The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-01-02
l,zASAFURDAY
'sS NIGHT
: 'snRNoHs SER: \ g ;,
.sa,!esE !eExANuEIW W.PuRynll.
A MILLIONAIRE FOR A MOMENT

preacher who one night is figuring with
pencil and tablet just where that
last 81 was spent last month the next
morning has a million in his hands!
Made me think of Aladdin and his
wonderful lamp. ! stood in the base
ment of metropolitan bank, steel and
roncrete piled up about me, an armed
cashier. president of my church board.
between me and the door. l was his
guest. 1 had fondled packages of
greenbacks, hefted bags of gold and
looked with dull eyes at fabulous bun
dies of securities. Now, doctor, would
you care to feel what 1t is like to have
q millionT' His voice quavered lit
tie. Would I? Would kitten lap
warm milk? Me with a million He
piled 'em up in my arms-a thousand,
ten thousand, hundred thousand. a
million! l didn't get dizzy. The earth
didn't lunge over to one side And
I wasn't tempted-didn't break the
tenth commandment bit. Wonderful
how honest a man can be with a mil
lion! I made Il weak sort of Jest
about If l could get as far as the side
walk with 1t that once held our col
lege record for the mile run. The
guard frowned at such suggestion.
"Rieh Man, Poor Man
Remember how we counted the but
tons on our Jackets when we were
youngsters?
Rich man. poor man, beggar man. thief,
Doctor, lawyer, merchant. priest.
Queer we put riches-money riches
frst. "If ] only had a million" we
sigh. Whoever told us money spelled
happiness? And excessive wealth-it
must be oppressive. One Of our fell
low Americans has an income Of a mil
lion week. Think Of it. Every week
he finds brand new million dollar bill
In his hand. But what good does 1t do
him? He can't spend 1t. There is no
longer a tinge Of novelty In seeing it
brought to him because it has been
happening every week for several
years. A million dollar gold piece in
your envelope every Saturday night!
Can't you see that the monotony of
the thing must be wearing? One good
beefsteak makes a dinner. Wouldn't
1t destroy your appetite, however, to
sit down In the center of ten acre
field with beefsteaks piled up to the
very corners? A big house Is only q
care. To fare sumptuously every day
brings indigestion. One can only wear
one suit Of clothes at a time. The
very wealthy man has no goal In life
except to make more money. He's
badly handicapped. He has no worlds
to conquer.
"As Rich as Crossus.r
Don't let the soap box orator fool
you. Dire poverty is awful. There's
not redeeming thing about 1t. But
the wage Garner is not to be pitied.
He isn't troubled with ennui, nervous
prostration, appendicitis He isn't ex,
lied to a sanitarium. He lives his life
unguarded by detectives, unpestered
by tramps, beggars and Black Hand
emissaries. The man who gets most
out Of life is the one who has a job, Is
interested in 1t and gets paid for it.
Work Is the salt of life. 1t makes IL
palatable. If life were one protracted
joy ride it would get as monontonous
as the longest on foot The great big
secret is to enjoy what we have. It's
much to enjoy the things presented to
our five senses. The sunlight is ours,
pure air. the landscape, flowers, birds.
the stars. If we had to pay dollar
to sit in the public square and watch
the crowd go by we would think it a
luxury. Do you know the wealth of a
good pair of eyes? Clear hearingl
Do you walk with buoyancy? Got an
appetite, fair memory, an imagina.
ton, few friends, fairly good health
Then you are rich! II you have two Of
those qualities, memory and imagina-
ton, you have one of the great funda.
mentals Of human happiness-the abili
ty to escape from yourself.
- ShiIoUdTo Every Ray,
"Rich as Croesus." Huh!I IL It had
rained gold forty days and forty
nights Croesus couldn't have had what
you get for a dollar or even for moth
ing. What you may enjT any day
has cost billions, and you may have
use Of 1t for few nicklek A ride in
the elevated or subway tor a nickle.
Know what 1t cost to build one and
cut through the other? Three cents
for ferry ride. with upholstered cab
ins, plate mirrors, spaciots promenade.
Twenty-Five cents by steam railway to
the suburbs. It cost millions to equip
and run that road. No.you don't own
the road exclusively ant don't want to-
You couldn't drag the agine and train
around with you and store them in
your back yard. For 1cent you bought
newspaper. 1t coss thousands to
bring you the news fpm the four cor
ners Of the earth. Yu threw 1t aside
when you were DOE. At the fruit
stand the strawberTes were brought
from Florida. Cost thousands to grow,
pick and bring them. You buy nickers
worth. You step iro the public libra
ry free. Art gallerjfree. You haven't
time to travel he movies" bring
the world to you. Iou lean back com.
foftably. MUNICH yur gum and enjoy
a $1,000 trip for Snickle. On Sunday
an educated minter. trained choir.
magnificent oran. help to bring you
nearer to God an God to you. Rich?
You are a mulmillionaire-if you'u
| only enjoy what's already yours.