Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-15
SUBSCRIPTION RATES.
Tally Courier, year. BY mail. $500
Semi-Weekiy Courier, year.. l.50
USE OF THE LEISURE MOMENTS.

To the man who knows himself and
understands clearly his ultimate aim,
happiness is the goal toward which he
is striving. The ways that men take
to reach this goal are diverse, but this
is the treasure that each one hopes to
find at the end of his rainbow. Some
seek the contamination of their de-
sires to obtain happiness by close ap-
plication to business and spend most
Of their leisure in tedious waiting for
the hours of business to return. 9th
ers closely apply themselves to theil
duties during business hours and with
equal assiduity make use of their lei
sure hours for variety of harmless
pleasures. Some apply the hours of
business and leisure with equal bene-
fit to themselves ,devoting the latter
to the preservation of their health
and the development of their qualities.
Still another class may well be con-
Sidered as simple idlers, who never
use their time to benefit themselves or
anyone else. In adopting the consider
alton to the people of the United
States the last class may be dismiss
ed as such people play but little i'm
portance in the affairs of this nation.
There are many business and pro-
fesional men who deem that time
wasted which is not devoted to lines
that will in some way prove directly
beneficial to them in their business.
Those who do not think thus general
ly cherish an equally erroneous idea
that they ought not for the sake of
their mental and physical well being
employ their hours of relaxation in
any way that will exert either their
mind and body. AS the result
of these two ideas the men who think
thus know little outside of that which
is directly in line with their business
and become unable to enjoy anything
beyond the narrow limits Of their per
sonal pursuits. They never realize
how or when they pass the treasure
for which they are striving but late in
life they awaken to the fact that their
prize has eluded then in the pursuit.
The doctrine of entire relaxation
from business or the devotion of
leisure hours to the Indulgence of
personal pleasure, which is now
much preached, is altogether vicious
and harmful. No Americans, no mat.
ter what may be their work, do not
SO much. need entire relaxation as a
variety, of employment. BY daily de.
voting a part of the leisure to reading
or the study of some art or by in.
curing research into science, history
or some other line of study, they
would get the needed change and at
the same time broaden their views of
life in a manner that would be most
useful to them and at the same time
open to themselves avenues of
pleasure more potent and inexhausti-
BILE in bringing them true happiness
than any other they have ever discov.
cred. However, the time one could
use in this manner seems so trivial to
many that they form the opinion that
they could accomplish very little
thereby, Men learn the value of the
dollar but they forget that minutes
likewise have their value in making
pr marring the pleasure of the human
lie.
Many men who have in this manner
made use of their minutes have at
famed considerable prominence in his
tory, science, art or some other
equally worthy sphere. 1t is not, how.
ever, supposed, nor is it necessary
that everyone who thus uses his time
should imagine that he is to attain
fame thereby. He will, however, gain
what is probably the more desirable
and that is happiness.