Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1865-10-12


able size and power; and the scene suggested
many tale from my friend of startling scenes
among the earliershipping of these inland gulis,
matched by my own recollections of like erner-
gencies along the shores Of Long Island and the
cliffs Of Cape Cod.
Speaking with the sharp, quick movement Of
the man Of strong character and active HE, ne
pointed out two or three buildings of great
beauty and cost, as being the property OF a
man whom he knew when a boy--a yender OF
/ apples,
| 'You arc seeking your fortune 2 he SAID,
looking me in the face.
Not exactly. am seeking position OF
comfort and comparative case. An income
sufficient to satisfy my actual wants, and ena-
ble me to exercise my tastes in connection with
the labors ofHfe."
II see. thought 50, You do not thirst for
possessions. You would tinge your business-life
With literary enjoyment. thas been different
with me-
Iventurcd the suggestion, How?"
az few years ago was in whirl. Ny early
life had been pretty successful. / had reached
a business which was lucrative and was riding
the tenth wave Of success doring the widely
prosperous years preceding our reverses In
my boyhood had loneel always for wealth
aud the power which comes oft. Inow expo
rienced facination in its pursuit, and saw moth
ing to hinder the realization of my desires
remained silent through the pause, and he
started again in his rapid manners
II became connected with Touring mill in
Western state. 1t was very successful. You
have seen the brand. The -four Is known all
over the Union. bought real estate, shipped
ain. came here to Milwaukee andinvested, ex-
tcaded my operations to Chicago. built houses
and mil in lesser towns--in short, was in
oae endless whirl Of successful business excite
ment.
81 saw myself on the highroad to--I knew
not what. More was the only word knew
anything about. A hundred thousand was as
nothing tome. / wantcd-I cannot tell what.
Whatever touched, brought me profit. Twas
insatiate-drunk Looking back now, | can
not tell what was thinking of, Indeed be-
lieye did not think at all. except to have a.
vague sense of a something magnificent toward
which l was tending"
Ny friend paused, and repeated some COM
monplacc observation what miserable things
are commonplaces , to show my interest in his
story.
From the ability to command any amount
of money, there came an awful change. Twas
first touched, then grasped, then screwed tight
y in the vice of the crisis. Bound hand and
foot, lay at the mercy of my creditors. The
value of my possessions ascended like smoke,
and was lost Then came mental distress
anguish Ruin was written on all my door
posts, read by my children, andstudied day and
night by me. Gone were all my hopes-my
wild ambitions, my insatiate desires. Hope
fed, heart failel health deserted, and ! was al
most mad"
and now said.
"Now l am again in the bu iness world, try
ing to clcarmyself. Yesterday bought twenty
thousand bushels of wheat. Tomorrow may
buy sixty may make on it. may not. l
am active as ever, working, thinking, striving.
But | have no suchdcsircs as before. l shall not
again lose mycelf in the whirl.
"But how can you trust yourself? Will
not the appetite come az ain with the gaining ?"
And here, cannot tell how it was said, but
the truth came out humbly, trustingly. almost
trembhngiy. that the trials of those days had
been liftel by power divine; fire had run
through his art-lorest, ana burned the fagots
which the Prince of Evil had used to kindle
that other biting flame. The overwhelming
suffering had been the furnace which had sun
dered his bonds He had learned to trust in
Christ, to carry him into his daily life. He re-
peated it, Tie Efe, 0iriSt in the hte,"-and
this had saved him with salvation upon which
he could rely.
Humility sits sweetly on the strong man;
and trust wears unusual beauty when it adorns
one whose own arm has achieved success during
even few years Of life. As be strobe down
the street, and went to my room, led by the
interest which personal experience always i'm
parts to abstract truth, Isaid to myself, "What
q power in the gentle religion Of Jesus of Naz-
areth Ia power to subdue as well as comfort.
And my heart bounded atthc thought express
cd in the quotation with which he had closed
our interyiew-'If had not lost my property,
might not have saved my soul"
Sir Isaac Newton's nephew was clergy
man. When he had performed the marriage
ceremony for couple ae always refused the