Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-08-08
A NEW CULT.
Tho Way q "Leisurist" Would
Have Us Live.

to add that my disapproval is not based
upon the selfish ground cited In the
proverb. Still, there are times.
For instance, you are in the most
comfortable chair by the best window
at the Monogram club. Two men come
and plant themselves on sofa within
six feet Of your back. Is 1t your duty
to leave your favorite chair and win
dow just to avoid overhearing an i'm
personal conversation which happens
to interest you? didn't.
$50 you have given up the law,
Ralph? Why, the last heard you
were doing SO we'll. Fine growing
clientele, and all that"
The voice belonged to one OF my fel-
low members, whom knew slightly.
Yes" replied the other, evidently o
visitor, that was just the trouble.
was too successful. My work had be-
come almost combining. It's nearly q
year since cut It, Let me see; you've
been in Chicago for over two"
''Great Scott, man!'' cried the first
speaker. TOO successful! What do
you want?"
Leisure, principally" said the
stranger. And heard him strike a
match.
But how do you ever expect to
amount to anything?"
Don't, from your point Of view; and,
what's better, don't want to-"
"W-ell!n
you see, Ned, I'm not bit In SYM
pathy with the progressive spirit OF
the age. think lot Of it has been
progress backward, and when it comes
right down to the real philosophy Of
living, we're not In 1t with our old
friends the Athenlans. Our only idea
OF amounting to anything Is to scratch
gravel every day from morning till
night as long as we can drag ourselves
to our workshops; and our idea Of sue
cess Is mainly to make heap Of
money. Nobody but the slaves in old
times worked as we do, and they Just
did 1t because they had to- No ration
al free Greek or Roman would have
dreamed Of leading such life for any
motive-let alone such an elusive one
as ours"
PRAY what do you calculate to sub
stitute for work."
Leisure"
"And starvation"
mot at all. Now here's my logic In
few words, you old Philistine. The
great desideratum Is to do as you
please-as nearly as possible-and for
this leisure Is an absolutely necessary
prerequisite. Therefore leisure must
be the first aim. On the other hand,
1t Is evident that II you do as everyone
else does, you won't have any true
leisure-none at all, in fact, unless you
steal 1t from the hours you ought to
give to rest In order to brace you up
TOR another day Of toll, But why do
you work 80 hard? To make money!
Why do you want money! All, yes; to
live comfortably, to amass q fortune,
to retire finally and enjoy yourself, to
be somebody. II your being some
body depends on the verdict Of other
people, or II even your own verdict Is
based upon how much money you have,
l don't think such somebody is much
Of anybody. The real somebody Is the
man who marks his life out on true
philosophic lines, and lives successful
ly the life he has marked out The
reason money has been taken as q
touchstone is because It's the easiest
thing for the vulgar to estimate. Any
idiot can measure a mans success by
the number Of dollars he Is said to
have, or by the swell he cuts on them,
but 1t takes more intelligence to meas
ure by how happy or how wise or how
yirtuous or how honorable man Is.
Therefore the vulgar count the dollars,
and as the vulgar majority rules In
these daysof democracy abbleocraoy,
the Greeks would have called it-why,
there you are. Besides, remember,
even II you do sell yourself into slavery,
the chances Of buying back your free
dom, and retiring and enjoying your
self, and Of being somebody in your
Did age are less than problematical.
The sensible man doesn't enslave him
'elt in order to be ultimately free. He
lust stays Free"
'But how about living oorforta-
,ly9"
That's fair question. 1t certainly
oes cost considerable to live as we've
cen brought up to call comfortable
ut then II we're wrong on other fun
amental points, why maynt we be in
bis? To cut 1t short, I've found out
hat we are. Stop and think. BALI
be money we spend is for things we
My enjoy indirectly-through the i'm
ression they make on other people; /,
a fact, because they're fashionable
nd two-thirds Of the other half 90 for
accessories which our ancestors were [
ast about % happy without Don't ,