m wandering far from the question of a pony; but, if you have
patience and follow me closely, you will find the old man is not too far
from the point.

Now let us bear fully in mind that Life, Liberty, and Happiness are the
objects which we have in view. In the tangled complications of modern
existence one gets lost and bewildered, unless having very definitely in
mind the objects for which we are striving. We would be like a ship
drifting or sailing in a fog without a compass. We do not know whether we
are attaining and accomplishing, or losing ground, unless we have
definitely in mind an objective point or points with which to make
comparisons of our position at different times.

I do not hesitate to write freely that we are engaged in the pursuit of
happiness, even though shallow minds might take exceptions on the ground
of selfishness. This is not so, as to a properly constituted mind
happiness includes seeing others happy, and the greatest satisfaction
comes from making them so. I will therefore let the Declaration of
Independence stand for the present without amendment.

Let us begin by postulating a great degree of happiness for friend Harris,
who has a dear little wife, a small house, and twenty-five hundred per
year. He will have no vacations and several children; and though we see
him full of happiness now, and envy his good luck and all, yet we foresee
that in twenty years, even though his salary is doubled, he will have been
enabled to lay by nothing, and will have a little heart-burning at the
thought that he cannot give his three daughters the ball dresses and
jewels they see among their boon companions.

Thompy, who has four thousand now, is not quite as happy as Harris, and
complains a good deal of being poor. He is hard-working and progressive,
and will doubtless double his salary; while Perry who is getting ten
thousand, part as income from property and part as trustee of something or
other, is the poorest man I know. He has desires, tastes, and expensive
habits which would make fifteen thousand a year look small to him, and
can't get along without entertainments and personal expenses on a
considerably higher plane than he can now afford.

Where will you land? As you are heading now, you will never be an
earner--it is more likely that you will be a spender--of money. You have
been accustomed to lots of things you could not afford on ten thousand a
year. Of course, you can cut down to that figure; b