The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1884-12-18
rBlackwood's Magazine.J
"TOMM +"
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L
need hardly say that I refused
these seven offers Of two guineas. l
would not sell my conscience, and Sc
quence Of the example of Tommy, for
Ella, las. Cd. | went to my superior
in high indignation and disgust, and
told him Of the general fraud which
was being carried on. Indeed, said
/ was taking part in the fraud If re-
ceived two guineas week from the
gentleman to protect his interests
against the contractors, and betrayed
my trust for bribes.
My ''boss'' rubbed his chin, and
looked at me over his gold spectacles,
little uncertain at first what to say.
persisted in putting my view Of the
case before him in strong language.
Then at last he interrupted me and
said, my dear Mr.. Flopjohn, we must
live; we belong to the nineteenth CEN
tury. Your theories are admirable;
your morals those Of the copy-book.
But they cannot be carried out. They
are as impossible in this century as
martyrdom or the crusades. Where
the deuce did you pick up your anti
quated notions?"
'sFrom Tommy" said I, solemnly.
"And pray" he asked, "who is that
individual 2"
Then replied, ''Tom-my was good
boy. But Harry was badboy. Tom
my and Harry were one day playing
with a round ball. Then the ball went
through the window Of a good mans
house."
"That will do" said the architect,
interrupting me. II distinctly recall
Tommy and Harry. The first SEN
tences oftheir history as you recite
them come back to me, and recall old
days, like the smell of painted toys
and the strains Of Balfe's Bohemian
Girl I dreamt that dwelt in marble
halls, and so on" He bowed his head
In his hands for moment, then shook
off his momentary weakness, and said,
in firm. grave voice, MY dear Mr..
Flopjohn, Tommy was an incubus to
me in my youth, and 1 never got on
in life till / had broken my idol and
cast him to the bats and owls, and till
/ realized how much greater a man
was Harry, and how false was the
moral Of that miserable tale. If chill
dren are taught that honor, truth,
conscientiousness lead to success in
this world, they are taught lies" He
beat his desk with his fist. mo! what
succeeds is the semblance Of Tommy
and the spirit of Harry. Rectitude
and sincerity have no place in our
nineteenth-century civilization. They
are impracticable virtues. Busi-
ness, trade, cannot be carried On till
the conscience is rid of them. By
spirit Of irony we call our civilization
by the name of one who, when offered
wealth and success and honor by the
Spirit Of the Age, refused them; and
he ended his days on the gallows. It
is the same now. We must stoop to and
do homage to the spirit Of the age, if
we are to attain to prosperity, wealth,
and the approval of our fellow-men.
He who resists that and follows his
conscience, comes to utter and irrem-
ediable GRIFFIN this world. And the
sooner children are taught that the
better, that they may not start in life
with erroneous notions, and may make
their choice with the several ends
clear before them" He paused, and
looked at me steadily. Then he re-
sumed. 81 see that you are quite un-
fit to be with me. l make myl five
hundred a year because | am not
Tommy. You are Tommy, and how
much has that brought in to you?''
/ put my hand in my pocket, and
drew forth-NoTHING.
"You may go" he continued. "Un-
learn as quick as you can the maxims
instilled into you by your father, un-
less you desire to end like him. Now
you have nothing. Go on little
longer, as you are now, and you will
come, like him, to minus Nothing. [
wish you good day, and more wis
DOM"
I turned to leave the ROOM As my
hand was on the door, he called to me,
"By the way, Flopiohn, have you seen
anywhere my anti-stylograph pen-fill-
er? I have mislaid or lost it. You
know what I mean-the apparatus for
injecting into it its supply Of ink?"
mo, sir" answered: | have not. "
Then I went out. [ walked away, my
head down, and both hands in my
empty pockets. [ had lost my salary,
nv two guineas week-the fourteen
guineas-through Tommy.
Then the gall in my heart mount
ed. l ground my teeth; my eyes
sparkled with rage; | clenched my
fists in my pockets; cast myself into
the hedge, and glowering before me
into the glaring, dusty road, cursed
Tommy.
At that moment my eye rested on
something glittering before me on the
road; it flashed in the sun like glass.
I paid no attention to it at first, but
its light attracted my curiosity, and
presently stopped to see what it was.
t picked up a little glass vessel, with
a nozzle at one end of the tube, and
an india-rubber receiver at the other.
+ Ix,,o,r Oh ,oy,oo what IL Was--the lost