Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 38, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1905 — “THE SIMPLE LIFE.” [ARTICLE]

“THE SIMPLE LIFE.”

is It Really Worth While to Live and Achieve Nothing; f It is a question, after all, as to whether the greater conveniences of the life of to-day are not far more In the line of necessities than of luxuries; whether the pressing modern life is not so great as to absolutely demand a range of special appliances for its general conduct, observes a writer in the New Orleans Tlmes-Democrat. For instance, the latter-day under-graduate at college usually lias his suite of study, bedroom and bath, if not more; electric lighted, earth radiator heat, telephones and every modern conveniences—a striking contrast to the one room, often without heat, save by the primitive stove, the light furnished only by a lamp, and without running water, which, In former generations furnished the equipment of living. But what would have been luxury a century ago Is a necessity of to-day. The Intensity of latter-day life demands every possible time-saving convenience. It is as necessary as it Is to have railroads to cross the continent in five days. Instead of traveling In camp wagons for six months. The charge that life Is sordid and "material” simply because it is invested with conveniences and appliances and labor-saving and time-sav-ing devices, is, perhaps, a very unjust one. There has been a great deal of talk about the "simple” life —not as the source pf sirfipliclty and earnestness and truth —not in the sense of the simple and straightforward life, mentally and morally, but in the sense of limitations ami privations, so far ns we could discover; Ita moat vociferous advocates, indeed, being those who least illustrated the alleged virtue for which they clamored. The Chinese have a proverb that it is not worth while to cut off one's feet to save buying shoes, and the "simple” life, as advocated by those (who on no account would practice It), was limited to the cutting off the feet, so to apeak, in order to save buying the shoes. As a matter rtf fact. It Is better to buy the shoes am! then—achieve something by means of having them. Instead of taking the negative aide of virtues, why not choose the positive aide, nnd proceed to accomplish something? One reason the majority of women do not take any stock in the wisdom of Solomon is that they hare beard toe had 70U wives.