Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-25
REVERIES.
Things Which None But the Unsueeess-
full Have Time for Nowadays.
But II You Really Want an Insight to the I'm
successful Mans EgOtism, Here It is If
You Have Time to Read It.

"REvERIEs OF AN UNSUCCESSFUL MAN. :"
For the Gazette.
The gentle Ella can discourse lightly
about the miseries of poor relations, for
he at one time belonged to that noble
army, and perhaps often felt the sings
and arrows of courageous kinsmen.
The great bard thinks ohild's ingrati-
tude sharper than serpent's tooth, but
he never felt the oaustic sharpness OF
successful brethren, for its sting is
deeper. 1 often wonder what makes
success. Thrift, care, industry and
luck, my brother Croesus tells me.
We both started in life with the same
advantages, but with what different de-
sires! He toiled night aud day for that
accumulation of wealth that has brought
its oeaseless round of cares and wstchful-
ness lest it vanish in day.
The wealth of all India could not buy
my treasures of the mind, and am quite
poor, and my brother CrOesus thinks
am q fool because his ruling passion finds
no echo in my soul.
The self-made man arrogates to him.
self all distinctions of greatness and abil-
ity and looks down upon his duoatless
brother and says to him: ''I learn more
in one day than you have CLEANED from
your books in thirty years, - comparing
his harvest of worldly wisdom to the
fruits of my golden knowledge.
He says sit don't pay. Sometimes
[ have wondered If it does, and during
the never-eeasing tresd-mill of my weary
daily work, when at last my bondage
for one day is over, and l plod drearily
through the shadows of the coming
night, for a moment 1 doubt, and re-
gret having declined the hospitality of
my brother Croesus, for hate favors, and
the condescension of this one would embit-
ter the royal bounty And Croesus children
have a habit of asking embarrassing
questions, as to why 1 90 not wear the
coat that matches my vest, or vice versa,
They also expatiate on the cut of my
whiskeIs, or innocently suggest that my
hair needs trimming.
Cersus will be sure to tell me of the
success of other men, and his wife will
point the moral.
For instance, I will be told of the
wonderful success of q drayman, who
has Just been elected to some political
position. When he was poor drayman
the house he worked for failed III business
owing Pat perhaps 500, and after all the
other creditors were paid he was offered
some swamp land on the edge of town of
no use to anyone, but Pat was persuaded
to take it and cancel the debt. One year
after a new railroad wanted that Identical
bit of swamp ground, and Pat let them
have it for $50 900, ''and there he was
fixed for life, - added Cresus.
l wondered if any comparison was
being drawn between myself and Pat,
but was too poor to make the insinna-
ton.
Ali what respect is paid to riches, TO
the successful Pat, who, without any eff
fort of his own, had wealth actually
thrust upon him and was ever afterward
considered pretty sharp fellow. 'No
book-Iearning, says Cresus, fbut
good common sense.
Cresus is an ardent admirer of horse
sense, as he terms it. never could I'M
derstsnd the comparison thus made be-
tween human intelligence and brute in
stinct.
Well, 1 am an unsuccessful mau and
poor relation, but am not unhappy,
as that condition would imply, for when
1 have climbed the three flights of stairs
leading to my boarding house sanotum,
like one of Bunyan's pilgrims, drop
my bundle of cares and enter-to me-
deleotabie land.
Such goodly company do 1 hndl
feast with Lucullus, though it be but
bread and butter, and werthers Char
lotts outs the loaf as listen to his s'sor-
rows.
Or perhaps have fancy to drink tea
with johnson at the hospitable board OF
the lively Mrs. Thrale and between CO.
pious draughts of "the cups that cheer
but not inebriate, - listen to the below
of johnson as he disputes with simple
Boswell, or emphatjcally arrives at an
unjust conclusion.
My friends are numerous; from grave
to gay 1 can sport with Amaryllis in
the shade, or with the tangles of
Neaeras' hair, or sit with Jessica and
"watch the pastimes of bright gold, -
| and with "Troilus'' watt q sight to
Cressid.
And then if old friends fail to "ban-
anfsh the thoughts of day. I have
awaiting me "fresh woods and pastures
new =" the brilliant masterpieces Of my
| own time.
If am not a successful man, have
more content of mind than my brother
Cresus and though 1 can not "add to
golden numbers. - L have "sweet con-
TENT r. MAXWELL KENNEDY.