The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-04-27
THE FRUIT WE GATHER.

Perhaps necessary result of the siren
uous existence which marks the present age
is the growing restlessness of the lndlvid-
ual. At no stage of the worlds history mas
the desire to achieve been so strlklngly IL
Illustrated as at present; at time has there
been keener competition in all lines OF en-
deayor or a greater demand for those
creature comforts which we believe are nee
essarv to our we'll being. Much has been
written on the subject Of the worlds ex-
travagances and, in general, we speak. with
contempt of almost everything that IS not
characterized as strictly up-to- date. Inc
old fashioned ways Of the past are elther
referred to with a more or less kindly toll
erance or else openly ridiculed and the
simple life has long ago run its course save
in a few exceptional cases. The great
world war, of course, has served to check
in part the tendency toward an extravagant
existence upon which men had embarked
and very probably the terrible conflict will
leave its impression deeply etched upon
mems souls for generations to come, but as
vet the change to more normal conditions
is not widespread and we in this country
are throwing away many opportunities
which would lead to sane and wholesome
method of living. So long as we keep up
the pace which we believe that others set
for US, whether they do or not, just 50 long
will we cheat ourselves of many. of the
highest and best aspects of life and keep
our minds securely upon the wild chase
after position and wealth and fame. 1t
sometimes seems as though we are never
satisfied no matter how much.we have to
make US happy. We are always looking
out for something else, stretching out our
hands, as it were, to grasp anything that
comes along in order that we will be certain
to get our full share.
Such a spirit reflects itself in sour lives
and often turns outherwise happily consti-
tdted natures into restless, rowing spirits.
The ordinary things Of life fail to satisfy
US; we look for more thar we get and grad
ually our restlessness makes Us misery to
ourselves as we'll as to others. In some way
we lose our grasp upon things, our common
sense fails to manifest itself, and before
very long we become irritable and nervous
and hard to please Sometimes: we even
begin to pity ourselves and to talk about
our craving to be ''understood,' and about
the little sympathy we receive from those
about u.s. We imagine many causes for
our non-success and sometimes we even
attribute our "peculiarities';o disposition
to what we like to call our "artistic tenn
peraments'' which seem to.demand differ
ent treatment from the ordinary, everyday,
matter of-fact temperaments OF the aver
age man and woman. The only cure for
such conditions, ,itsr'would seem, is that of
cultivating more common sense view of
life in general. We may have our trials;
indeed, we must have them in time, but, as
no off jn Yhoh "a io6
in which to put, our hard, common ;aense
into practice for our individual benefit. II
we are not able to achieve for ourselves
just what we wish the most; if we are
threatened with disaster of any kind; if We
see our hopes falling about US and realize
that disappointment has set its hand upor
us-these are the times when we must exer
our common sense to its utmost and accep
with as good grace as possible whatever
is in store. Disappointment is not legit'
innate excuse for that restless ness which
marks go many men and women Of, to day
If we cannot succeed in one. way we prob
ably can in sano1her! hetfacts thatwe are
not satisfied with anythihg We! do is the
real cause Of our restless spirit, and tht
reason why we are never satisfied is tina
we have never tried to- understand our lifs
conditions nor to adapt ourselves to them
We cannot change the course Of our live
no matter how hard we try; all we can d.
is to make them work as easily as possibl
and to get the most out of them that we can
The restless dissatisfaction With, what fat
brings Us is not a sign of true Development
but on the contrary, of an unworthy re
sentiment. A too active lifey-coupled witt
the big drains which such a life make
upon our physical strength, units us TO
the more serious side Of life, a side whicI
for all its responsibilities and obligation
yields far better return in every wayth
the more hazardous and strenuous worldl
existence. Even if we meet with success
in our fight for place and prominence it i
not always to our best interests viewed a
.awhoie, and~it often happens that he VIII
wins fame is really less contented than n
whose ambitions are humber and more i
Keeping with the conditions of hisindividus
existence. Viewed from the giddy Height
which the world persists in calling life, tn
quiet existence of long ago in the valley
which he have outgrown, seems hopelessl
dull and uninteresting, but On the'whole.
yielded richer, better fruit than the force
dollhouse varieties that perish in our hand:
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REFORMS FROM ABOVE.