The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-03-08
OUR SATURDAY NIGRT.
Two ROads and Boys Thereon.

On the streets to-day we met an old
schoolmate. Thirty years ago he was
at the head Of our class, while we
we're down the line very near the
foot, but trying to work our way up
into the region where long words and
hard names were Dlaythings.
Just think of il That old school
house thirty years ago That was
before the war. Before so many bad
and dishonest men were elected to
Office. 1t was before railroads were
so numerous as now, and before the
National Debt was conceived 1t
was at q time when we were taught
to take of our hat and make q bow to
every minister OF the gospel, every
school teacher, every man we met
who had been elected to office. 1t
was the time We were taught that
none but good men were called to fill
places Of trust and responsibility. It
was when we were first taught that
the closing days of mans life were
the ones that gave full testimOny as
to what kind Of-R material he was,
and that the way to future power,
greatness and usefulness was as open
to the poorest boy as to the richest
one. It was when we were taught
that poverty was generally the result
OF ignorance, or of misfortune, but
alike unpleasant, and to be escaped II
the boy would only start out right
and follow the track clear to the gate
that opens to the golden gardens.
Our old schOolmate called on US to-
day. But we should never have
known him Like the times, he too,
has changed, and o, so greatly !
When we were both lads how we
used to envy him He had q fur cap
and We had a cloth one. He wore
store boots, while ours were coarser
and not so handsome. He had a
barlow. He had money in his pock-
eft, bought candy to give to the girls,
and was popular with the teacher and
all the larger scholars. He had an
overeoat, while the rest OF us boys
had none, even IL the weather was
cold and the winter wind very sharp.
He had a rich father who often
brought him to school in q sleigh,
while the rest of US tr1dged along on
foot.
One day he started for college, and
never thought to bid any Of his old
schoOlmates goodbye. The gate that
opened to the future was swung wide
for him, then it closed, leaving US to
our tasks. One day, after q few years
had passed, we heard that his father
had taken him to Europe to see the
sights. Then we heard that his
father had died and left him heir to
all his property, several thousand dol
lars. One day he returned to the set
tlement where we lived, to see about
some business. We saw him ride by
In carriage aud called out to him as
when we were boys together. he
merely nodded, called US by our
school-boy name and rode on, looking
so stiff and grand like, that we felt
that we had done him wrong to call
his attention even for q moment TO
one who wished him well, even il he
was not 30 rich.
Occasionally we heard of him as 8
jolly fellow, so free and so fast with
his money-so popular with men-so
fascinating with girls-sO elegant in
his accomplishments that we were al
most sorry that we were born.
Then we thought of our two roads.
OF his that seemed to be tending
down, aud Of ours that seemed to
lead on and up the mountain. 1t is
not so fast climbing mountains as
skating on the frozen surface OF the
river that leads out to the sea. It is
not so easy to climb q hill, and to
drag loads, as to ride In 8 carriage
earned by another on the plain below.
1t is not easy for man to be always
satisfied with his lines of life even
when be knows that he is living hon.
estly to 8 fixed purpose, but it is
easier to so live when one does not
stop to worry over what may be for
the best or to envy the one who has
no good schooling OF restraint.
It seemed to US then that he was
living too fast. That he was spend
ing his life in vain. Something
seemed to tell US that he was rushing
headlong into q storm which would
drive him back for shelter, even un-
der some of the old roofs he had for
gotten to remember
To-day he called, but how like
wreck The form was there, but
badly battered, wrecked, and wrink-
led. The fire OF manhood had all
died out and the fumes of decomposi-
tion was rising with breath. The
eyes that once were so dark and full
of Iustre were now trimmed with red,
and almost meaningless in their ex'
preston. His garb was that Of power
ty linked with the dregs OF dissipa-
ton. His hands were unsteady. He
entered and introduced himself with
an apology for calling. 1t was want,
hunger, distress that had driven him
out of the storm to ask for q small
loan-only dollar to pay for food,
till be could hear from somewhere
How the waves of memory rolled in
and over US How we pitied the one
who had never pitied us-Who had
when we hal none-whO
danced in the ball room while we
cared for his horses in the stable.
How sorry We were that he had
chosen the wrong track, for q man
had been lost 10 the wOrld-a lifetime
had been spent sud the world no bet
ter for his being in it When he
smiled and said that luck had been
better to US than to him, we could
not help thinking that il was luck
with q p-5ut not the kind he thought
Of. When be said
"Of course you remember? We
were boys together ~
We cOnld not help thinking:
''Yes, and would to God we were
men together ~
But we could not hurt his feelings
we could not ride over him as be used
to over Us 30 years ago. We could
not crunch the shell merely to her it