The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-06-01
Temperance Reading.
THE "BEST FELLOW IN THE
WORLD"


He had heard the statement so often
that he may be pardoned for consider
ing it true, even though applied to him
self. AS far back as his memory went.
he could not remember the time when
he was not, according to somebody, the
s'best fellow in the world
When, in juvenile disregard of COM
mands to keep still. he blew his tin
trumpet and beat his drum till the sick
baby awoke with yell, arousing the
tired mother who had watched with
him through the night, all reprimand
was stopped by the hugs and kisses that
accompanied the careless I'm so sor-
ry,' and the little torment was forgiven
and pronounced the ''best fellow in the
world.
When pantry and 1arder were rifed
to provide cakes, sweetmeats and dain-
lies wherewith to feast street Arabs, the
positive theft was overlooked in admit
ration of the ''open-hearted generosity
that caused it, and when pranks and
practical Jokes played upon aunt, sister
and other members of the family
amounted to positive injustice and cru
city, the gay, laughing school-boy knew
that underneath the conventional child
ing lay the conviction that he was ''the
best fellow in the world
So the years passed by, and to life IN
the academy and the playground sue
ceeded college life and the pleasures
and amusements of young man, and
here the "best fellow in the world''
Oh L Al
spiration of every piece of mischief,
the life of every orgie, the leading
spirit of every clark his time and his
purse were at the disposal of every one,
regardless of the fact that the one be-
longed to his studies, and the other was
filled by the self-denying efforts of his
widowed mother and fatherless sister at
home. Of course he early learned to
drink his generous glass of wine; that
is an essential part Of good fellowship;
and under its generous influence he
often became implicated in transactions
which drew down upon him the penalty
of violated college laws, and at length
the "best fellow in the world accept
ed the delicate invitation of the college
authorities to return to his home before
the appointed time for graduation ar
rived.
His mother and sisters received him
with open arms, his mistakes all came
from too great generosity of nature;
how could they but sympathize, con-
dole with and be proud of him? His
fathers friends came to the rescue, and
provided him with good situation, and
before long a beautiful young lady,
by his handsome person and ''off-hand"
good nature, trusted herself and her
future happiness in the hands of the
''best fellow in the world
He brought his bride home, and
henceforth there were three women in
stead of two to smile at his pleasant
words, minister to his petty comforts,
practice self-denial, that his tastes
might be gratifed, and, alas! as time
went on, to sit up for him as, during
the weary night hours, he delayed his
home coming. For the young husband
could not long resist the solicitations of
society, where g the best fellow in the
world = was welcome, but his wife was
not, nor, when present, could he decline
the cup which made geniality more
genial and enhanced his powers of en-
pertaining a hundred-fold. He was q
thoroughly generous fellow, so his COM
panions said, always ready to g treat all
round to ''stand an oyster SUPPER"
and to pay double his own share in the
expenses of conviviality.
What mattered it if the thoroughly
generous fellow's' wife turned and
wore her faded dresses, his mother did
the house-work, and his sister went out
teaching for money to meet its ex-
pensesP
BY this time the "best fellow in the
world" was not the pleasantest, that
is, at home. Alright Of gay dissipation
is apt to end in a moody, headachy
morning, and the lips that are wreathed
in smiles and send forth brilliant jests
before boon companions, sometimes
speak sharp and cruel words to those
they love best. The gay good-humor
and firm physical health also began to
give way under the strain of stimulants
and late hours, and the cares of nursing
were added to those of the patient
women at home.
But worse was to come; the young
mans salary, although little of it found
its way into the home Golfers, soon
proved inadequate to supply the
need of all the other fellows, who ex-
pected to be treated, feted and gambled
with to their hearts content; but they
had no intention of letting go their hold
on their victim. They had so already
tested his generous inability to say
''No," that they had no doubt of his
acquiescence in their suggestion that he
should supply the deficiency from the
funds OF his employer intrusted to his
care; and their trust was not disap-
pointed.
OF course the ''best fellow in the
world was now more popular than
ever, while, as his conscience was not
quite dead, he drank more and more
deeply to stifie its voice, and was more
and more moody and disagreeable in the
few hours he spent in his own home.
At last the end came; protest
ed bank-check being examined by
an expert proved to be forgery
skillfully executed by the "best fell
low in the world" to meet the de-
mands of some boone companions, in
whose behalf he was too generous to
say no, and ten years in the States
Prison was only escaped by COM
promise which aweeping wife and ag-
onized mother and sister wrung from a
lenient employer, on condition that the
delinquent took himself to Canada and
did not again show himself among the
scenes which had known his generosi-
ty. His wife, believing in him to the
last, went with him, and his sister is
daily compelled to face the family dis
grace as she tolls for subsistence for
herself and her mother.
Formal morals are not artistic, but,
as this is a true story, perhaps it will
bear one. The common impression
that the victims of drink and other
habits of dissipation are the most gen
erous of men is common falacy.
Easy self-indulgence is at the bottom of
all inability to say no, and selfshness is