Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-11-28


PoVe91Dn. ~
OF alt the fallaeiss accepted b. men g
truth, there 10 meme more widely prevalsut,
nor mere iatslte hsppinsss, than that which
assumes the measures Of possession 10 be
me measures 81 enjeymsnt. All over the
world the strife fer aceumu!ation goes on
every one sssking 20 increase his fscks and
herds, his lands and houses. or bic geld and
oeeeAand}ss, ed ever in the wssry, rest
less, uneatishsd present, Tightening with
80 eend the grasp On worldly gosds, ana
reaching out Iee nav aocsssions With the
ether. 10 dispessstisn, net in possession
lies the secret Of snjsy msnt; . fact which
Nature illustrates 10 thousand ways, and
10 which every mans sxpssisoes give affr-
nation.
"vssy coed asslsies fss shs idle end
th, iitlsssI" said Re. 0esel, gsntlsuae
some 0saus, b aosvs TO . friend vhe
had advahssd NJ ssutA - hsvs sspsssssd
sbsve. So
"As good destsiss lsr shs . - su." was
the reply. "Pssesssisa must come bsisrs
dispsasssie1 i y - ~ rsssi,sr but the
dispsssse vheeese ~ highest blss.ing."
The sioA - shruoDD6 his shssiderss
aad lsske1 Glightly Ao6oyed, - one upsa
whem . 1ietnGoeful theme hes been intru>
led.
fri hear hat kisd Of talk every Sunday. !"
be said, almsst impa,isntly; ''but | knsv
what Il 10 wsrth. Preaching 10 ~ much .
business % any thing else; ard this can't
about ito being more olssssd to give than 70
receive 10 . part Of the capital 10 trade Of
yeur men OF black coats aud white nscktiss.
understand il all, Mr.. Erwin"
"Yos talk more lightly than 10 ysur went
on - grave theus," said his friend. =
"what ysu speak Il - .csat.' and the
preachers 'cspital 10 trads'-'it 10 more
blessed 10 give than to rsesivs'-afc sne
recorded words Of Hin Who never speke %
man spaks. II HE words, muss they NOS
bs truew
"Psehsps did soak lightly" said Mr..
Steal ssbus indeed, N. Erwin, cannot
belp fsslins that IN oil these sderts to
maze rich men believe that their emily way
to happiness 10 through dietributien Of
their sseatss, . COED deal Of esvsteasnss'
| exists"
"Thas may b." ssid ". Erwin. "Dpt,
day yeu ere wssth more than twsn9Y
Thousand pounds. remember when t1se
hundred, IN tsld, wss the sx.snt Of voAu
possesaiess and I think yeu wses then
hsppsss sAas and ysu to-day. Hsw ~
IL, my Srisnaf"
"Asss that" was the ushss;tating rs>
ply. ri hsl mere true enjoyment 10 life
whom wssa clerk with . salary Of iva
hundred year thsa have known 81 any
| time since"
"A rsmaskabls sosfsssiss." said his
friend.
| "Yst true, nsvsrthsless. said NJ. Steel
! ''In oil these years Of strife with fortune
in oil these ysars u unrsaittsd gain
has there been any great and verify end
in ysur aindY continued his friend
"sny pnrpsss beyond the requirement Of
wsalth7" =
NJ. Steele brews contracted. He lock Cd
ct his friend fer moment like one ball
surprised, and then glanced thou ghtfully
down q The 6ssr.
"Gain, and emily gsis," said Mr.. Ersin
"Nst your history alone; nes mine. II is
the history Of thessands. Gathering,
| gathering; but never, Of free choice, dis
psnsing. Still, under Providence, the dis
psnsatisn goes on and what We hoard, an
| other, in due time, distributes. Men accu
mulats gold like water in great rsesrvoirs
accumulate Il for themselves; and refuse
to lay sonduits. Often they pour in thsiI
| geld until the banks fail under excessive
pressure. and the rich treasure escapes "a
circulate among the people. Often secret
conduits are laid, and refreshing and fertil
| izing currents. unknown to the selfish own
er, now steadily cut, while he tolls with re-
newed and anxious lsbors . keep tho r.
pository full. Oftener. the great magazine
Of accumulated gold and silver, which b,
never found time 70 enjoy, 10 riiled BY eth
ers at his death. He was tho toilsr and &C
cumulster-ths slave who emily produced
Miners, pearl divers, gold washers, ere ~
ny friend but what Ne gather We fail 4
posssas in that true sense VI possessisl
which involves delight and satisfaction
For 10 the toll. for Others the benefit
"A 6attsring pisturs, certainly /" sais
Mr.. Steel, with the manner Of one gu who's
mind On unpleasant conviction Vas fercinl
itself.
1T 10 not true to the life 7" said Mr.. r.
win. death holds out 10 " his unwsl
come hand, and W must leave oil. TIT
key Of eur treasure house 10 given to an
ether"
''Yst, 10 he not bound by our will :" sal,
Mr.. Steel. ''As We have ordered, must no
he dispense -
"Why not dispense with eur own hands
and with eur own eyes see the fruit there
err said Mr.. Erwin. "Why not, in som,
small measure, prove whether il in NOR,
blessed 10 give than 70 rsesivef Let III
talk plainly to each other We are friends
] know that in your will 10 bequsst Of on,
thousand pounds to certain charitabl,
institution, that, even IN its limited way, Il
doing much good. I speak, new. Of only
this sisRls item. In my will, fellewin1
your example and suggestion. 10 . similsl
bsqusst Of two hundred pounds. You Or,
fsr,y i've, and ] am forty .ssvsn. How lonl
do ysu expect 70 live f's
Life 10 uncertain" said Mr.. Steel.
"Yst it 10 efssa prolonged - sixty, sew
snty, or even eighty year," said Mr. Erwin
Take sixty -0vs - the mean. Not fos
twenty years, then. will this iostitatiou
rsesivs the benefit Of your eesd insntio.
IL costs, think, about ten pounds . ysaI
small sumbsr eaa b taken isr want Of lib
srsl means. Applicants are refused admis.
sien almest every day. Thirty peunds
he istsssse - enc thqusasd, cay q three
per cent, would pay Ter three children.
Take ave years 20 the average time sash
wsuld remain u The institution, and ~
have 6ftssn pser neglected little ssss takes
from the street aad educated fee useful.
nsss dNssa human souls rescued, Il nay
Be-, frsm misery. And oil THE sssd might
Do scee0plishsd before ysur eyes. You
might, II yeu choose. Gee it In progress, and
osmprshending its great signi6sancs, exs
psrisncs On inexprsssibls degree Of pleas
ure. ! have aede up my mind What "a
d.
"whaty' asksd Mr.. Steel.
"Erass the item Of TIVE hundred frcm ny
~ill," replied Mr. Erwin.
"Whst thea p asked Mr.. Steel.
'Maks il ave hundred, asd invest Il q
oscs for the use Of this charity" Vas ths
reply. me twenty years shall stand b.
tween my purpose and IL execution.
will have the sasisfactisn Of knowing the,
gesd 10 done in ny lifssios. In this case
~ least. shall b ny eva dispenser"
Lsvs Of money vas . strong feslise in
the heart 81 Mr.. Steel. The richer he grew
the more absorbing became his desire for
riches. IL vas comparatively an easy thina
70 write out charitable bequssts In will,
u give money for good uses when be would
10 longer BE- able to held posssssion there.