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'we acquire the reality. We are not
satisfied with the simple necessities
of life; indeed things which were
thought luxurious"by our fathers and
mothers have "become necessities to
us.
The man who longs for something
outside the limits of his daily life and
proceeds to get it is extravagant. He
was satisfied with what he had until
he knew better.
It has been said that the laborer
wants the best cuts of beef; he wants
his children to wear- good clothes.
This is natural. He has gained
knowledge he knows wht these
things mean. He knows they are
good.
We insist upon having our milk
brought to us in bottles that are
hygienically treated and sealed, be
cause we have learned Hhat death
lurks in helfilth'-which was accumu
lated by the old methods of distribu
tion. The uncleanly can, the dirty
measuring-dipper and, last of all, the
pitcher that had been left outside all
night to collect Jhe germs these had
to go before the general knowledge
of their menace, to be replaced by
the most sanitary equipment. Of
course, this lis as it should he, but
it necessarily adds to the cost of the
milk; someone must pay for the time
and trouble.
In every department of life this
same improved condition of living ob
tains. Not only do we all want hy
gienic foqd, but we want the best
food. We all want the best literature,
the best art; we all want the best
homes and clothes of which we have,
knewledge. We are setting this
standard higher and higher simply
because each year we are learning
that there are higher standards of
which we now do not dream.
Look back over your lives during
the past ten years and try to think
of one thing you had then that would
satisfy you now certainly not the
simple clothes, nor the simple food,
nor the simple friends. You will find
you have retained only the friends
who have grown with you; others
have been left behind they bore
you.
Because there is no limit to knowl
edge, there will be no limit to desire
in the human heart; consequently,
extravagance is bound to grow more
and more with the whole people, and
the only disadvantage in this s when
desire for the trivial outweighs the
power and desire to produce the real
ity. SMITH STUCK TO IT
While New York was joyously cele
brating the marvelous progress in
navigation following the launching of
Fulton's "Clermont," one of the most
influential men in the history of
steamships, justly called the father of
Transatlantic steam navigation, re
ceived not a word of commendation.
His name was Junius Smith, he was
born in Connecticut, and received the
degree of L.L.D. from Yale College.
For thirty-one years after the "Cler
mont" steamed up the Hudson river
little steam craft plied along the
rivers and occasionally along the
coasts. Junius Smith conceived the
ideathat a steamship could cross the
ocean. It was met with derision. The
most learned men of the day 'agreed
that it was ridiculous to suppose that
steam, however practical it might be
in pushing a little craft from one
river port to another, could propel an
ocean-going vessel against the ter
rible storms that swept the Atlantic".
Smith endeavored to charter a
vessel without success. He tried to
organize a company, but not a single
share of stock was. subscribed. It
took six years of untiring effort be
fore the idea of the ybung American
was realized and the "Sirius" in 1838
proceeded from the harbor of Cork,
for America, or, as the newspapersof '
the day had it, "to its destruction."
The Sirius, nineteen days later,
steamed into New York harbor safe
and sound and the era of Transatlan
tic navigation by steam was, begun. r'
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