Norwich bulletin., 1910-09-24
II Doesnt Pay in the Long Run 10 be Greedy

live This is the law of self preserVa-
ton, and nobody disputes its validity
1t is the only law which childhood
seems to know. But it isn't the only
law which governs real manhood.
Another law is that other folks must
live. too and have the right to get for
themselves wherewith to live. ME"
and mine" are among the first words
the baby learns. He is the center and
circumference of his own little world.
But manhood learns that the indl-
vidual is only one drop in the ocean,
and that the ocean is not only Digger
but vastly more important than any
single drop in it. If growing man
hood is accompanied, also, by growing
sense it learns that the only safety
for the individual is in the welfare
of the mass. The single drop in the
hugh, smooth ocean roller is reason
ably sure to keep wet as long as 1t
stays there. When it starts out by
itself to be a solitary, self centered,
down looking drop Of spray high on
the cliff, it mighty soon dries up and
stops being anything.
| keep a saying of Ebert Hibbard's
stuck in one corner of my looking
glass Those who never do any more
than they get paid for, never get paid
for any more than they do" But
what shall be said of those who do
icS7 IMAM LiiCF etIS pau lCA anu bAANH
grumble because they are not paid
more? Brethren, putting it on the
very lowest ground of materiaistic
eXpedfencey, it doesn't pay in the long
run, to be greedy. We may get a lit
tie, temporarily, but we are dead sure
to lose eventually something of more
value than anything our greed can
get us. What time is it, please?' %
asked the Junior partner in a big es-
Enlistment. The busy clerk looked
up at the clock from his work and an
swered: 1.-TWO minutes of twelve, SIR
The Junior partner smiled and passed
on into the office Next day, when
the clerk was called in and given a
better position at higher pay, he
ceased to wonder why he had been
asked the question. Every other en-
ploye in his room, at the time it was
asked, had been either washing hands
or brushing hair or busting clothes,
bolt for the street, the minute the
noon whistle blew. This particular
clerk had been more intent on doing
the work he was paid to do than on
watching the clock to see how early
| it would be safe to shirk-
Give and let live" isn't bad mot
to. L believe in getting all that's COM
ing to me, but, by George, 1 don't
want what's justly coming to the
other fellow! He has as good right to
what's his as I have to what's mine,
and ] have a right to be just as
ashamed Of myself il / try to gobble
up a part of his share as have to get
mad at him when he tries to capture
mine away from me. We farmers
aren't all saints, in this respect I
suspect were just about like the rest
of the bunch,-no worse. perhaps, but
not much better. 1t isn't only among
Ito
find greed and graft and the desire
to beat some one else. [ know
farmers,-and I'll bet you do, too-,who
VIII study for weeks and lie awake
o'nights to think UP ways to get some
unfair advantage over their neigh
bors. Like all other vices, it's much
easier to denounce this in others than
it is to cure it in ourselves. Never
| theless that salf-curing process Ia
! vastly the more practicable and use
full. Moreover, 1t is a task which lies
I at our own doors and we can take it
in and tend to it without having to
| hitch up and drive to town.
1t wasn't a nice word, that which
| The Great Master applied to those
/ who, with beams in their own eyes es-
sFayed to remove the notes from others
optics. But 1 guess it was about the
right word. Anyway. you and l haven't
DeeH given authority TO amend 1t
1t is not true that there is no honesty
left in the worl and that public spirit
can no longer be found. There's more
| of both today than ever before. In
stead of feeling hopeless and desper-
| ate over the greed and corruption that
is being made visible, we can afford
! to rejoice that the nasty pus is being
! discharged from the opened sores. II
is good time for us to join in the
| general housekeeping. In view of ou1
| surroundings and our comparative
| freedom from the bigger temptations
we farmers ought to hold the highest
rank in the armies of progress an6
| Improvement. [ wish I could say some
| word to prick one greedy soul awake
to a sense of it's own loss I shoul6
feel well repaid for all these talks if
could be sure that even one hitherto
| self-seeking, greedy, fellow farmer
! had been stirred by some word il
them to that reflection which is sure
to lead any sane soul which begin:
1t out of the shell of indurated selfish
ness into the open air of helpfuIness
| and neighborliness.
THE FARMER.
|