St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-03-30

ject to the price. Its too big; 60 I've
tried to find the equation. look ~
spectacle. don't I? feel respectable,
anyhow, and l assure you I'm perfectly
comfortable. Well, on my honor, av-
erage little over three hours Of work
a day, and any man Of ordinary intel
igence can do as well on as little"
What do you do?"
81? Oh, write. What man does
doesn't make so much difference,
though admit my work is more agree
able than most. Sometimes I'm not
quite sure it should be called work"
''And the rest Of the timer"
81 enjoy my leisure. enjoy life.
read; converse with congenial people
on congenial topics; I walk; take
lots of out-of-door exercise, and steer
clear of nervous prostra.ion; play
tennis and chess: go wherever there
are beautiful things to see-you have
no idea how many are available. both
in nature and art-and let them soak
in and become assimilated with my be-
ing. live"
"Don't you ever expect to marry?
.'If do, the woman will be either a
leisurist like myself. or one who has
brains enough to appreciate leisurist.
and money enough TO indulge her
taste"
''But, seriously, old man. how many
people to-day could enjoy the thirgs
you enjoy? Your reasoning and phil.
osophy are worthless when applied to
the mass of humanity"
They aren't intended to be applied
to the mass of humanity any more than
any other system of living-at least not
until the mass of humanity is educated
up to where it once was. The cult
may be small one now. but its tntiu-
ence may be wide for ultimate goods
bcuud to be, by SO much as it removes
any man, if only a hairs breadth,
from the crazy Philistinism that dom
| mates him"
pray what is the name Of the new
school?''
.'Oh Oh-.Leisurists,' 'Neo-Epicurcans.'
Either answers, and we answer to
either. I'm not sure but that Thoreau
ought to be our eponymous hero. He
was certainly the leader Of NeO-Epi-
| curean thought, and, like most leaders,
/ he took rather too advanced position.
He proved his case all the same,
| though"
Il presume, of course, you're pre-
pared to welcome with open arms the
| Weary Willies' and Dusty Rhodeses'
| of the humorists? congratulate you.
You've lots of ready-made disciples"
Not exactly. You see, the real
tramp is either laborer out Of work
| and trying to find it, or else a loafer
pure and simple. You must not neg
| lect to note the distinction between
leisure and loafing. rarely loaf"
Joking aside, Ralph, l realize. OF
course. that you've been just talking;
but what a supremely selfish existence
your Leisurists would lead!'
Wrong on both points was never
more in earnest in my life, and my
philosophy is anything but selfish-no,
the faintest approach to the rabid sell
fishness of your so-called useful pro
fessional or business man, who jostles
and elbows his way to the foot OF the
ladder and tries to scramble up it
needless of how many aching ribs and
crushed fingers he leaves behind, and
all the time fattering himself that he:
doing his duty as citizen of civil
lied community-pah! Every man who
can be dragged from your selfish com
petition for power and money, whose
| aim can lie diverted ever so little to
more useless occupations, is just Sc
much accomplished for the benefit OF
humanity. Selfish! That's good"
by Jove. Do you know what time
it is? It's after two" The speaker
rose quickly. "What are you going te
do this afternoon?"
"Sayre is coming to take me to meet
Penfold and see his 'Antigone.' He:
Just back from Paris with it, and they
say it's great. Why not go with us?''
MY dear boy. do you realize that
what with listening to your nonsense
1 sha'nt have chance to get my luncf
to-day, and probably'n get home late
for dinner into the bargain? No pic
lures for me. Drop in and see me wher
you get chance. I can always spare
FIVE minutes for you. Take care o.
yourself, and excuse me for running
away"
| glanced from the corner of my ey.
| to see slender back and thin heaC
of hair whisk out Of the door. TheI
| some one else entered.
Hello. Ralph! Ready?" cried th'
newcomer.
IAN ready. BY the by, did you NEE
a slave as you came in?'
"Who? What slave?"
sNed Bunce. to be sure. Poor devil!'
And then 1 heard a low, contented, in
dulgent laugh, and my Neo-Epicurear
was gone-Dufield Osborne, in Har
per's Weekly.