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Show , ! CONTENTMENT. f I i ; Contentment is a condition of mind which in- - j dicates a certain amount of satisfaction; moderate : j happiness; a freedom of strife, quarrelsomeness I I : I j f and contention. Ordinarily, everybody is pretty I . I well conteuted if they are industrious, temperate I ? j.f and are getting a reward for their industrv and 1 1 1 j temperateness commensurate to their needs. Peo- S ( pie's needs are pretty generally alike. Everybody f M needs food, clothing, warmth and shelter. Given I ! M these, or the means to supply them, everybody J ' M ought to be pretty generally contented. The price I ' of. food is pretty high just now; eggs are selling l i f i at about a nickel apiece. Clothing can hardly be I . I classed as one of the cheap things of the market. I ; i j And the matter of warmth, which is generally sup- S ;, I ; plied by coal, is really a very expensive matter, i i 1 j Furthermore, the price of rent can he relied upon I to take a quarter of a man's salary. Men have to live, and they like to live as well as thcy can. Their I , houses are usually not any too good for the price ; ' 1 they pay, at that. '! ' " j i These four things food, clothing, warmth and i ; shelter are the basis of contentment with worldly ! j things. Xot many men who have them are bad S j citizens. Supplied with them, a man has time to ; ! ! 've to those studies which broaden his intellec- I tuality and promote the general welfare. Without s ' them he becomes a malcontent, an agitator. There .- ! j are many causes which contribute to the lack of j these things which they are lacking, mainly due to : the individual himself, through incompetence or ... ' j dissipation. These lack what others possess through I j industry and frugality, but that does not change ; ; ! the status of their contentment. To be really con-1 con-1 tented one must have these things in this busy M world. With them it is natural that the individ- . ' ual should seek spiritual comforts. Of course, the I f ! j condition should be reversed, and spiritual comfort fhould be sought first, but that is not the way of I 1 ! the "world. Much as any one mav regret it. it still if : i J I i remains a fact that creature comforts are held above ! ? ; ! . spiritual comforts. It is the duty of the church ! i to do what it can to provide both. And it is the f ' f j duty of church members to supply the church with f J ' the means to do so. What are you doing in this I i i : matter, brother church member? ! i ; ! ; . |