The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-12-28

upon the nobler and loftler aspects and
capacities of human nature. AS to his
share in her vocal culture and her own
proficiency he never had made any def
mite pronouncement; but on the morning
before his death he requested her to
sing for him the air from Handels
oratorio of 'sThe Messiah"-''I know
that my Redeemer liveth." When she
had finished he said: ''My child, you
have H1abled me to thank God that nv
voice was destroyed, and that my life
has been for SO many years lonely dis
appointment. I have had triumphs and
blessings that most men do not even
know how to desire. A mighty scepter
is in your hand, he went on, turning
his grave and gentle eyes upon her. 81
have helped to show you how to WELD
it. Power is very sweet, but it needs
almost an angel not to use it harmfully.
l don't know what life may be before
you, my dear; but whatever it may be I
trust that when you come to the end of
it you will find as little cause to regret
having met me as have much cause to
rejoice that have known you" Beatrix
hardly knew how to understand this at
the time, but afterward the words fire.
quently revisited her memory, and may
have had some influence over her at crit
ical moments of her career.
In autumn the old Randolph home
stead looked as if it were showered with
gold. The great elm trees, transmitted
by the touch of this Midas of the seasons,
stood in yellow glory of myriad leaves,
which every breath of the cool west
breeze scattered profusely eastward,
where, with the still unchanged grass,
they formed spangled carpet of green
and gold. The apples thronged the
crooked boughs of the orchard, some like
glowing rubies, others like the famous
fruit of the Hesperides, though there
was no guardian dragon to give them
fictitious value. The broad roof of the
house itself was Uttered with limit
merable little golden scales, of work
manship far beyond the skill
of any human goldsmith, yet of
absolutely no market value. What is
the significance of this yearly phantas-
magoria of illimitable riches, worthless
because illimitable? Is it satire or
consolation? Does it mock the Door
mans Indulgence or cause him to hope
again for competence? It comes as the
guerdon of Nature, after her mighty
task is done; but when she has composed
herself to her wintry sleep it is trodden
into the earth and forgotten, and the
new year begins his labors with new sap
and naked buds. 1t is only the human
world that has to bear the burden Of in
heritance; and perhaps we shall never
enjoy true wealth till we have learned
the lesson of the trees.
Poor Mr.. Randolph certainly had lit
tie else beside autumn leaves wherewith
to satisfy his creditors, and the winter
Sf his discomfort was close upon him.
There is philosophy for the poor and a
philosophy for the wealthy, but the
philosophy that can console the debtor
has yet to be discovered.
Born and brought up in the custom of
sufficient resources, he had never con-
templated the possibility of want. There
had seemed to be something noble and
high minded in meeting without ques-
ton all demands upon him, but when
the supply actually ran short things
wore a different aspect. Had he spent
his whole fortune simply in paying his
sons drafts he would at least have had
the comfort of putting the whole bur
den of the responsibility on his sons
,, shoulders. But unfortunately the larger
part of the loss was due to private rash
ness of his own. When he found that
Eds rapacity was getting serious the
devoted gentleman betook himself to
l Wall street and speculated there. The
brokers treated him as Richard III pro,
posed to treat his wife-they had him,
bnt they did not keep him long. His
speculations after he returned home
J were probably more edifying than those
= he INDUCED in on the street.
The revolving suspicion that he had
l been fool began to terminate in Mr..
Randolph's mind. This suspicion, which
is the salvation of some men, is the de-
J struction of others. The integrity of
u Mr.. Randolph's moral discrimination
l began to deteriorate from that hour.
y Having enacted all his life the part OF
L his own golden calf in the wilderness,
his overthrow left him destitute of any
. criterion of conduct. He talked violent
. ly and volubly about his wrongs, and
" discussed various schemes, more or less
impracticable and improper, of evadine
| his liabilities. Beatrix was naturally
) the chief sufferer from this ungainly
development of her fathers character
1 and she was also obliged to beal
I the brunt of most of the concrete
: unpleasantness Of their situation. Sht
had to talk to the creditors, to extenuat,
her fathers side of the case, to hold on
: fair hopes and to smooth over disap
pointments, and when she had wearbet
y herself in parleying with the enemy sh,
had before her the yet harder task 0
pacifying and encouraging her father
Q who had listened to the dialogue from
@ the head of the stairs, and fell upon he
Il with petty avalanche of complaints
g questions, suggestions, seedlings ant
/ querulousness. Beatrix loved her fathe
with all her heart, but she was of a pen
e etrating and well balanced mind, an,
o often had difficulty in not feeling
q ashamed of him. Insensibly she begal
v to treat him as a fractions and super
y sensitive child, who must at all costs b
o humored and soothed, and when she fel
o her own strength and patience almos
e overtaxed she would only say to herself
VI sNo wonder poor father has to give u
% when I find it so hard"
q But her troubles did not end with he
Vt father. There was certain Mr.. Starchel
V tho orrocor,s con. Il, L, ex.A,A,. a::li 49,: L