Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-30

Written Specially for The Bulletin.
 "A farmer is never satisfied says E. w. Howe in Sayings of Country Town. Don't expect it."
 The assertion is made rather psrkily, not to say dogmatically. One isn't asked to consider whether it is so or not, but is informed in the fewest and the most unacceptable words that it is so. Ever since I read it. last night, I've been thinking or dreaming about 1t.
 I wonder if it is really the fact? If it really is, then I wonder whether it's a felony or merely misdemeanor? Or whether, perhaps, it isn't either but is just normal and universal to man kind?
 "A farmer is nevef satisfed," eh? We'll, is anybody else? Is John D.. Rockefeller? Is Kaiser Wilhelm?
 Perhaps you've heard the story of the eastern king who languished under a mysterious sickness which, his Wise Men assured him, could never be cured till he dressed himself in the shirt of a wholly happy man. So his agents secured the kingdoms and the conti- nents in search for a wholly happy man. They found many who pro- fessed they were, but shrewd question ing brought out different state of mind. Over and over again they re- turned to the. palace to report that they could not find a wholly happy man. Over and over again they were sent back to renew the search. At last, one hot and hopeless day, as their caravan toiled wretchedly along a broiling road, they found a beggar lying in the sun and singing lustily.
 ''Why do you sing?" they asked.
 Why shouldn't F" he responded.
 Are you so happy?" they asked.
 Perfectly happy" he replied.
 So they hurried up the Chief Cross Examiner of all Cross-Examiners who proceeded to insult him and lay traps for him and coax him and scare him, and bully him and browbeat him, after But all in vain. There wasn't a thing he didn't have that he wanted; there wasn't a wish in the world he cared to make; there wasn't anything in the way of reward or advancement that he would even look at; so at last the big wigged Cross Examiner of all Cross Examiners had to report to the Head of the Expedition that, at last, they had certainly found a perfectly happy man. Whereupon the Head of the Ex- petition, bursting through the sur rounding ranks of camels and drome- daries and tame elephants and janis saries and bowmen and spearmen and private detectives, rushed up to the singer and imperiously demanded his shirt.
 Haven't got any," laughed the hap py beggar. And investigation proved that he hadn't.
 There are several morals, it seems to me, in this oriental apologue. One Is that when the doctors don't know what's the matter with you, they gen. erally order you off to Florida or Col orado, or bid you do something or get something impossible This-when you can't do it or get it-relieves them from responsibility for the result
 Another moral is that you can't have what doesn't exist, no matter whether you're a multimillionaire or an eastern king sitting high on a throne of royal state.
 Another is that happiness consists, not in having things you want so much as in not wanting things you don't happen to have.
 Another, perhaps, might be that it's more comfortable to be a lazy lousy beggar than a working and worrying farmer.
 Take your pick. Or hunt up any other you may be able to find in it.
 Personally, I'm not so much interest