The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-01-19


enough for that. When promise man
to become his wife, | must feel for him a
deeper respect than l Go for YOU
She TUNED her wondrously truthful eyes
toward him, and kept them fixed upon his
face. The steady gaze brought the color
to his cheek.
What have | ever done to forfeit your
respect?" he asked, after painful pause.
Nothing. And you have done moth
ing to gain it. You have brains, educa-
ton, opportunities-every thing to fit you
for a noble life. You ought to win name
among men. Instead of making the effort,
you choose to do nothing-to spend the
money which somebody else has earned,
and to waste the time which might be pnt
to good account. Your mind seems to be
occupied chiefly with thoughts of your
personal appearance. You never did an
hours work in your life. Barry, you have
not grown into the manhood you ought
You have no purpose, no aim, no ambi-
ton. | hate man without ambition
idly, and with a touch of defiance in her
tone. Perhaps she fancied that her lis
tener would take offenSe at her speech,
and she was determined to finish what she
had to say while the opportunity presented
itself Whatever Barry's thoughts may
have been, he showed no signs of anger
STOPPING to pick up yellow leaf he said:
"What is fellow to do, Bessie? The
war is over; there isn't any chance to be-
come a hero nowadays. And don't know
that there is any work for me to do, unless
go into the law, which detest cordially.
You wouldn't have me become a machinist
like Tom Finch, would you? -
:" l would have you become any thing"
answered she, "to show yourself man."
In the glory of the Autumna sunset
Barry Manson made his way homeward
with those words ringing in his ear
What, in sooth, had he ever done to show
himself man? Won the Rexford Prize
of Plato's philosophy on modern thought.
Somehow these performances did not ap.
pear to him as remarkable as they had six
weeks before. He began to wonder whether
his life was really without an aim; whether
he himself was really without ambition
Possibly he would have become despond-
ent had not vanity helped him over the
slough. Bessie, at least, did not love an
other; he felt assured of that. She would
love him when he had proved himself
worthy OF her. Henceforth his life should
not be without a purpose. He would be-
come famous lawyer, or he would write a
book, or he would 20 to Congress. He would
do something, at all events, to astonish the
world-which meant the people of Bar
borough-and to win the respect of Bessie
Charlock. In short, he would show him
self man.
The Fall Of 1873 brought with it disaster
to the Barborough iron works. First came
the failure of Gaylord & Co., by which Alb
ner Munson lost sixty thousand dollars.
Then followed the sudden decline of Rari-
tan Railway stocks, and the closing up of
the Four ply Mills; then depression in bust
and panic. Abuer Munson bore up bravely
and fought adversely single handed. Half
the men at the iron works were discharged.
The wages of those who remained were re-
duced twenty per cent. Still there was no
demand for the iron wheels and boilers, the
piston rods and beams. These things are
the concomitauts of industry, and industry
was paralyzcd. One morning the clocks of
scarborough struck seven, but the whistle
of the Marlborough iron works did not echo
the hour. The whir of machinery was
hushed, the fires in the furnaces were out,
the works were closed. Men stood about
the smoky doors, anxious-eyed aud moody.
No fault of theirs made them idle; it was
labor that they sought, and found not.
And while Barry Munson was still dream
ing of what he should do to astonish the
world, behold the world astonished him.
He awoke to find himself not famous but
poor. And before he could fully know
what poverty meant. great sorrow fell
upon him, whose black shadow darkened
his life and chilled his heart.
The body of Abner Munson was found,
stark and lifeless, in the office of the Bar
borough iron works. On the floor by its
side, lay a pistol A coroner's jury de-
clared that temporary insanity had led to
4 ln CHI hI,tt har ti,,,r
those who believed that ceaseless anxiety.
and struggles not temporary, had caused
Abner Munson to covet the mystery of
DEATH
In the terrible days that followed this
crushing blow, Barry found no mind for
thought. To others was left the task of
investigating his fathers affairs. 1t was
discovered that the heavy losses of three
months had swept away the rich savings of
thirty years. A just settlement of the
claims against the estate left the family of
Abner Munson without a dollar.
We must give up the house, the furni-
ture, every thing, Barry" said his mother.
eve have nothing left now"
Then Barry, pressing the hand of his
mother, said:
81 have my youth and your love. Let
them take all else. | can provide for us
both.
The scarborough iron works passed into
the hands of joint, stock company. A
superintendent was needed; one with prac-
teal knowledge of the business and COM
petent to raise the works to their old level
of prosperity. For this responsible posi-,
ton there were fifty applicants. The drec-
tors were pleased to select man who had
made no application.
This was Tom Finch
Hes young" said the president of the
board, "but he's reliable as-iron."
The portly president intended to make
the comparison "steel," but iron struck
him as more appropriate.
Within a week after this action of the
directors, the Marlborough iron works were
again thrown open, and the shrll whistle
sounded the welcome call to labor. Once