The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-11-25
Miscellany


Dollars.
ny DEAR Mr.. BONNER: 1t is true that
Horace Greeley has more things to remember
and to tell us about than most plen who have
staid at home and led civil life. But is that
a reason why he only should write an auto
biography? Nay--verily.
There stands before me a line Of battered
and worn books English classics. Their
history is little to them, but much to me- +, in
part it is my own history. / wish i could
lay my hand on the first book that 1 ever
bought, after the DIM idea of a library began
to hover in my mind! But that book is gone,
Here, however, are Others whose biography
can give. As early as 1882. began to buy
books-a few volumes, but each one a monu-
ment of engineering. My first books. II 4 re-
member correctly, were bought of J. S. d C.
Adams, IN Amherst, Mass. / used to 90 in
there and look wistlully at their shelves. NV
allowance OF money was very small-scarcely
more than enough to pay my postage, when
letter cost II 1-2 or 25 cents. To take a two
or three-dolar book from my five dollars of
spending money would have left me in a
state OF sad impecuniosity. Therefore, for
many, many months, took It out by look
Ing. = 8Ef E
AS early as at Sirteen years of ace. had
begun to speak little in public-taint peep
in9s, just such as / hear in young birds be-
tore they are fully fedged. For such service.
the only payment was kind of patience till
renewed them by finishing my crude efforts
But at that time,-say 1891 was sent by
the college society as delegate to a Temper
ance Convention, in Pelham, or Enfield, or
somewhere else. 1 conceived a desire there
after to give Temperance lecture. | have
forgotten how ever got a chance to do it,
But remember that there came an invitation
from Brattleboro', VT, to lecture on the 4th
OF July. My expenses were to be paid! A
modest pride warmed my heart. at the
thought OF making a real speech in public.
smothered all the fears and diilidences. with
the resolute purpose that 1 ac0uld succeed /
remember che days OF writing and anxious
preparation, aud the grand sense ofIbeine a
man, when L had finished nv manuscript
But the most generous purposes are ant To he
ruined with selfishness and my public shirt
alas, had financial streak of joy in tiny
expenses were to be paid
wen, suppose l chose to walk, end save all
the expenses should have, at least, eight
dollars OF my own, of which / need give no ac-
count! That would be an era indeed, But
grave scruples arose. Was it honest to take
money tor expenses which | had not really in
curredP LII went by stage, might lawfully
charge my fare and food; but, if neither of
them cost Inc anything, how could honestly
make bill OF expenses? did not oct any
relief in rejecting upon it. L started off on
AOot,WSiU up IuC SOIuScLlcuB river valley. and
reached Brattleboro' by way of Greenfield. +.
Every hour this question OF honesty re-
turned. My feet were blistered with walking.
but stamped them hard in the morning.
and the momentary exquisite pain seemed TO
paraiyze the sensibility afterwards. Whether
It was the counter irritation that relieved nv
brain, or Whether-as L fear that L did,
smothered conscience by saying to- myself
that would settle the matter when the time
came L Ern 1},,kT i 80.
from even that struggle, inasmuch as not a
word was said to me about expenses. or
money In any form. Yet L had a charming
VISIT. Inc rising OF the moon from behind
the mountain that hedges in the town ON the
east powerfully excited my imagination. and
lea 10 the writing of the first piece, believe.
tnat ever printed. 1t was published in the
guest college paper, issued chiefly as a ri
val 10 another college paper, whose name,
alas mas escaped me- And if anybody
could send me copy of that Guest IlshonlH
be exceedingly beholden to himl
bul, aIter reaching college again-no long
er mere student, but public man-one
VINO had made speeches-one who determin-
ed to be modest, and not to allow success to
pun MN up-a very great and wonderful
tnihg happened the post brought me a letter
ron brattleboro containing ten dollars. /
could not believe my eyes. / forgot MT scu,-
way that got my conscience over on the 9th
CT sac, and 1elt that it would be a sin and
shame iof me to be raising questions and scru-
pies ON such matterl How il warmed ns
ana lnvlgorated me! looked at It before no
my 10 sleep; examined my pocket the next
m,ornihg early, to be sure that mad NOT
dreamed 1t. How pitied the poor students
VINO nad not, well knew, ten dollars in their
pockets. Still, tried to keep down nridn, in
lJS offensive forms ~
L would strive to be even more familiar than
before with the plainest of my acouaintances
Wnat Is money!" said [ to myself
IL is not property that makes the man: II
Is wen, perhaps | thought it was the abil-
Ivy 10 deliver eloquent temperance addresses.
But, great is the deceitfulness of money. /
ielt the pride of riches / knew every wax
purSe-proud. "-s
l resolved to invest. There was 5nt one
tning to invest in-books. | went to Adams
store. saw an edition of Burke's works.
win the ease and air Of rich man bought
and paid for them. Adams looked at me.
and then at the bin, and then at me. | new
eI couid make up my mind whether il was
aunlra lion or suspicion that his face eSnress-
eo. But wanted him, and painted to have
ten dollar billr' ''i - '''''
however; ! concluded that the expression
was Nas Ole OF genuine admiration. With my
DOCKS under my arm, Il never to this day
could get over the disposition to carry home
my own packages,) 1 returned to college, and
placed on my table my volumes of Burke
1 tried to hide from myself that had a vain
purpose in it, that l was waiting to see Ban
nister's surprises and to hear Towards ex-
clamation, and TO have it whispered in the
class room, 81 say have you heard that
Beecher has got splendid copy of Burke?"
After this was a man that owned a libra
~! became conservative and frugal Be
lore, had spent at least dollar and aIhalfa
year for nick-nacks; but after 1 had founded
library reformed all such wastes, and ey-
cry penny could raise, or save, compelled |
to transform itself into books
AS look back on the influence of this
struggle for books, cannot deny that il has
Deen salutary. l no not believe that spent
ten dollars in all my college course for horses
or amusements of any kind. But al NV Grad,
uatlon owned about fifty volumes. The
getting of these volumes was not the Ieastim-
portant element of my college education.
There are two kinds of property which tend
to naorattze life. What they are, Il win tell