiness of
doing good with them.
Again, here is man SO prosperous
III business that he can afford to live
in fine style and to give his family
every reasonable luxury. He has
educated his children we'll and has
given them opportunities to begin life
for themselves under favorable circum-
stances. He. assumes an air Of great
respectability, goes regularly to church
and gives liberally' to public enter
p:ises and charities, but his conscience
is not quite at ease. There are phases
Of his life which he has carefully con-
cealed---as he thinks---from everyone,
and that trouble his memory or there
are secret vices in his nature which
if openly INDUCED in, would rank him
with criminals. Though he manages
to keep tight rein on his low propen-
sites, for the sake of appearances, he
does not feel quite sure that he has
not the entire esteem and respect of
his acquaintances, or, worse still, he
sees coming out in his sons inherited
vices that he has had strength to re-
CURES DISING