Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-05-03
LEARN TO live"
Mere Existence Should Never Be
Ones Sole Aim.
Too Many Tie Themselves 70 the
arindstone and Fail to See Beauty
and Joy Of Life.

The other day a man died. After
the funeral a party Of those who had
known him were discussing him-quite
sympathetically. His good points were
recalled and emphasized, and it came
as bit of shock when the crassnism
was made:
"Yes, poor old S-wasn't a bad
sort, but he only lived eighteen years"
'Why, he was fifty-three!" came the
protestation.
"Yes; but he only lived eighteen OF
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 mighty
difference"
Silence fell on the group. The un-
expected criticism had thrown an IL
Eliminating searchlight on one mans
life and revealed the truth, remarks a
London Answers writer.
He hadn't "lived." Life, by his own
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 "living" 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 it. That's existence-not Giving"
Have we not to take from, as we'll as
give to, the world? Has any one real
ly "Iived' if his record is that he
worked and slept and worked and
slept and died?
OF some men it 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. ere
ated for our use and enjoyment, OF
luscious fruits, fish and fowl.
Do not we work to live? Why, then,
reve. ,e 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-unproyid-
I'D eds-for!-Tha- -erindstone Of work wore
him out. =
If you want to live on, you must
'live.' 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 aIn't got much
money, but we do see life!" holds pro-
found wisdom.
Do, please, olive! Work should be
but the means to that end. Dent be
as a man the writer knows who works,
works, works that he may scrape
thousand pounds together for his wife
and children when he has gone. Un-
selfish? No, merely silly!
He could bring about the same re-
suit by spending twelve pounds year
on life insurance and use the balance
of his earnings to ''live!"
Live please! Take something out
of life. All work and no play makes
life Just an existence. Live!
Superstition Among French People.