Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1916 — Working for a Living. [ARTICLE]

Working for a Living.

A well-to-do farmer, in the coin king section of Indiana, tells a story about his efforts to keep a farm hit nd that he needed very badly. In spite of all his persuasive powers, the. man could not be induced to stay, after he had taken the notion to go back to his home in the hill country. Finally, in a fit of impatience, the farmer said: “I’d just like to know what is the matter'H it?, alp you fellows, any way. Your father came up here,and worked il years, then he took the money he had saved, bought a farm among the bills and settled down for life. Your unde came up and worked five years, took his money and went back. Two o: yo.ir neighbors did the same tLiner, ami how you’re going to follow in their footsteps. Why do you ■ fellows all go to the hills?" The fellow answered, without a moment’s hestitation: “Because you all work too hard for a livin’ up J here." The man who tells this story thinks that the joke is on the other fellow, but is it? After all, I think that the man. from the hills was right, only he used the term “livin’ ” in the same sense that the well-to-do man uses it, which was a mistake, because he knew better. This man with the big farm puts up a terrible howl about the cost of living, but is

it simply a living he is working for? iVith a lot of us, this is not the case. Our grandparents lived, and lived well, rearing record-breaking families. Our parents lived well, and found time besides to reach helping. sympathetic hands to suffering or lonely ones in their neighborhood. Then, why is it that we, the descendants of happy, contented people, must work all day, some of us not excepting the day that our people observed as a day of rest, and some of us even working far into the night —is it for a living? What does our hard-earned money go for? Of course, the grocer and the butcher must be paid, and paid a pretty stiff price, for the things w’e eat, but do we .have to have lettuce and strawberries in January, and veal cutlets the year*around? The clothier, the dry goods man, and the milliner must be paid, to keep us looking like other folks. Like other folks! Ah! there's the rub. It isn’t enough that we have clean, comfortable clothing, clothing built to last, as our forebears had. We must keep up with the ever-shifting styles. It isn’t enough that we have a roof over two rooms to call home—we •must have houses like other folks have. When we get the shell of the house, it must have a furnace, a bath, electric lights, gas range, telephone, hot and cold water installed, before we can think of living in it. It must be furnished throughout with mbdern (or what is still costlier, antique) furniture. There must be good rugs, draperies, pictures, linen, china, silver, cut glass, etc. We couldn’t begin to enumerate all the things it takes to make a house complete. We must pay the price for all these things, and then pay the upkeep. And speaking of upkeep, reminds me that if we are like

other folks we must build a garage and buy either a touring car or a runabout —or both. we must belong to clubs— all sorts of clubs, and we must attend lectures and concerts and plays and grand opera, or other folks will think we are lacking in culture and refinement. Now, tell me, honestly, what ia it we are working for—a living? You needn’t try making the excuse that we can’t go back and live as our ancestors lived. We could if we wanted to, for there are places left where people do live that way even now. We can decide for ourselves how we are to live. The wisest teacher who ever walked the earth, in speaking ■- a man’s life, said that it did nor consist in the abundance of the tilings he possessed. There are many—God pity them!—who do have to work hard to keep any kind of roof over their head- or to ouy i :.cir bread-7-with only an occasional treat of butter with which to spread it. They have the right to say that they are working hard for a living. But, if all our hurry and scramble and fight is merely to: pay for luxuries, to amass a fortune, or to kee up with the procession, stop howling about the cost of the things you would not be willing to give up, and find out what Tiving really means.— Indianapolis News.