Chariton courier., 1921-10-07
THE TRAGEDY IN
THE HOUSE OF MIRTH

The question, What is the mattel
| with the movies? is always being
asked and every little while we get
the answer.
i Sudden and undeserved wealth is
principally what is the matter with
the movies. Money falling into un-
accustomed hands,, releasing them
4 from work they were formed to do;
dazzling common minds with visions
of disorderly pleasures, awaking
gluttonous desires in undisciplined
hearts, turning unskilled laborers in
to unskilled millionaires. That Is
what is the matter with the movies.
| A new '49 has come to California.
They have struck pay dirt in the NOV
| les and from all over the country
the rush Of the adventurous, the un-
prosperous and the lawless has peo-
pied the studio cities with an eager
and fevered crowd of seekers after
the new wealth, the easy wealth, the
wealth that transforms in twinkling
cotton shirts into silk and-as is
fondly supposed-common, clay into
porcelain.
Wealth will not do that, of course,
But as long as there are those who
think it will its sudden acquisition
will bring the results movie wealth
has brought. A masquerade in
which a crew of creatures like those
described by Milton half human and
half swine, reel in a drunken dance
of death. The picture art, like Mil
toms enchanted lady, sits bound and
helpless in the. midst of this obscene
revel, shamed by it, disgraced by it,
but captive until the spell is broken
and the revelers dispersed. n The
heart of the wise, says the Preacher,
is in the house of mourning, but the
heart of fools is in the house lof
mirth.
Movie millions have made house
of mirth of the movies and in it is
the heart of the movie fool. The
other day he worked for his bread
and probably didn't earn it, but now,
gilded over by the waving of a wand
and appearing like gold but still
base metal underneath, he is out to
buy with his new and unearned mil
lions the things he has been told
money will buy. He filings it to the
winds like rain, careless of the price
so it brings him pleasure. He thinks
/ it will buy anything his greedy eye
fastens on. He filings down the price
in the inly medium he knows and
reaches for it..
What movie wealth must be- taught
is that it will not buy everything.
Least. of all can it buy immunity
from obligations of decency and law.
Where it becomes insolent and defiant
it must be shown there is a power.
greater than itself. Where sudden
wealth dazzles the brain and looses
the evil in the hearts of fools; they
must learn that discipline Of life
which it was their misfortune to
have missed in the days when they
worked for their bread
Now while the revelry is. hushed
for moment let the fools look at
the end it has come to, and hear
again the words of the Preacher: II
said of laughter, it is mad; and of
mirth, What doeth it?"-Paris Mer-
curry.
And to the above the editor cannot
but add the following. 1t hits the
nail squarely on the head:
Four Things Money Cannot Buy j
A group of successful men were
discussing at the luncheon table the
purchasing power of money. "There
is nothing that money will not buyl'
declared one of the men. The others
pondered this statement in silence,
but one voiced an exception, money
will not buy health" he asserted
you're wrong" replied the cham
pion of wealth. "There arc many in
valids who could regain their health
if they had the means of employ
ing specialists, or taking treatments
at expensive .sanitariums, or living
in more sanitary surroundings. Inl
many instances money will buy
health"
"But money will not buy happi-
ness" contended the dissenter.
you're wrong again. Ask the
average person what he needs to
make him happy. He win tell you
that all he wants is to be wealthy
enough to work or rest when he
pleases, to enjoy all the amusementsI
that give him pleasure, and perhaps
to travel or study Money will b,Ivg