Year: 1878

OcIt1uS AAf4hS'


The entire aim, thought, and occupa


tion of the great majority of people, the


world over is to get living-a mere ma


terial living, to keep body and mind
together with some degree of comfort -
| This NAV seem to be an ignnble. insi gnif
| icant employm ment and purpose; perhaps
| it is; ; but it is solemn. undeDiable fact.


nevertheless. And comparatively few
| people really achieve it, mean though it
| be If the mass of men should show


themselves capable Of getting living
| fairly and squarely, of earning whatever


they possess and use Of being pecuniari


ly independents. they might b. said to


have. as things go, very good fortune
But they do not. and, owing to circum


stances and their own temperament, they


actually cannot. Not hall of mankind
has or keeps sound health. to begin with


and not many of the healthtul have suf
ficient intelligence, prudence, and indus
try to render them self supporting The


bulk Of people. from inpumerable causes


partly without and partly within. fail to


get a living properly tor themeelves -
They get it through the guidance. assist
ance. or indul g-nce of others; SO that
after all. to get a lIviDg-sImply and only
| living-s relatively. shining success


1t may be that not many OF us hring


this prosaic. unpleasant truth home. Tor


We are apt to be more concerned with


what we are doing. We exist through


our wishes. commonly ungratlfi-d, and


our hopes, never to be fulfilled. The sole


time we can call our own-the Present


is the time that we never appreciate. and


generally neglect. either to dwell on the
Past or to picture the Future We are





living that we should tall pitably short


OF that bnt for outside bolstering and


benefit. Our heads are in the sky. while
our bands are on and in the earth We
are stuffed with plans. intents. expecta


tons; to morrow is ever to crown us with


truitlon we are necessarily on the eve
OF some sweet accomplishments; and,
meanwhile, we slight our obvious duties;


we run in debt; we tax the patience and


kindllness OF our nei ghbnrs; in short,
despite our confidence, compiacency, and
~egotism, we do not get our own living


Getting living? Pshaw, that is moth,
ing Any fool can get that. A man who
cannot do that ought not 10 b. born; he is
predestined bankrupt. a gross incom


petent, a sheer zero So it seems so it
is natural to say but how is it2 What
proportion of men. even in the. Republic
-"HtTe iuero Is more sell TSlIauCe ana
practicality than in any other nation
perform veritably what it is alleged that
any TOOL can perform Scarcely one in
twenty, we suspect. if mems whole lives
could be unroIled and scanned Many
go TAR beyond making both ends meet
tor a certain period but their progress is
spasmodic; their prosperity is eclipsed;
while they are clim hing ambitiously they
tumble down, and never. proba bly,
mount so high again To get living
means to get it all the time. and at the
end leave no arrears; to put surplus and
deficit together through series of years
and make them meet all liabilities 1t is
the application of arithmetic to character
the granting OF quit claim to obligation
and responsibility, and there are very
few who have the force and resolution to
secure it


There are of course, many men who
acquire wealth position, power, and so
lit themselves above the need and
thought of getting living; but, com
pared with the multitude, they are not
many; they are really exceptions The
rank and file of the army Of humanity
who do the hard fighting and win the
victories that grid others with laurels,
have such pay as forbids all luxuries -
The great bulk of workers. whether man
ual or mental. never rise above. and tre-
quently fall below. q living. Although
1t may not SO present itself to them. it ia
only food and raiment and shelter they
labor and fret and suffer for. and much
of their anxiety and apprehension is lest
they be deprived OF these Well to do
merchants, bankers, and professional
men are won't to say in dull times like
the present I'VE are making nothing;
We are merely getting a living" But il
is a different living from the living Of
most. 1t is not the proverbial bread and
butter; nor chop or coffee, nor beef and
beer; it is pate de toie graS and chamber
tin. But. whatever it is, it is overmod
est, perhaps ironical, to say merely get
ting a living" This is more than the
majorty get in any strict sense, and all
that ninety nine out of hundred have
any cause to expect. How immeasurably
the contentment of the world would be
increased, if all it's inhabitants could bp
assured of their living with reasonable
industry


What a serious and solemn business is
this getting a livingl 1t is universal and
imperative We cannot, any of us, shirk |
it. We must get it or accept it, and the
crust of independence ls sweeter to every
manly man than the daintiest dainty Of
dependence 1t is humiliating to reflect
that the best of our endeavors, the bigh-
est of our thoughts, the lOftiest of our
aspirations must be directed to so poor
and plain an end But the unIvrr-alIty
OF the need should bring US into sympa
thy with all who are our co-wnrkers, tho
in another and lower way than ours -
When the ragged man or the repul i've
woman worries US to buy the thing we
do not want, perhaps our tone of irrita
tion or our act OF rudeness might be soft
ened or altered if we should remember
that they are only trying to get living
exactly as we are. though by a different
trade. Men and brothers more by their
struggle to live than by aught else, aud
the struggle Of many is too sad for words
Getting living? Is that all we can do
after we have gushed so tondly of the
dignity and destiny of man? Yes; all
that the majority really do, in this work
day world.