Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-28

game; the other II
spout twelve, ana is leaning against ole
carved oak cabinet. This last one is the social
ist. You would never imagine il when yoJ
looked at his picture. He has such round
laughing face and he a quaint costume
with long, pointed vest, lace ruftles and paste
knee and shoe buckles ard velvet coat-no: al
all wEst You would exVect of a person with So
ciaistic views, and, in fact, it is the social
lists usual costume. II was one he wore when
he sang quaint song at a charity concert and
II was so becoming to his plump young body that
! wanted picture of him in it. Aud yet, not
withstanding his round, dimpled boy face and
his velvet coat and lace rufles and brilliant
paste buckles, it is he who is the socialist
1t was in London at the beginning of the last
season that found this OUT. l had not been
aware OF it myself before. He come into my
room one morning. and the moment he entered
knew that he was filed to the brim with some
pew exciting ide which he must talk about. 1
always know when he is in that condition be-
cause his face looks ~rounder and roster than
ever. and such lot Of queer little dimples
dance about his mouth.
Dearest, - he said, ~ am a socialist. just
wanted TO tell you l q socialist and he
thrust his hand into the very bottom of his little
red and black blazer and sat down firmly on the
nearest chair.
It was perhaps a little sudden, but then am
never surprised at anything the socialist does.
have known him long enough to be quite &C
customed to the cheerful activity OF his mind.
SO only smiled and looked interested-as 1
Are you. dear?'' answered. when did it
''wen, you see, he explained. delight and
q ! have been reading the most beautiful book.
IL is the most beautiful book ever read in all
my life. 1t is by G. Edward Bellamy and it is
called Looking Backward / have not qlite
finished it, and the only thing is, l am so afraid
it will turn out at the emo to be only dream.
want It to seem as if it was quite true.''
This interested me. I had read the book
myself, and l thought l should like very much
TO hear how it had Impressed a sturdy twelve
year-old socialist with his hands in the pockets
OF tennis jacket.
1t always interesting to know what boys and
girls think Of great problems-if they think
naturally and through simple spontaneous in
terest. They have all OF life before them; they
have the courage and hope that can believe and
plan things, and they have the years III which 10
do the best things TO develop plans. 1t was
quite exciting to look at socialist with his glow
ing face and his strong little clenched boys
hands.
What sort of a SOCIALISM,
he was so full of his subject that he could not
sit still. He is never a very still boy. He
jumped up and began to walk up and down the
room, talking as he walked, and making the
most an mated gestures.
1.-THE sort that could help to make the kind of
world there is in that booK," he said. at made
me so excited to read it. Why, il it were true
there would be no more wrong or injustice, or
poverty or suffering-there would be no more
begFars or tyrants or Idle people-just think of
that! And every man would have his own work
TO do, and he would do it. Oh, why can, it be
true? can't bear it to be only DREAM
One of the charms of the socialist is that be is
SO tremendously in earnest about everything.
lie rides his bicycle, plays cricket or tennis
foot ball, rows and dances, or shouts over base
ball game, all with equal ardor. He is . boy
with an athletic appetite and a strong young
growing body-that is the thing that adds 10
ones interest in his strong. young, growing
heart and mind.
1t would be a beautiful dream, in which all
sorrow and wrong could be put end to for
ever. wouldn't t?'' l said.
He wheeled about and made an animated
gesture with his clenched hand.
''But it ought not to be only DREAM he
said. 1T ought to be real
''WGl, ~ answered, ''of ALL great
changes and improvements take time and
perhaps even il the ends were accomplished,
1t would not be exactly in the Looking Back
ward wsy-but it wouldn matter how it was
done. And should think the best beginning
book-boys especially, because they have all
their years before them-should make up their
minds each to do his part in trying to make It
real
That delighted him. He looked more arlow
than ever, and all his queer little dimpIes |
showed themselves at once.
''ghat would do it, he exclaimed, walking |
up and down with new excitement. And |
wouldn't like to try it! 1t would take years |
alter my life was over-but OIL if could lust be |
one of those who helped to make 1t not Dream |
Then my life would have been worth liv- |
ing, - said, because should have been the |
mother of one Of those who helped 10 make it |
not dream. Sit down and let us talk it over"
Then ne sat down and we talked it over and it |
delightful. 1t would have been very inter
esting 10 have taken down the socialists re- |
marks just as he made them in his vigorous, un-
perfect laws repealed, all the rich people to be |
generous, all the poor ones to be given work and
good pay, all the weak ones TO be taken care of
and helped t. become strong, everything that
was unjust to be righted. all that was bad to be
changed into good.
"only how are we do it?'' he said. ''such
lot Of things would have to be changed.
''Weil,'' i said, ''you see all the great
changes for the better are always made because
n number OF people make up their minds singly, |
one by one, you knOw-that they ought TO be
brought about. 1t isn't q hundred thousand
people vino do thing all at once in o mass-in
the i6rst place hundred Thousand Individual
minds have to work for themselves siugly
You know a lot OF boys-how would it do 10 have
to be the fairest, most straight
forward, manly, reasonable fellow he can, not
only 10 the club and himself, but to any one he
$50 it would" agreed the socialist.
Boys have so much to give each other"
said, ''H they only thought of it, You know 1
their lives are. They are finding out things and
having new experi ences every day if they have
quick minds. For instance, there is your friend
Sam, whom have such respect for. he
has always had to take care of himself. He
has sold newspapers and blacked boots all his
little boy years in the streets of a big city. Sam
is II right. you know. He has a good heart and |
ind feelings and il did them no harm that be was
ragged and barefooted, and even sometimes hun
cry, and think how much he must have learned |
about business, and self-dependence, and how |
much he must have seen to touch his heart, and |
,
and make things better. Sam is the beginning |
Of an enc rgetic man, with his mind all alive. |
And YOU are the beginning of another, hope, and
you have lived IN an entirely different way. and
10 each one OF you must have SO much to tell the
other. sam has watched baseball games have | ,
DO doubt. Yon have seen great cricket matches
It Lords. Sam has taken long tramps from one ,
lily to anot her to sell his papers you have crossed
no Atlantic in big steamer year after year,
and have been on familiar terms with sailors
md engineers. Sam has sold papers st iuaugu- ,
atoms, you have watched the kings and queens
md princes and princesses and all the grand ,
pageant Of the jubilee. Sam knows how to man. }
ge boot black business and understands the
language of the boys who take care of them
elves. You can speak French and understand ,
Italian. Sam knows about conventions" You | )
Cnow about the carnival in Italy. and have | .
iven with your carriage buried in bouquets in | Z
he Flower Corso, and have thrown Coriandole .
md laughed at the Mascarati. and danced at the :
.reat begloni ball. Sam has talked to keen, b
lever American politicians, you know about
World renowned English statesmen. Between | -
GU two boys il appears to me you have great
art OF the world and the most interesting sides |
II life TO discuss and compare notes about. =
'eally think, you know, that anyone listening
Fhile you talked and told each other things | o
night gain quite q respectable education. And
hink what one might gain from a number OF T
oys all with different lIves and different views. i;
"Only," saidthe socialist, "some;imes q boy =
ant express himself !
''That is what you would have TO think of in
he most practical way" answered. "Some p
oys chance 10 have words and some are, per- V
ans. ready with them. II a oood | n