The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-12-01
CHAPTER XVII.
Jolln Earring did not 90 to the old

So@ln Earning dld nOt go to the old
lawyers house so very many times aft
er that ere the epoch of his admittance
to the bar came on. Like most earn
est Americans, he kept so live an eye
upon his time that he would not even
permit the rosy mouth of pleasure to
drink away from him any appreciate
quantity of that very lllyisive essence.
That time was something more than
money to him, as to thousands more
even in this teemiDg West-extrava-
giant as the STATEN emit may appear
seemed true; for with scarcely a
thought for wealth, he was pressing
forward to the field of deeds with
heart only eag',rto achieve. Doubtless
tame, position, applause, approval, OF
some shldo'y of these, lay at the bot
tom Of hv, ambition, how little So
ever they may have pricked him into
a consI BUSINESS of their presence, as
indeed few of us 60 forward to any
com nendable thing save these in some
sen te have their hands against the
pa ok of our inclination pushing us
IN to action. But money had not
+ Eompted him thus far; neither did it
Afterwards upon it's own account,
! though-like us all-he came eventu-
ally to feel that if its golden fingers
did not grasp happiness itself they at
beast encompassed no end of privilege
and opportunity for enjoyment and
| doing good. Another fact, also, OF
which he had already gathered an ink
ling, at length came fully into his con-
seriousness, the fact, so human, that
there are few helpers to any consum-
nation more potent than dollars, or
yet of more silvery or more grateful
voice than they when honestly earned.
Sometimes it had crossed his mind,
too, that the achievement of wealth
was rather ignoble anyway. since in
any case it could be considered, in any
light looked at, or through whatever
avenue acquired, it still was selfish
thing; it still was taking from others
and appropriating to ones own pleas
ure; and if, after half a lifetime of sur
felt, or to unload a part of what had
come to be burden. or to get name,
as often happens, one should make a
giittering splash of it about the ears Of
| h"AiuAioy, iaioihe SiCaV ohouo VI
praise and clapping of tongues, it were
still hardly thing emitting one to a
} saintship, since, in most eases, it were
simply feat Of taking through neces-
sity, ill-luck or misfortune from the
many and giving it to the few, when
. one had got too much of it. Besides,
he sometimes questioned if in the very
soul of truth any man ever actually
owned more than he earned, or should
keep from his fellows more than would
serve and fill the purposes of round
and righteous manhood.
, Doubtless he was very impractical.
immature and soft-thoughted, with
ideas not get enough tramped upon to
7 have gotten hard shells upon their
. backs. with hard hearts in them, as
with most of us; but something was
wrong with the world to John Earring
a thing, indeed, the blind can even see.
: Everywhere the many seemed drip
) ping salty sweat for the few; down in
the valleys the millions seemed always
toiling among the shadows that the
hundreds might live above them on
the sunny heights; and perhaps, after
, all, if the human sum were figured out
in blood upon the white forehead OF
, Truth, it might be found that the
, young man in his softness came very
near the fact.
ITO BE CONTINUED