The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-04-02
A Millionaire's Musings.

ellen I've grown little hard Of hearing
Of late, hut caught that just as the two men
turned round the corner. sThcre goes old
Morgan tho millionaire, rich as Croeus aud
hard as iron; wonder what good the money
ho gripes SO tight will do him score Of years
hence!"
Sand so that's what men say Of me, is it |?
odd Morgan the Millionaire And Two
spent my own life-all the hopes Of my youth,
the strength OF my manhood, and years Of
my old age-for this!
It's fact, | IN millionaire this day -
John Morgan, your hairs are grey, and your
face is scanned with wrinkles, and your life
has slipped over its seventieth birthday, and
in houses and lands, in bank stock and rail.
road shares, in coal mines and heavy cargoes,
YOU can count down this day your hard mil
lion ofdo'lsrs.
1t sounds strange enough as l repeat the
words over, and 60 back to the time when |
worked on Squire MasoD's farm for six dol
lars month and my board. said I'd be
Iich man then, some day , and | ben, myself
TO the task, soul and body, night and day. |
toiled early and late and I've got "A million of
dollars to show for il.
IL Ndo ~ INu sNH-SI, Uut Il WAS eUHTD
and watched my chance, and luck favored
me. ] don't want to think of all the s'rings
pulled to CT money, or il a mans bent on
making it he must not be squeamsh; and
though | Was sometimes little hard, and
shaved here and took advantage there, still, l
wasn't worse than other men, and | was al.
ways certain to keep inside the Law.
And now, men will bow and criuga 10 me
and almost 90 down on their kn,c to get my
name to their paper, and say hard things of
me behind my back, and when die | don't
suppose there's living soul that would she'd
an honest tear over me, though ! shall DO
certain to lie under tho shadow of great
marble monument
Somehow, sitting here in my office this
morning, and looking back over my life. it
doesn't seem as if the million Of dollars had
paid after all; but when the greed and thirst
for gain get possession of man, everything
else must go-fear of God and love of man;
bis life and soul must be given up to business
an an old man, and millionaire, and !
shall be dropping into my grave in little
while, and I've got precious Little capital to
take into another world, for fame 'Rch
Man don't read there as it docs here.
/ don't like to think Of my home, my wife,
my children Poor Mary she was n sweet,
simple hearted girl when | took her in her fair
young girlhood, to walk with me all the days
Of my life Iplomised to love, and cherish,
and protect her. but buried myself up in
business, and seldom had loving word or a
smile for the home to which | went every
night cold, and silent, and crusty!
can't blame her il she turned at last to
the world and sought rest for her aching
heart in dress, and show, and spendor, and
became at last, q vain, heaitlcss, fashionable
woman.
What palace home we had My money
filed it with luxury, but the gold didn't
bling happiness and don't like to think Of
that last hour Of my wfes when she woke out
of her long fever and gasped out, John I'm
an old woman, and I'm going to leave you,
and my life's been terrible mistake-I sec i:
all nova terrible mistake.
don't like to think Of my children either.
There are my boys, miserable, dissi ipated
notwithstanding on tie years before
the old man will be gone, so they can make
his money fly; there are my daughters, mar
red fops and fortune hunters, proud, SNOWY,
silly women, their whole life consisting in
dress, and parties, and splendid folIies.
And this is to b, an old man ard a million
are, ! wonder if it pays! wondcr,if could
90 back to the years Of my youth again, if |
would give all my life to heapng up the GOLD
hat has only wrought an old age of bitter
for me, death Of anguish for my
wife, anl ruin for the children God gave US.
No 1T DoEsN' 7 PAY; but it's too late to nj
Ter things now, and the best can do now is
10 leave a hundred thousand dollars in my
will to endow some orphan asylum.
It'll make hot work among the heirs when
hey hear OF it, but the old man won't sleep
he less sound for all the noise they'll make
over his WILL and it'll seem like making
little compensation for some days in my life
that don't quito like to face. But, after all,
A million OF dollars don't pay--u don't pay"'