The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-06-08
IF WISHES WERE AUTOMOBILES.

To purchase heaven has gold the power7
Can gold remove the mortal hour?
In life can love be bought with gold?
Are friendships pleasures to be sold?
No! All that's worth a wish, thought,
Fair virtue gives unbrib'd, unbought
Cease, then, on trash. thy hopes to bind,
Let nobler views engage thy mind.
If wishes were automobiles the poor
could ride as fast and as far as the
rich. Unfortunately, it takes more
than idle wishing to secure the lux
uries we often wrOngfully crave. 1t is
intended that each one of us should
fill a certain groove at particular
time in our lives. We should make
the best of it, but redouble our efforts
to effect change IL we feel that we
can grasp that elusive priZe-success,
To lament bitterly over present sur
roundings is loss of energy needed
elsewhere. The woman who wishes
her husband was a millionaire instead
of an honest workman-aye, might
actually change places with one
might have cause to hug real sorrow
to her bosom If her wish could be
granted. She would quickly have to
bid adieu to love and happiness, sigh
ing in vain for the love which was
once hers and was now scattered
among the yachts, stocks, everywhere,
anywhere save where it belonged.
If she wishes her plain young
daughter were as beautiful as the girl
of the rich man across the way, she
might have cause to regret that, too.
if her longings were fulfilled and the
beauty eloped with a bogus nobleman,
a scamp who sent her soon home
again, sadder, BIZ: wiser girl.
The mothers ardent wish that he1
son could change places in life with
the smart young chap who so clever
ly forged ahead of him in the business
world might be thankful enough that
her boy was just his own, plain, hon
est self when the over-ambitious youth
was sent to prison for embezzling.
Somehow it is the nature of many
women to feed on foolish wishes.
They spend the best years of their
lives nursing and coddling them.
They will call it ambition, but their
Judgment of the difference between
ambition and wishing often flies far
afield. Ambition IS stimulus to make
the present better; wishes are the
hope of getting something without the
effort of striving to obtain it through
strenuous effort. If everyone could
have Just what he wished for most,
how many lives would be wrecked,
cruelty sacrificed?
What young girl would not wish
for nice young husband? In conse-
uuence, no girl would be husbandless.
Wives would never encounter trouble
or be put to the torture of invent
ing new schemes every week to Sc
cure the needed amount from his
weeks wage to exc out the household
expenses. If wishes could be the fairy
wand, every woman would have
home of her own, her husband sue.
cessful money-maker, as we'll as being
devoted to her and blind to the at
fractions of other women. Her chill
dren would be the cleverest, and no
cloud of grief should ever overshad-
ow her or hers.
Yes, if wishes were automobiles,
there wouldn't be any hitch in land.
ing us where we wanted to go. We
would all take the easy road, whirling
airily into happiness.
But, to be honest now, aren't the
majority of us happier just as we are?
No life is so dark but little sunshine
creeps into it, though the hour be long
delayed.