The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-11-27
The Essence Of Simplicity

REFoRE considering the question
~ of a practical return TO the SIM
pltcity of which we dream it will be
necessary to- define simplicity I'm its
Very essence. For in regard to it people
commit the same error that we have
just denounced. cOnfoundiug the sec
, ondary with the essential substance
with form. They are tempted to believe
that simplicity presents certain exter-
nal characteristics by which il may
be recognized. and I'm which it really
consists Simplicity and lowly station,
plain dress, a modest dwelling. slender
means. poverty-these things seem to
go together. Nevertheless, this is not
the case. Just now l passed three men
on the street; the first in his carriage;
the others on foot and one of them
shOeless. The shOeless man does not
necessarily, lead the least complex life
Of the three. 1t may be. indeed. that he
who rides in his carriage is sincere and
unaffected, in spite of mis- position. and
IS not at all the slave of his wealth:
II may be also that the pedestrian in
shoes neither envies him who rides nor
deSpises him who goes unshod; and
lastly, il is possible that under his
rags, his feet in the dust. the third man
has hatred of simplicity of labor, OF
sobriety, and dreams only Of idleness
and pleasure. For among the least sim
pie and straightforward of men must
DC reckOned professional beggars
knights OF the road, parasites, and the
whole tribe of the obsequious and en-
viOus. whose aspirations are summed
Up i'm this; TO arrive at seizing NOR
sel-the biggest possibie-of that prey
which the fortunate of earth consume.
And to this same category, little mat
ter what their station i'm life belong
the prOfigate the arrogant, the miser-
~. the weak, the crafty. Lively counts
Tor nothing: we must see the heart
No class has the prerogative of simple
ity; no dress, however humble in APP
pearance, is its unfailing badge It's
dwelling need not be a garnet. a hut. the
cell of the ascetic nor the lowliest fish
erman's bark Under all the forms
in which life vests itself. in all social
POSITIONS II the top as at the bottom
OF the ladder. there are people who live
simply. andfo Others who do not. We do
lot mean by this tlat simplicity betrays
itself in no visible signs. has not its
own habits, its distinguishing tastes
and WAYS: but this outward show,
which may now and then be counter
feited, must not be cOLfCunded with its
essence and its deep and wholly inward
source. Simplicity is Il state of mind.
1t dwells in the main intention OF our
lives. A man is simple when his, chief
care is the wish to be what he ought
to be, that is. honestly and naturally
human And this is neither SO easy
nor sc impossible as one might think.
At bottom. il consists In putting our
acts and aspirations In accordance with
the law Of our being, anG consequently
with the eternal intention which willed
that we should be at ALL Let a flower
be a flower, a swallow a swallow, a
rock a rock, and let a man be a man.
and not d fox. Il hare q hog, or bird
Of prey; this is the sum OF the whole
matter.
Here We are led TO formulate the
practical ideal of man. Everywhere in
life we see certain quantities of matter
and energy associated for certain ends.
Substances more on less crude are thus
transformed and carried to a higher
degree of Organization. 1t is not other
wise with the life of man. The human
IDEAL is to transform life into some
thing more excellent than itself We
may compare existence to raw mate
rial. What il IL matters less than what
IS made of IL, as the value of work