The Washington herald., 1907-10-03
THE OPTIMIST.

HE vi 4 IIf1lO L.
In popular magazine recently an
American expatriate gave his reasons
for preferring-having an independent
income which sufficed for his wants-to
live IN Europe rather than in this coun-
try And his chief reason was that in
America we make too much OF a bus-
ness OF life. living it at white heat from
the cradle to the grave; never content
unless we are in the rush and turmoil
Of things, not understanding at all the
virtues and value Of retirement from the
struggle.
Indeed. this expatriate's complaint has
much justice in IT, We have lots of
things to learn In this huge new land
OF ours. and. among other things. we
need 10 learn how necessary it is that
we should have a season OF rest. Work
and the acquiring Of riches or the climb
ing TO high station Is not all of life;
and. indeed win do US little good when
the short span OF years is over.
And We need, perhaps. to assimilate
more Of that old-world philosophy which
enabled Pope to write:
Happy the mau whose wish and care
A few paternai acres bound
Content 20 breathe his native air
In his own ground
We are such slaves Of the dollar in
this country that ii is hardly possible
for US 10 speak OK idle rich except in
terms Of gross contempt A man who.
having amassed an independence at
forty, should throw down his tools.
whatever they might be, and devote the re-
mainder Of his life TO rest and retirement
from the battle for money or business
supremacy we should not quite under
stand. We often hear quoted IN colo
quial phrase "an elegant suficlency,"
forgetting who coined it and in what
connection. II was Thompson who sang
Of
An elegant SficienCY. content.
retirement, rural quiet. friendship books
Ease and alternate labor useful life.
Progressive virtue and approving hesEen
Hammerton. one Of the sanest Of mod
ern philosophers, in his Intellectual
Life told US: Woe unto him that IS
never alone, and cannot bear to be
alone which, after all is but an echo
Of Omar khayyams The thoughtful soul
20 solitude retlres," written 100 years
before Hammerton's time From the
time OF lInses 20 our own the human
soul has always needed a season Of re-
tiTemeHJ We cannot get the best out Of
ourselves II We are always in conflict.
As Goldsmith says.
Oh bissr retirement friend 70 Hfe's decline.
Retreats from care that never must D. mine.
How happy ne whose crown in shades Ike these
A youth q labor with an age 0f case.
NA1 qults a world where strong temptations tFy
And. since It's hard 70 combat, learns 20 fy.
The thought Of solitude and Of retire
meut seems 70 be Tepugnant 10 the
American mind. which is alert. vigorous.
and eager of competition. We need 70
remember La BuTyere. who said. There
are sOTd.d souls 10 whom inter
est and gain are what glory and virtue
are 20 superior souls. sensible OF no
pleasure but one, which is getting. or
never losing; covetous 20 a fartnluE
busted wholly about their debtors. dread
ing q lowering OF the coin. absorbed in
contracts purchases. bills OF sale. mort
cages. and such Instruments. These peo-
pie are neither relations. friends. citi-
zens. Christians, nor even men; they
have money"
No, wisdom is not TO he found in the
halls o. the money changers. and the
optimist who sees beyond the present
need Of things 70 the ultimate good OF
all the world must see Of how much
value 20 the human soul is retirement
from the battle that one may n himself
for the better things that lie beyond the
eternal hills
Even the busiest OF us may find time
70 retire within ourselves where we may
take stock OF what has been done, and
look ahead 20 what Is yet to come, and
thus refreshing ourselves. feel our souls
armed for the conflict in the cause OF
better life Well for Us all II We could
see with Thomson that
The q IF rfu-r