Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-04-22

! just WhaG provision or disposition
would have been made by Joel, had
, John Earling remained passive until
his majority, could at the best be only
guessed at. In view of his fat and
rather inoffensive avarice, and his
sometime streaks of generosity, the
thought must needs be folded in and
forwarded by the fancy. Certain it is
that whatsoever sets up no higher
ideal than he, who sees out before him
no guiding-stars of brighter light than
the quagmire CLINT of dollars, must in
some sense deteriorate and go down.
ward. Joel of late, since his other pos
sessions were SO large, had begun to
covet honor; not that silent light within
the bosom which is infinitely above APP
plause, but preferment at the hands of
those who knew him. To this end, by
move here and withdrawal there,
praise in this corner and detraction in
that, the supplanting of q scrupulous
enemy by an INSCRIPTIONS friend, at
least pretended allegiance on his own
part to the interests of those who
acknowledged him, and the keeping
of his own claims well under cover
since he had no desire to accept and
fulfill the rather mental duties of
county official, unless that should con-
tribute to a more fortuitous end-he
came at length to be the secret dicta-
tor of local political affairs. Also a
growing reputation throughout the
Congressional district was coming to
be his for timely and munificent gifts
to his party. when at elections it
seemed most in need of succor.
| Perhaps JoeTs thirst was rather for
glory than good fame. At any rate,
his aim at reputation seemed some
thing not bounded by the circle of his
ne1ghbors; forgetting evidently that the
love and respect of those in and about
ones own home is something to be
more sensibly enjoyed even than a con-
tinent full Of notoriety. Of course Joel
did not hope for any thing so extensive
as that, but he thought, and foolishly
enough, that it would be exceedingly
sweet to know that his name was going
about on the unfeeling winds to thou
sands of people he never heard of, and
| who indeed might contribute quite as
little perhaps as those far-off unfeeling
winds to his own personal joy or bet
| terment. However, many another
heart in the worlds life has fed upon
the delusive honey of this same expec-
tation, this idea that to be known, or
rather widely heard of, is a grateful
golden thing, and to set ones self vio-
lently upon Joel for this seems little
less than flying into the face of half the
race. Out of it at least has risen much
we should be proud of. and not little
of which we should profoundly feel
| ashamed. In Joers case the aim was
doubtless well enough, and the object,
though mainly vapor. not to be des-
pissed; but the means! All. there's the
thing to put ones foot upon.
Joel went homcward that evening
l after squarinG with John Earring as
he put it, with soul not OVERLOOKING
| ly sunny. 1t was autumn and the
weather was very gentle, but his men,
tai eye seemed jaundiced. John Earl
ing's denunciation kept playing kind
i of hide and seek in his mind, for as
often as he thrust it back at one OPEN
ing it popped out at another. "Pshaw!
what does the spoutin' of youngster
like him amount top he muttered, and
turned off from the street and went
over on the knoll, that looked down
upon the river and across that upon
| the wooded eminence where Absalom
Heaters cottage stood among the au-
| tumn-paintcd trees. Il think I'll build
in the spring." he said, as he walked
about Ticking the few fallen maple
leaves with his big cane and looking
away with warming humor. II guess
| I'll build good one"
The sun falling to the westward was
| filling the tops of Absalom's woods
with shattered fire, and the long rays
! slanting under the trees on JoeIs
| knoll made it seem a very pleasant
/ place. But when he had crossed the
| little hollow and come to his own gate
1 among the lawns and homes that
covered the gentle broad-backed ridge
| on which the town was mainly laid,
his spirit seemed to darken with the
evening shadows.
| With all his farms, and bank, and
store, and mills, and houses, and fat
! horses, and the rich bounty of good
humor which nature had given him
at the start, his blood of late years
seemed often very heavy. plague
| the stuff! believe it's too thick to run
| well, he would sometimes say, smit-
ing himself upon his great chest over
| gan seemed to clog little by times.
| Perhaps he fed it too well, or the red
| tide that ebbed and flowed within it had
| tired and thickened with its half cent
ury of motion. The edge of his spir-
| it, too, seemed worn and blunted by
his third of a century of uninterrupted
| delving after wealth. What an array
| of numerals 'twould have taken to
| cover his calculations, to exhibit his
| dealings, or represent the moments of
his labors! Were his possessions worth
ir? With something like this moving
in his mind he stood with his hand
upon the gate-post looking at the long,
low house. with it's porch across the
front clambered over by woodbine and
a howerless rose, and some great clay
urns painted green and running over
with smilax that stood on either side
the graveled walk. "Well, I'll build a
good one in the spring." he said.
MAY be it ain worth while, but I'll do
it, Then I'm ready for something else!"
After tea, when Harry had gone up
to his room, which had an easel in one
corner and two or three dauby pictures
on the wall, and lit cigar and lain
down in his hammock with his lazy