The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-11
EVENING CHAT
BIZ RUTH CAMERON.

The world is too much with US; late and
soon,
Getting and spending, we lay waste our
powers Wordsworth.
Because she found that the large rent
was a burden which continually fretted
ana CALLED her, and absorbed a dispro-
poruonate amount of her attention, a
woman recently gave up a pretty home in
which she had lived for many years, and
moved into less expensive quarters.
we were talking about the move after
wards. Il hated to leave it, she said.
1t was such pretty home, and we had
lifted 1t up just to suit US, but after my
sister married, the rent was really too
much Tor me. I could have paid it. In
fact, did pay it for three years, as you
know, but 1t was always strain and al
afraid 1 wouldn't earn enough, or would
be sick, or get behind some way or other.
one night l sat down and thought it all
over, and came to the conclusion that ]
wasn't getting enough out of life that
way. All I've been doing for the last
three years is struggling to make enough
money to pay that rent. I haven't been
living. I've just been earning and spend
ing, earning and spending. Do you know,
in spite of the fact that miss my pleas
ant and convenient home, I've been in
finftely happier since left it? The strain
is relieved. I can live now"
Don't you think that woman was an ex-
ceptonally wise person? 1 do.
The world is full of people whose lives
are just what this woman's was while she
was trying to live beyond her means.
Late and soon, getting and spending
says Wadsworth, and describes the whole
existence of-yes, fear it-at least half
the world.
We must earn and we must spend but
what a tragedy it is when life holds moth
ing for US besides these two processes. I
know that there are millions of poor peo-
pie so uneducated and so unfortunate that
they must work from dawn till dark and
still scarcely earn enough to keep them
selves from starving. can't think of the
lives of these people without passionate
rebellion and a passionate longing for the
time when the world will not tolerate such
conditions and I truly believe that time
will come. To these people life can hard
~ be any more than getting and spend
ing But these are but a small proportion
of the people who get no more out of life.
A far larger proportion. is made up of
folks who like the woman I quoted, in
spending more than they can rightly
afford, deliberately chain themselves
down to an unremitting round of getting
and spending.
No luxury is worth such Imprisonment
Nothing but absolute necessity can ex-
cuse such existence.
And yet how many of us are deliberat ely
enslaving ourselves in this way! How
by our mania for material 1uxuries, we
are making nothing but getting and spend
ingi How many of us have sad reason
to say with Wordsworth, 1.-The world Is
too much with uS!
Courage, my friends, while there's life
there's hope. If you can only arouse your
soul enough to make 1t suffer about this
state of things you may alter this condi-
ton. You need not be a slave any longer
than you wish to be.
Sit down and think 1t all out. Is your
life any more than getting and spending?
Do you wish 1t to be any more than that?