Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-22
Trying to Heat TyyO.FOrty.

FROM Peck's Sun.
How many people in all branches Of business
are trying to beat 2:40 with three minute BUSH
ness? The man who has small business that
is paying him. and goes into debt and tries to
spread himself over too many eggs, is trying to
beat 2:4O with a three-minute horse The young
man who gets small salary, and spends more
money for ice cream and perfumery and neck
ties than he earns, is trying to beat 2:4O with
three-minute horse. The girl who is calculated
by nature to be the wife OF a mechanic, and
gets above her business, and looks with
scorn upons man who earns his living
by hard work. will look at an old maid
In the glass few years from now and realize
that she has been trying to beat 2:4O
with three minute horse. The ordinary,
everyday sort OF man, who is elected to O
small office by big majority on account of men
voting for him for charity and who thereupon
asplres to big office for which he is untitled
Will be nominated for the big Office some day
and be beaten higher than kite, and he will
then feel OF his aching head, examine his empty
pOcket-boOk, look around at the debts he has
contracted and the enemies he has made and
1t will suddenly come to him that he has been
trying to beat twO-forty with three-minute
horse. The man or woman who leaves a profess
sion or employment to which they are fixed and
In which they can be prosperous and happy and
have friends. and goes upon the stage to COM
pete with men and women who have been
brought up to it, and who have made success
by lifetime OF hard work, will some day realize
failed ''e to s peat tn snat they With have
three-minute horse The Young man who
has been left fortune by dead father. who
has worked a lifetime to accumulate riches and
who changes from beer, that was good enough
Tor him before, to champagne, and plenty of it,
and who can't find places enough to spend
money without sitting up all night, and who
finds old sledge and peenuckle too tame and
adopts draw poker and faro, and who tOrgets
that his sisters are splendid company and gets
acquainted with quick girls and BUYS them dia-
mOnds as big as pieces of alum. will in few
years be walking on his uppers and having fur
collars pinned on to linen listers tor winter and
ne VIII wake up some morning with the almight-
lest headache on record and come to the con-
cluslon that trying to- beat twO-fOrty with a
three minute horse Is what ais him. The sum-
mer resort hotel proprietor who fits ND an old
rookery and fills it with guests who are seeking
comfort. and charges them Fifth avenue prices
for BOwery accommodations will look at his
empty house next year and say the season is
backward. and when the guests do not come
with the dog days, he will suddenly scratch his
head and say he made fool OF himself in try
Ing to beat two-forty with three minute horse
The whole souied, good fellow. everybody's
friend, gets to drinking too hard, and as he is
healthy, he gets an idea he can beat whisky. a
game that so many have tried and failed
he Keeps 1t up until his nose gets
req; MS eyes bleared and his voice
and his friends try to reason with him, and a
constitution like horse. and that nothing can
hurt him. and he asks them to take drink.
Some day he gets the jimjams, and all his
friends say, 81 told you So" and they sit up
nights with him and drive away snakes. and
Just before he dies 1t suddenly occurs to him
that he has been trying to beat two-forty with
three-lninute horse. A man who is Door and
wants to live on the fat of the land Inarries a
pretty. little, rich woman, and begins to
squander her money, and when she tries to per-
suade him to stop it, he gets to treating
her like dog, gets worse and strikes
her, and after awhile she gets enough of
1t and obtains divorce, and marries a man
who loves her and doesn't want her money.
and she is happy, and her former husband be-
comes dead-beat and drunkard, and would
fam beg tor the refuse that drops from the table
OF his former wife, and when he buttons his
summer coat around him on q winters night
and walks around a block for q wind pudding.
and looks into the windows and sees the Tight
OF the lire from the crate OF his former wife's
sitting room, it occurs to him that II he had not
attempted to beat two-forty with q three minute
horse he could have been in there toasting his
slippers and drinking cider, and looking into q
pair OF eyes that would have always looked
their love for him If he had been contented with
three-minute gait, but which eyes will never
look upon him again except In pity. Oh, there
are thousands Of people who make q big mis-
take In trying to beat two-forty with q three
minute horse.