Norwich bulletin., 1915-08-14
Sunday Morning Talk
THE GREAT JAM QUESTION.

Knowing my neIghbor Blank TO be a
hard and steady worker, wearing a
path each morning to the 7.15 train,
ventured one day TO express the hope
that his business prospered and yielded
fair returns for his labor. Bread, and
little butter-but no JAM" was the
reply. What Blank meant to indicate
was that he earned the necessarIes but
none OF the Injuries Of life. His family
had three meals q day, and roof
over their heads. His wife and children
were decently clothed. He probably put
few dollars each month into the bank.
But beyond that nothing.
A trace Of bitterness was to be OBJ
served in Blanks tone, an intimation
that the world was not playing just
fair with him. One could see that he
was in revolt at spending all his days
in grubbing out a bare living. 1t is
no fun to be always about six PAGES
ahead of the wolf. 1t becomes doubly
tiresome to walk when you zee every
third man of your acquaintance buying
Ford.
IL is lack of the Iuxuries rather than
the necessities that causes most of us
to worry. That which drives men TO
toll is to provide more than a mere
living. We could get on nicely on less
than we strive for, If we>only thought
| so. One half the daily struggle might
| be given over at once if We could be
content to live as our grandfathers
| lived. Bread and butter is a compare
| lively simple proposition; but when l
| feel l must cover the slice with jam
| the problem takes on a new aspect.
| How much jam, after all, does one
require? How much must add to the
great fundamentals of life in order
/ to be happy? Assuredly not so much
| as half the world thinks. If one could
be content in satisfying his real neces-
| stiles what needless wear and tear ne
could forego. what needless worry!
The wisest teacher our world has
known said: "a mans life CONSISTENT
| not in the abundance of the things he
| possesseth.' How slow men have been
| to learn that lessoni How we have
used UP time and burned energy in
1 eager pursuit of many things, under
the illusion that, finding them, we
should be happy. Civilization has
| forced one luxury after another on us
till we imagine that living is far more
complex business than it really is.
Life's elemental necessities are with
in reach of practically everyone Air,
| sunshine, bread, water, shelter, such
gifts as these are possible for us all
| The long list of desires that modern
ingenuity has added are, generally
| speaking. no part Of our human need
Even though few of us admit it, there
is truth in the old lines:
Man wants but little here below
Nor wants that little long.
At least. he needs little, whether he
wants it or not.
| There was a poor man In ancient
Greece who lived in a tub, ate black
bread, and drank water. When Alex
ander, master Of the known world, Wis
tied the hermit he graciously inquired
| of him: And what can Alexander dc
for Diogenes?" ''You can stand a little
to one side, please, so as not to keep
the sunshine from me-" was the reply
The rich man simply had nothing the
/ poor man wanted.
| The Alexanders have more OF the
jam OF life than the rest OF us; but
have they any more Of the really bis
and essential things? After all, men
cannot live on jam. They live on Gods
common gifts that are spread abroad
where prince or peasant, tramp or mil
honaire can get them 1t Is time fol
Blank to quit growing and count ur
his possessions.
4 THE PARSoN.