The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-22
WHATNOT
"DIes crit proegeIida sInIstra.
quum."

Il nave Deen decply interested III Wofh
published under the auspices OF the Gen
eral Amelioration society. being the result
OF the studies and inyestga tions of one
OF the societys most eminent members.
and entitled Poverty Not Essential TO
Happiness"
The book Is timely and is worthy OF
careful reading by thinking people who
may have been moved by the popular
impulse 90 feel that, after all, they cannot
hope for riches except at the sacrifice of
happiness And who could contemplate
with composure the loss Of happiness Just
for paltry gain OF rich wealth?
BY a process. insidiously working
through many ages. this notion that the
writer of Poverty Not Essential TO Hap
piness' combats--and TO my mind demon
strates the fallacy OF, conclusively-has
become widespread and has undoubtedly
restrained many persons from becoming
rich Poetry and the poets, as the writer
OF this work points out, are very seri-
ously responsible for this state OF things.
II is appalling, for instance. TO think OF
the influence OF such poem as that
lode on the Pleasures Arising from Vicis-
situde" wherein are found the lines:
From toll he wins his spirits light.
From busy day his peaceful night;
Rich. from the very want OF wealth.
In heavens best treasures, peace and
health"
Just think OF it, Moreover. our rich
men have ever complained bitterly OF their
state and wish they could exchange their
wealth for just a day Of the old peace
and content assuring US that there are
things that money cannot buy How
often we hear a person of whom we, who
are truly happy and can show fore
closed mortgage and q pocket full OF
please RENTS 20 prove IT, would JOY
ously borrow minor silver piece, srieve
because he cannot exchange his vast es-
tates and get back the happiness he used
10 know. but that has been slipping away
from him ever since his wife began to
keep a girl and go I'm Afternoon tea circles.
Accordingly, such OF as a. have siresoy
got ABOUT everything mat money cannot
buy are becoming. every day, more
alarmed lest we shall somehow acquire
wealth and lose those underlined but vastly
blessed possessions that the very wealthy
complain are denied them and that they
would give all the money they have got
tn get. Indeed, find an almost panicky
feeling in the community when things
seem TO be coming everybody way.
How well ! recall my Sunday school
days when our superintendent used to
read occasionally something 10 the effect
that Il is easier for camel 10 go through
the eve of a needle than for rich man
TO enter the Singdom OF heaven. i re-
member how our hearts went out TO that
gentleman I'm sympathy when we learned
that deceased relative had left him
considerable property and he was helpless
10 avert the disaster.
And so, today. the idea that only In
poverty can one be truly happy Is making
people so afraid of being rich that the
result, as Is plain from even a superficial
survey of social conditions, is bad over
pf na plss af
No one especially the rich and such
want to be rich but are hesitating about
It.. can read this exhaustive work on
Poverty Not Essential TO Happiness"
without being very encouraged. A reading
can but tend To allay that nervous feeling
that comes To one, as one contemplates
the possibility of some day losing one $
happiness by reason or the accident of
becoming rich The writer demonstrates
beyond question that the prevailing senti-
ment that in order TO be happy II IL
first absolutely necessary TO be poor. is
not justified by the facts of his inves-
LEGATIONS. lie even goes so far as TO cite
cases that have come under his own OBJ
servation and are duly authenticated of
persons who have exhausted every re-
source I'm their seeking for poverty and
have actually failed to find happiness
from dyspepsia and In other ways lacking
peace and content quite as though they
had remained the mlilionaires they were
when he began "A study OF their cases.
He claims, with evident justification,
that, with all the seeming advantages of
poverty, there are worse things in this
world than riches
Personally, I have been very much
stimulated by reading this book. And
heartily commend IL to any young man
who is fearful that somehow he might
find himself pilng up wealth and no way
to avoid IT, with the shadow Of a corre-
spending misery ever hanging over him.
Let him cut loose and start savings
bank account and plant coupon vines In
his yard and so, by personal example,
help 10 prove to the world that poverty
has no monopoly of happiness.
DAN Ii LOW.