Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-01-05

attack with hackneyed tales of the
rich man astray in q desert who can
not get even a drop of water for his
gold, OF the decrepit millionaire who
would give half he has to buy from
stalwart fellow without cent his
twenty years and his lusty health; no
more shall | attempt to prove that one
cannot buy happiness. So many PEG
pie who have money and so many more
who have not would smile at this truth
as the hardest ridden of saws But |
shall appeal to the common experience
of each Of you, to make you put your
finger on the clumsy lie hidden beneath
an axiom that all the world goes about
repeating.
Fill your purse to the best of your
means and let us set out for one of the
watering places of which there are 50
manyI mean some little town for
merly unknown and full of simple folk,
respectful and hospitable among whom
it was good to be, and cost little. Fame
with her hundred trumpets has am
nounced them to the world and shown
them how they can profit from their
situation their climate, their person
atty. You start out on the faith of
Dame Rulnor, fiattering yourself that
with your money you are going to find
a quiet place to rest and, far from the
world of civilization and convention,
weave a bit of poetry into the warp of
your days
The beginning is good. Natures set
ting and some patriarchal costumes,
slow to disappear, delight you. But
as time passes the impression is spoil
ed The reverse side of things begins
to show. This which you thought was
as true antique as family heirlooms is
naught but trickery to mystify the
creduolls Everything is labeled; all
is for sale, from the earth to the in
habitants These primitives have be
come the most consummate of sharp
ers. Given your money. they have re-
solved the problem of getting it with
| the least expense to themselves. On
| all sides are nets and traps, like spider
webs and the fly that this gentry lies
snugly in wait for is you. This is
| what twenty or thirty years of venali-
| ty has done for a population once sim
pie and honest, whose contact was
grateful indeed to men worn by city
! life. Homemade bread has disappear
! ed, butter comes from the dealer. they
know to an art how to skim milk and
adulterate wine; they have all the vices
of dwellers in cities without their vir-
| tues
AS you leave you count your money
So much is wanting that You make
complaint. You are wrong. One never
pays too dear for the conviction that
! there are things which money will not
| buy
| You have need in your house of an
intelligent and competent servant. At
tempt to find this rara avis. According
| to the principle that with money one
may get anything, you ought, as the
position you offer is inferior. ordinary,
good or exceptional, to find servants
unskilled average. excellent, superior.
| But all those who present themselves
| for the vacant post are listed in the
| last category and are fortified with
certificates to support their preten-
sions. 1t is true that nine times out of
ten when put to the test these experts
are found totally wanting. Then why
did they engage themselves with you?
They ought in truth to reply as does
| the cook in the comedy, who is dearly
paid and proves to know nothing;
why did you hire out as a Gordon bleu?
! II 1z-ae m sver biercar cfT1Tni SSianS.
That is the great affair. You will
always find people who like to get big
wages. More rarely You find capabil-
ity And if you are looking for pro-
bity the difficulty increases. Mercena-
ries may be had fer the asking; faith
fulness is another thing. Ear be it from
me to deny the existence Of faithful
servants. at once intelligent and up
right. But you will encounter as
many if not more, among the i'll paid
as among those most highly salaried.
And it little matters where you find
| them YOU may be sure that they are
not faithful in their own interest: they
are faithful because they have some
what of that simplicity which renders
us capable of self abnegatIon,
We also hear on all sides the adage
| that money is the sinews Of war. There
| is no question but that war costs much
money, and we know something about
] it. Does this mean that in order to
defend herself against her enemies and
/ to honor her flag a country need only
be rich2 In olden time the Greeks
took it upon themselves to teach the
Persans the contrary, and this lesson
/ will never cease to be repeated in his
! tory With money ships, cannon, horses
may be bought but not so military
genius, administrative wisdom, disci-
pline. enthusiasm. Put millions into
the hands of your recruiters and
charge them to bring you great lead
er and an army You will find hun
bred captains instead of one, and a
| thousand soldiers. But put them I'M
/ ,iaf, fire. Won will have enough of YOUR