The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-06-04
Editorial Correspondence

Chapel Hill, n. c., June 3.-EWery man
has his Ultime Thule-the thing he most
desires to do, or thinks he most desires
to do. There is big difference between
them, as viii subsequently appear.
travelled here on the train with sue
cessful business man in Greensboro, who
never leaves the towns or cities He
was telling in a modest sort of way of
his work. his success and the ambitions
of his life, closing with this expression:
Il am looking forward to the day when
1 can retire from business, live on
farm and devote myself to agricultural
pursuits"
What are you givin' us?" I enquired,
dropping into popular and expressing
slang,
81 mean it," he went on TO say. II
was born, on, farm and nothing would
give me So much happiness as to be
farmer
He was perfectly serious and was sin
cere in his self deception, and then told
him l didn't believe a word OF it and
that if anybody should sentence him to
live on farm he would appeal to the
Supreme Court and ask to have the SEN
tence revoked because it contravened the
constitutional inhibition against "cruel
and excessive punishment" He was in
N. 4all OH ~
to go back to 1--we on the farm and in
sisted that he looked forward to it al
ways with pleasure and confidence.
why don't you do it them" asked.
90, 1 do not WISH" he continued, ito
go now while 1 am young. I can make
more money in business. and of course
do not wish to go until can farm as
wish TO farm and have enough money to
be fixed comfortably"
AS matter of fact, that good man
thinks he thinks he wants to be farmer,
but it developed that he does not want
to be farmer until he can have electric
lights, gas, water telephones and all city
conveniences in his house, a Carnegie
library, lecture room, and a church on
his farm, and live in the country like he
lives in the city. And yet he is happy in
the delusion that he is waiting just lit
tie longer to return to the farm. Of
course he will never do it, but win think
he is going to do it until the end of time
And if he gets any happiness out of it,
why should anybody take away the de-
fusion?
That reminds me of another man and his
delusion He was born in North Carolina,
he has made his pile in a great city, and
still loves the old State. He thinks one
of these days that he is going to with
draw from strenuous city life in the big
city and return to the simpler life of North
Carolina. Being in Raleigh few weeks
ago he said to a Raleigh friend. who has
not succeeded in saving any money and
finds it hard every year to make the
debit and credit sides of his personal
ledger balance, at is delightful to live in
North Carolina. l wish 1 were rich
enough to leave the great city and live
again in North Carolina.
Il am sorry for you" responded the
rather impecunious friend, but you.n
have to make bigger PUNK before you
can afford to live in Raleigh, None but
the wealthy can live here"
But that rich man wasn't talking just
to hear himself talk He has the animus
revertendi. He thinks he wants to come
back and live in North Carolina and is
decciving himself with the thought that
one of these days he is going to do it,
But he is not. Year by year he viii be
more and more immersed in the great
business affairs of life, and he will die
(let US hope it will be many many years!)
still holding to his heart the idea that
he is going to return here when he has
made enough money and can get "fxed'
These two incidents-real and recent
recall the story by the Autocrat of the
Breakfast Table, Tor was it Lowell?),
whose poem about the man who would be
boy again, and yet being unwill-
ing to give up his wife and child. The
poet summed it up thus:
The man would be a boy again
And be father too"
For fifteen years l have had one ambi
tion in the way of an annual weeks pleas
ure which is still unrealized 1t is to come
here on the Saturday preceding every
commencement and remain for a whole
week. with not thing to do or thing
to think about except meeting old friends,
making new friends, attending all the
exercises, and walking about the woods
and parks that surround this beautiful
place. Once or twice l have almost been
able to realize this desire, but it has elud-
ed me. But two men in my memory have
regularly attended commencement here in