Morning journal and courier., 1880-08-14

 inch men even if they looked six feet. Here at last was his theory of the perfect man to be applied He was 8 happy spectator.
 But his happiness was for the moment in- terrupted by the sudden loss of his comforta- ble support. And yet recovering from the shock he was rather pleased Here was an- other opportunity to enforce his convictions in practical life. He would apply his princi- ples in his own coming experience. His only pride in the matter of work was to have it well done he was not ashamed to take hold. Reviewing the field. remembering that the sen for Billings had accumulated his sfortunein the fish trade that he himself was an adept at fishing, and that fish, as brain food, is at the foundation of the intellectual life, he deter mined to follow his father-not out of the world but in trade. Yet 1t seemed to him, who must begin at the beginning, that his duty lay in starting at the bottom. That meant the oyster. The oyster lies at the bot tom not only of the water but ofife. It is the lowest form of animal. To begin with that accorded perfectly with his notion of the fitness of things.
 Thus he decided to invest his trifing sur yiying capital in 'splant, oyster plant as it were, and become an oyster dealer; to have an oyster bed in the water, and 8 shop on shore, to have man to dredge up the oys- ters and other employees to open them, and then to ship them away in the usual great covered wooden pails or buckets marked Re Il. in the most intelligent way, it must succeed, or where was his theory? Accordingly he set out first to have small building put up. What he wanted was plain frame structure with row of tables and pine benches beside them. The various carpenters, whom he sent for, each proved their ability to erect such building by pointing out to him shops, houses, and barns that they had built, but he wanted stronger evidence. On inquiry he failed to find one who was familiar with the higher branches of architecture none had heard of the Tai of Agra or could explain the grace and charm of Indian symmetry. In- deed, of all who would agree to put the ta- bles and benches down, not one understood, or even knew of, the Eastlake designs and methods. Of course the proposals of all were were rejected. To be sure what he want was Q shop with board table, but 1t would never do unless built by person who understood not only how to make that but how also to plan heather temple or to put together a modern uneasy chair.
 At first he was in despair but an inspira- tion saved him. He could hire, and he did, just the shop he wanted, paying the rent in advance. Elated at his success, he sent for painter to put his name on the oyster tubs that were to say ''Return to H. Billings" and also to paint the outside of the tubs some uniform shade to be known as his mark. I'm agine his distress to find that of all the ap plicants, men who brought satisfactory oys-
 
 do, not one knew anything of the old mas ters Frescoes and friezes of classic origin they had never heard of. Questions as to the illuminations by the monks of the middle ages were taken for inquiries about transpar- encies and answered by the production of political banners as evidences of skill. Again Billings was in distress, and again inspiration saved him. It was not necessary to paint the tubs.
 So he dismissed the painters who only knew how to paint what he wanted, and set out to secure the needed tubs. The coopers, who made them constantly for oyster deal CTS, offered him his choice of their stock. But Billings had read about their trade. He knew that kerosene oil was the true test of the cooper's skill, that 1t will run out through unseen cracks, which neither oysters nor the salt water that is sold with them can ever ! even discover: So he demanded oil proof l tubs and could not be supplied Nothing could be satisfactory he declared, which was not normal. tub is designed to contain fluid. If there is fluid which the tub will not contain, then the tub does not contain @ | fluid. It is failure These are broad gen. eral principles. None of these tubs in the very nature of things will do. Now at last Billings was in real grief. He was about to give up, but again, third time, inspiration saved him. If there was no demand for his oysters he wouldn't need the tubs. He could not tell about that until he began. Certainly now there was no demand. He would begin without tubs and wait and see. Thus he cheered up once more.
 Next he wanted help to open oysters. Ex- perienced hands applied in plenty with writ ten recommendations But he wanted bet ter evidence. He demanded of them wheth- CT they understood the principle of leverage by which they obtained, with the oyster knife, the result that made their occupation if they could state what relation the amount of power applied to the lever bears to the power of the small muscle of the oyster and what is the difference between a muscle and an oyster also whether natural science is not a. fault when it admits oysters have small muscles. Should they not in the true order of things have small oysters, just as Holsters have small Holsters? Under this test the benches were vacant, and, before any one had secured place there, applicants for the work of going ou ito the beds and raking up the oysters began to come in.
 Billings received their written references and evidences of skill in silence and proceed ed to enquire if they had read of the research esuQf the Challenger expedition and under sVU6d deep sea dredging; whether they could draw up from depth oftwo miles specimens of the animal and vegetable life of that region, whether they could distinguish between sand and apparent sand which is really only the finest of shells and a peculiarly interesting lime deposit Finding that none were eff cient, he once more asked what was the use of hiring to dredge oysters who was incompetent to undertake dredging in it's most important and scientific form.
 This time his despair was genuine, and in- spiration failed him. Applying his theory to his trade he had found he could not get a house builder, painter, cooper, an oyster opener or dredger. All he had been able to find satisfactory an inanimate house, and all he had done with that was to pay rent up- on it in advance out of his slim remainder. No living agent or instrument was perfect. Everything looked blue For the moment he feared his vision was affected, and that he had become color blind, too, but he at once visited dry goods store and discovered that he could detect the greenness of the clerk there, with ease, so he was reassured He was in doubt what to do. The oyster trade evidently he could not undertake Circum- stances beyond his control forbade that. He had seen it was impossible.
 Accordingly he decided to write to friend for advice. Being without stampShe went to the postoffce to purchase one. It was three cent stamp he needed.
 ''Have you postage stamps!' he unneces- sarily asked the clerk whose sole duty was to sell them.
 s.''Yes, Twas the reply, almost all the differ ent kinds. What do you wish. "
 Almost all, /" repeated Billings. Haven't you a complete supply2 Don't you keep all the sorts of stamps that the Government makes? Isn't even the United States post office itself normal ?"
 70, the demand'' said the clerk 'tat this place is entirely for ones, twos, and threes. We have any quantity of these and the rest unnecessary. Your letter, see, requires a three. Here it is."
 But no. Billings haughtily rejected it. He only needed three-cent stamp, but the Gov ernment makes wide variety of stamps and if all were not there, he would take none That was theory put into practice. If he consented to take three-cent stamp. all that he required, from office that did not have every kind, how could he longer object to talk ing into service engineers who could distin- guish the only colors demanded of them, but who had not command of the whole range of color and shade.
 He was consistent enough to hold his ground. The letter never was sent. The friend never was appealed to- Billings WAS taken to an asylum, and, as it proved, there was enough of his fathers fortune left to pay his expenses until he died of softening of the brain In the institution he was known as the man who never learned that enough was sufficient.