THINGS THAT MONEY WON’T BUY
Everything depends on something else. There is no such thing as
absolute independence, and those who think differently are simply
asleep at the switch. Of all things sought for in this world happiness
stands first, and to be sure of this estatic state of being the common
mistake is made in selecting the path supposed to lead most directly
thereto.
Wealth--choice No. 1. _The common error_ of the human family.
Wealth is the great destroyer of happiness, for it breeds _discontent
and worry_. In the first place comes the worry of accumulating wealth
and once possessed of it comes the worry of hanging on to it. It is but
a step from worry to discontent.
But take away the doubt, for the sake of argument, and analyze wealth
from the standpoint of possession. Now that we have wealth let’s go
ahead and enjoy it. Let us make of our lives an elysian dream. All
right, here goes.
But first, just what is an _elysian dream_? Answer--an elysian dream
is most quickly defined by the word _naught_. It is a figure of speech
and only useful in poetic flights--no transfers issued. The iridescent
dream is the nearest high-sounding vagary that can be bought for cash
and that has a rainbow finish. It soon fades and is lost from view.
[Illustration: Alone with the Grand Canyon]
So we come quickly back to the proposition that wealth, while useful
to the stomach and the back, has no purchasing power with the soul.
Happiness is a _soul quality_--how to reach it is a quandary.
Of things earthly we only require a certain amount; an overplus takes
away zest. The sport of the hunt is no more, when the quarry is tied
up by the heels. Anticipations are happier far than realizations. When
we aspired we looked forward, and up. When we indulged to the full our
eyes fell to the ground.
“_The fun of gettin’ money is the gettin’ of it, son._” This line is
the wind-up of a wild Western solo one of the boys in camp used to sing
with banjo accompaniment. That is all I remember of the song. It struck
me as funny and also as being gospel truth. After having satiated one’s
utmost desires, every luxury seems trivial and vain. Anticipation,
which is a species of joy, no longer dwells in the heart. Thereafter
we hunger for the unattainable--_contentment_. Very seldom do we
change our ways when we have waxed fat and soft--and money won’t buy
everything. Note the “if” in old Aunt Dinah’s Camp Meeting ditty:--
“If Heaven was a place that money could buy
The rich would live and the po’r would die----”
And there we are, blockaded with a measley “if.” There are things
that money won’t buy--for instance, a _good night’s sleep_. Our “open
sesame” to the higher level is via the _Self-Denial line_. Money won’t
buy a ticket--only the good and faithful servant may pass through the
turnstile.
[Illustration]