Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-11-20
Blessed Be Nothing,

The Vanderbilt will case and the
Stewart grave case, not 10 mention
score more that are equally conspicu-
ous in their way, so very far 10 recon
clle many persons who were not par
ticularly thoughtful on the subject be-
lore 10 the belief that tho pursuit aud
the possession Of great riches is the
last Of all desirable things on earth
For the rich man there is usually
nothing but inccssant care ani anx-
iety. lie COMPLAINS righltGlly that he
works harder than any Of his race,
and that he receives no more for II
than the poor passing laborcr who Is
comfortably fed, clothed and shell
tered. What he enjoys is chiefly the
product Of his Inauguration. Ile wish
es to be esteemed more highly than
men who are not worth his number oi
dollars, and perhaps by the inconsid-
crate and ill,judging crowd he is; but
if he knew, as now and then be seems
to know, how Largely his own estl-
mate of his importance is discounted
by the better and higher judgments in
social life unless he is pleased to con-
form his actions to their answering
rules, be would make haste to let 60
his hold on mere material possessions
and endeavor to supply himself with
qualifications of character such rs last
to the end of life and project their in
nuence far into the future. The un-
roofing Of families by the quarrel over
the Vanderbilt will can be compen-
saled for by no fortune in money
which the veriest plutocrat ever lived
to accumulate. Vanderbilt is torn to
pieces after death in hls character, and
Stewart in his poor remains.
Would we, then, advise people to
sit down idly and put forth no effort
to improve their age and leave the
world better than they found it? OF
course moi, civilization is not to be
advanced in that way. We must only
make the moral and the material work
more closely together. The fact hap.
pens to be that very few rich men
ever become SO from any particular
desire to benefit the race or advance
civilization. They simply struggle to
grow rich. Neither they nor their
heirs can plead for them that their alb
sorbing love of riches was virtue to
be eytolled or initiated. 1t so
happened, as it always happens, that
the mercenary and ambitious spirit is
insensibly put into harness and driven
to the performance ofservice at which,
if 1t only possessed the insight to see
it, it would revolt IN disgust and an-
ger. But men must be made useful
in whatever gifts are given them; and
if one man loves money before every
thing else, his pursuit OF it will be so
guided by a Power above his head
that he will uuconsciously do those
things which are of the greatest use
to his fellow.men. If another loves
power above all things, in acquiring
it he is insensibly compelled to per-
form services which he would utterly
refuse to do If he were not inspired
and led of this single passion. And
so all around the circle no man works
for himself alone, however much he
may think he does. All are allowed
to deceive themselves, while their de-
lusion is overruled to larger than
merely personal good. In this view,
the one who is content to work with
moral forces may do more for himself
and his generation both than the one
who seeks to possess and control the
material ones merely. And the man
who seems for the time te be blessed
with nothing may thus have every.
thing that is worth having, and still
have nothing like will to be contes.
ted nor a vault to be worth plunder
ing Boston Post.
When Judas Iscarlot sold out he