The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-09-19
SssesIng Star and Catholic Messenger.
NEW oRLEANs, suNpAY, SEPTEMBER 10 1878.


OF Hne clothes q uxurious table, regimento Oh
servants, o carriage and horses, crowd OF
Aatterers and parasites q few fawning para
graphs in fashionable journals, - carved
exquisitely designed. richly ornamented family
vault. All they form a pitable spectacle! IL
is sad to see how great might have been the
purpose of their strivipgs, and how little IL
was. But they could not help all this, they
indeed "knew not what they did,
Luke Lawton once swept crossings, and no"
he was worth million, likely to be worth
two, in a very short time had the exercising
sweeper a wish beyond thisR TIE world said
no. Luke's secret soul contradicted: yes. Tue
mind that had acquired that golden million
was empty even with it IN it's grasp, and cried,
with all the pain the void caused, for know
LEDGE Its owner would have willingly given
that acquired million, and the other in per
spective, to be allowed to commence his battle
of life again without a cent, and without edu-
cation
He could write and read his signature was
q bold, firm, peculiar looking affair; he had
taurht himself first to trace it with his broom
handle in the dust That was long ago, OF
course, and it WAS at attempt at printing then,
but though perfected into writing now, it still
retained the impress of the first effort. The
most skilful arthmetcan could not have eH-
ceIed him in solving mentally and speedily Il
difficult problem of figures in any of the rules
necessary for business, yet he had never
studied from book even the first principles of
the science. Men like him generally have Il
hobby of the mind, and strange to say, it
generally consists of what they understand
least. Lukes was geography, study of
- l,o1 l., hat I'm
imagined himself perfect in it, he was as happy
on the subject as if be had really been so.
Arithmetic for his hobby might have passed,
but geography exposed him.
He was reputed to be stingy; money makers
always are. He was indeed often guilty of
stingy acts, generally in petty things, too.
These were the mere effect of habits acquired
in the working of his life-task, and sweet
flashes of generosity bursting out, now and
then, in spite of these habits, showed the
natural impulses of that warped mind of his
Cruel he was also said to be; the exactons laid
upon his tenants, notwithstanding their pow
erty, formed ground for the accusation. But
it was Peter Bare, the agent, not Luke Lawton
the landlord, who deserved it, The latter's
cruelty was only ignorance of his own affairs
the formers was deliberate harshness.
So much for his mind rs to bis outward
man, it was in no way remarkable. Take 1
good look at any ono Of those short comfortably
built gentlemen, with the most faultless o
broadcloth suits, that You meet in the stree
every day, and you have his likeness. Brown
calculating face, gray sprinkIed BAR an'
whiskers to frame it; clear, inquTlnS eye
solid forehead; they all have these. fros
perity written all over them, too, from tn
sleek, shining hat to the well polished boot
you read it whether you like or not, it stare
you so persistently. The men take of thei
hats to it; the ladies salute it respectfully
the newsboys look reverentially upon it; til
beggars are afraid to say: Please give me
cent? to it the individual over whom it is &
plainly written-Luke Lawton in the presen
case-he, we'll he is covered up in it, ignored
While it maintains it's presence, 1t does no
make the slightest difference who he is
Such, then, was this singular Mrs. James on
friend, If, indeed, that curious, kindly interes
he had resolved to give her could merit tc
him the name; and about the same as th
which have written was her estimate of h
qualities. She did not know he had con
menced silently to take note of her proceed
ings, wondering at her eccentricity, but will
ing to serve her if he could, so she merely kel
out OF MS way as Well hS tuAb VI Iue LosI' al
went on steadily in her own isolated and,
she supposed, forgotten. To an observer
human nature, it would have been tas
fraught with interest of the rarest kind to no
down the various phases of the silent watt
set upon her by the taciturn, calculating bus
ness man. 1t was SO systematic, yet so pc
fectly uuobtrusive not one movement
hers but he managed to get knowledge of, y
1, Had u hja hos nh n ~
thing but dollars and geography. And b
study of herself vas so minute in its research
those clear, inquiriug eyes of his peeped,
degrees into every nook and Granny of her
carefully veiled character, each fresh glimp
bringing a repetition of that meaning polysy
liable, Extraordinary 1t expressed ever
thing: admiration for the wonderful, roy
beauty of which she was so proudly unmindfr
curiosity about the naughty reserve she Ike
MP 90 strictly reverence for the powers
ooua5 IN dianiaC. IitC for 4