The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-09-18

I'M mine. where you can spend enc day
N every week traasacrinr what Is neces-
sary II regard To yoar property. Every
T1ziag stall bs y yaar aasaa. md nothing
done without yaur full understanding
and colssur VII be at,,hand to be
piled with questions, and Foa VIII be-
come rs wise II finance as Saczer HIM
self But ! pray ron to deyote the six
re1nlirII1g days ID other tl4;ags. and leave
70 Is DRY. -nsar1sT-af- facf. lawyers the de-
tgIls of ys1 5Es5.ass. have great
many millions under my c0Htrol, and the
percentage which / should derive from
the care OF yours is matter Of indifar-
ence 10 me: hut ] an very much con-
cened that y0u should not make the
fatal MISTAKE of becoming q mere fem
mine trustee
| yielded - persuasion; and II &c
cordaaca with his promise little room
adjoining MS orn private Office was al
lnrted 10 me. and every Monday morn
ing / drove down town and spent the
dav IN p31Tng ever the ledgers and deeds
AMI reports. and n taking a general
scrutiny Of MY affairs. Al first II was
III very conf using. but by degrees order
was reduced ont Of chaos TO ny under
staining, md lea-ned 70 take q keen
i-,.s.z,.-.t il TIE points unlimited 10 me
for nv decision. Al first l felt some
humiliation II perceiving that ny onin-
ion was consulted merely from form and
courtesy mora roughly, because the
law raq1irsl i. ] was forced to laugh
and SNAKE my head and acknowledge
that was not capable Of Judging.
had hoped That knew enough to be
OF service sometimes, and the con-
sciousness of my ignorance spurTed me
to determined exertions TO overcome the
deficiency. Contrary TO our compact, l
read and studied ut home books relating
to financial and economical matters;
concealed railway reports IN my mum,
and tried various articles TO acquire
knowledge Rnbelnown to -Mr. Cheim.
But II was chiefly To his kindness and
unwearying attention that I owed the
proficiency gradually acquired; and /
think ii WIS Is genuine d pleasure to him
rs to me when at last was able, with q
moderate degree of confidence, 10 choose
for myself between Two lines of con-
duct. | often asked myself what I
should have done had attempted TO act
alone from the start.
But 1t was not long before another IN
terest incident ia and growing out Of
this began 10 occupy my thoughts and
time. The bulk Of my daily mail was
increased by subscription lists and cir
culars soliciting my assistance to every
kind Of charity and enterprise. People
whom I had never seen came to the
house TO ask aid for struggling talent.
was nnportuned with begging letters
from victims TO al sor<s of distress.
Jealous philanthropists wrote that they
had taken the liberty of putting down
nv name as member of their societies.,
and that the annual assessment was
now due and payable. Here again had
recourse 90 the counsel of Ir. Chelm,
whose experience, as l have limited, radi-
ated beyond the limits Of ms lucrative
practice, and who was not only liberal
toward the poor but familiar with their
needs.
From him I obtained a variety of
hints and suggestions that enabled me
to give my money and time intelligent
", and also to refuse them without re-
morse l was very glad Of this new
duty, which easily became great pleas
ure despite my occasional disgust at the
mpertinence of some applicants when
It was discovered that was ready TO
subscribe freely. I was not, however,
satisfied with the easy work of giving,
but soon passed from the passive act of
signing checks to active work among
the needy. studied the theories Of
tenement houses and hygiene, and be-
came leading spirit IN several charita-
Bile organizations.
renewed also my old habit of read
mg, and no longer confined myself 10
the philosophic and dry subjects pur-
sued under Mr. Fleisch. But was con-
scious that the zest which / felt IN re-
newing wider range of study was due
TO the fact Of my having acquired from
his instruction d degree Of industry and
a power TO appreciate that l had not pre-
viously possessed. At the suggestion of
Mr.. Chelm, whom aIlured TO chat with
me- regarding outside subjects when my
business was finished, read with regu-
larify the leading newspapers and maya
zines a familiarity with the former he
declared TO be Indispensable TO 4 knowl-
edge of current affairs, and also that
much of the freshest and most valuable
thought of the day was first made pub
lie through the medium Of periodicals.
This practice received likewise the APP
prevail Of Amt Eelen, who assured me
that she always felt lost for the day if
she had not looked at the deaths and
marriages.
One of my first steps had been TO ask
Aunt Helen TO come and live with me,
to which she finally consented, though
the consequent necessity Of disestabfish
ing her coy little parlor, upon the en-
beIlishment Of which she had spent the
overflow OF her income for years, cost
her many a pang. But she was 4 far
seeing woman, and had, I dare say,
while accepting my offer delightful
vision OF helping me to i've up 10 the
duties of mr. pos1TCn. can only say
that she soon began to impress the I'M
portance OF TINS upon me by hints more
or less palpable, and Il was not long be-
fore she was to al iutents and purposes
the real housa9eeper.