The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-03-02
LEARN TO live"
Mere Existence Should Never Be
Ones Sole Aim.
Too Many Tie Themselves TO the
Grindstone and Fail to See Beauty
and Joy of Life.

The other day q man died. After
the funeral a party of those who had
known him were discussing him-quite
alphabetically. His good points were
recalled and emphasized, and 1t came
as a bit of a shock when the criticism
vas made:
eyes, poor old S-wasn't a bad
sort, but he only lived eighteen years"
"Why, he was ffty-three y came the
pr~otestation.
Eyes; but he only lived eighteen or
them-from the time he was seven
and began to get hold of life, until he
was twenty-five. After that-well, he
simply worked and slept. He didn't
live he just existed. There's a mighty
difference"
Silence fell on the group. The un-
expected criticism had thrown an IL
Illuminating s%earchlight on one mans
life and revealed the truth, remarks a
London Answers writer.
He hadn't "lived." Life, by his W
choice, had been Just work and sleep,
sleep and work. No, please do not
seek to excuse him by saying that
possibly his work was his life. In a
sense it was, but it had no right to
be. He was in the world as much to
live as to work.
The divine plan never intended that
any man should use his life wholly and
solely for work. That, most obvious
ly, with necessary sleep added, would
leave no time for Giving" in the real
sense of the word. 1t would be the
turning of the grindstone, with no eye
for the pageant Of life and no share
IN ii. That's existence-nOt Giving"
Have we not to take from, as well as
give to, the world? Has any one real
ly lived" if his record is that he
worked and slept and worked and
slept and died?
Of some men 1t is said that they
like their work so much that it is their
life. Well, it shouldn't be. 1t is as
though one forever lived on bread and
water and ignored natures gifts, Gre
ated for our use and enjoyment, of
luscious fruits, fish and fowl.
Do not we work to live? Why, then,
reverse that and live to work? 1t
may be argued that our necessities and
our responsibilities compel. They
should not. Take the case of the man
who died. He worked and worked
and never broke off to "live," because
of his responsibilities. In the end,
and as the result, he died in the prime
of life-worked out. And he left his
responsibilities behind him-unprovid-
ed for! The grindstone of work wore
him out.
Tive" Toll takes toll. Living
the holiday by the sea, the football
match, the enjoyable evening at the
club, cricket, the pictures, little out
ings, fishing, golf, all and everything
which is ~pleasurable, make you "live."
And that is what we are here for.
The elixir of life is hidden in the nee
tar Of pure, %recreative pleasure. Get
away from the grindstone and drink
of it. You want life, and not just
existence.
The old tag, "We amt got much
money, but we do see life !" holds pro-
found wisdom.
Do, please, "live"l Work should be
but the means to that end. Don't be
as a man the writer knows who works,
works, works that he may scrape a
thousand pounds together for his wife
and children when he has gene. I'm
selfish? No, merely silly!
He could bring about the same re-
suit by spending twelve pounds q year
on lite insurance and use the balance
of his earnings to Tive"
Live please! Take something mi
OF life. All work and no play makes
life just an existence. Live!