Smyrna times., 1875-01-20
How Mayor Havemeyer took his Pie

The recent deeease of the most eminent
Mayor of New York, perhaps, since De Witt
Clinton lends a melancholy interest to the fol-
lowing incident, which occurred duriSg the
earlier years of my acquaintance with him.
At the time of which l am speaking Mr..
Havemeyer had been Mayor, but was so no
longer. He held, however, many important
private trusts, and was a recognized power in
our commercial metropolis
One evening We ehaEced to be strolling up
Broadway together on our way to our respect
i've homes and as we were chatting along we
met gentleman well kuowu to Us both, who
had long been, in some respects an object OF
sympathy TO his friends. He was Of about the
same age as Mr.. Havemeyer, had enjoyed in
his youth the advantages Of q refined home,
good schools, an established social position,
powerful connections, and every apparent
guarantees of worldly prosperity and success.
| His life, however, had net kept the promise
of his youth. He had not been prosperous at
all, Though leading 20 all appearance, an ex-
emplary life, and seemingly iRdlsposed to
vicious associations of every sort and domestic
in his habits, his life had been, humanity
! speaking, as complete failure as the Mayor s
| had been success He had tried many dit
ferent kinds of business, but had Rot succeeded
in any. He was always needy, and had pretty
much exhausted the hberality aud patience of
! lTleHQS WIS were UlSpOSeu CO HSSlSL uIul, 50
/ that his visits were rather avoided, and no one
was exactly. proud of his acquaintance. His
dress was careless aud worn to the verge of
| shabblness. He had general look Of belong
ing to no one and of nobody belonging to him.
will call him, il you please, Mr.. x.
We salutsd him oourtsously, and when he
| had passed | made some remark to my COM
paniOn about the strange persistence of the
poor mans i'll luck.
"X- and |, said the Mayor, fused to be
! schoolmates. We used to carry our dinners
with US to school, which was at some distance
from our respective homes. 1t was my habit
| to begin my dinner with my cold meat and
bread, and when that was finished ] ate my
pie or cake or whatever delicacy my mother
might have put into my basket; while X,
| observed, always began with his pie or cake,
and finished with his cold meat. remember
one day asking him why he ate his pie first
because prefer to eat the good things,
he replied, when | am most hungry, for then
| can enjoy then most. When | have eaten
all my meat, the pie would not taste halt SO
good.
But said 1, you spoil your appetite for
your cold meat, which you would enjoy when
hungry, and after which yOu would enjoy your
pie also.
Neither my reasoning nor my example con
vinced him. As he made his bed he is lying
on it. In his youth he ate his pie and had his
sweet thing; now, in his old age, he is worry
ing down his hard tack as you ses Had be
learned little self denial when he was young
he would not have been called upon for &c
: much in his old age. He started life with
+ every advantage apparently ever me. Hi.
parents were rich, mine comparatively poor
r He was sent to college and educated for
liberal profession | was obliged to leav'
school early and earn my living. If he haC
taken advantage of his youth and strength L
do what it was then comparatively easy to do
if he had denied himself the Injuries of idle
ness and eXtravagance then, he would nov
have leisure, wealth, and consideration, instead
: of being bsholdsn to his friends more than hal
the time for money to purchase his Dime
with. He ate all bis pie when he was young
0 he must sustain his old age upon what is lsf
l in his basket"
;. This story made profound impression upo
me. Though it is twenty years since hear
n it. it seems to me, whenever l see any of IN
fellow. creatures indulging any taste or appetit
!. in disordsrly way, Immediately think wha
an advantage it would be to them to lear
d while lads to control themselves, and to tax
/; the duties and pleasures Of life in their prope
| ORDER HdrDers WeeLLu