The record-union., 1893-01-31
A CAFE INCIDENT
showing How Rich May Be Liberal,
But Not Sentimental.

Showing How Rich May Be Liberal,
But Not Sentimental.
One morning, at the hour when one
meets only street-cleaners, day labOrers,
and exotic princes, a rich tinancier and a
writer Of phases of city life were in the
cafe of a fashionable restaurant. The
tlnancier was eating a serious tillet, the
writer frivolous eel with tartar sauce
They had bowed to each other and then
pursued the even tenor of their thoughts,
which surely were not similar, for the
WRITER, listening, perhaps, to harmonious
phrases which were in his mind, smiled
whereas the tinancier, nervous and care
worn, moved his lips as if reciting a les
son which he knew not well. His mute
turbulence became so annoying to the
writer that he decided to ask the cause
oft.
my dear friend" said the tinancier.
= may tell you-who will never harm
me and who are ever walking in azure
that III an hour l shall surely have lost
my credit, my fortune, everything
1nere IS meeting Of stockholders from
whom L must get more money, and [
have not yet found a pretext, good or bad,
nor the first word OF my speech. | relied
on my secretary, who is man of genius,
put he rushed out in the street Yesterday,
without his coat, and to-day he is in bed
with pneumonia. Just my luck!"
lthout designing to comment on the
teroclous selhshness contained in the
hnancier's last phrase, the writer asked
Tor an explanation Of the financial diff
Guilty, and received it i'll phrases brief,
precise. saying exactly what the speaker
wished to say - perhaps because they
were not addressed to tockholders.
Then he asked the waiter to send for
paper, ink and a stub pen, and said,
calmly:
n n No 1,oo 7
as simple an affair to write phase of city
life with its exposition, development and
final expression"
"A phase Of city life?'' asked the finan-
cier, with evident surprise.
YES" replied the writer "They are
things that we do as a sort of relief, when
we are so burdened with work that we
do not know where to begin. AS for
your speech, it shall bequickIy made up.
our mines are exhausted, you are after
otner mines in their place, your stock
holders expected dividends, and they
shall be assessed. Not to be able to con-
vince stockholders of the imperious ne
cesslty OF paying an assessment is to ad-
NIT That one has never known how to
put IN its place a word of four syllables,
and has never been the friend OF flaming
adjecuves."
The phasist wrote rapidly in cursive
letters; the leaves were piiing up before
MN and they were covered with per-
lectly regular lines. The tinancier was
beating tattoo with his nails on rod of
hls chair. The writer ceased to write and
the hnancier began TO read. AS he read,
MS lace frightened, and in the end it
radated light as ii dipped in the pink
furnaces OF Aurora.
1t IS possible, then, that the things
which | wished to say my stockholders
are true" he said, when he had partially
recovered from his stupeiaction.
They are true if correctly deduced
from one another, united with that false
metal which is called logic, expressed in
words the sounds of which are varied
enough to preoccupy those who listen,
because in literary point of view there
IS no other sort Of TRUTH" the writer re-
piled.
The fnancier had quickly paid his bill
to the waiter, put on and buttoned his
overcoat, and placed the manuscript in
his pocket.
MY life is yours" he said to the
writer, while he pressed his hand. "Only
claim il. But l suppose you would not
know what to do with it, so let us talk
seriously. How much money do you
want? can not do less than pay you
any sum that you may name."
oh" said the writer; Il sell phases of
city life, but L do not deal in financial
speeches. [ have written this only to
we you. DO not talk of it. l want
nothing"
Nothing :" exclaimed the financier.
with suspicious air. "Well, suit your
self am obliged to you, anyhow"
The writer quickly forgot the incident.
lie was too busy collecting epithets de-
scriptive of the satfrons, the pinks and
the grays of sunsets to think OF the un-
published page of Robert Macaire" that
he had written. But his cashier suddenly
desired to visit Canada, and not to travel
alone, took the caSh-bOx with his luggage.
1t happened on the day when Sloane's
bill for Oriental rugs, which the writer
had bought on credit. was due AT the
same time Bradstreet's, Matthews and
Stikeman sent to him fifty volumes eco
nOnlcally bound in half Levant morocco
OF various colors at the rate of 81 a vol
ume. lie called on the tinancier. who
demonstrated in a few words how wide
the gulf is which separates a man Of
finance from man OF city life phases.
He said:
mo. 1 never lend money to people
who are not practical. When YOU saved
me from bankruptcy asked you to name
the sum that you wished. l would have
given you ten, twenty, thirty thousand
dollars, and notes secured by bonds. and
anything that you might have asked, but
you preferred to enjoy the luxury OF rem
derlng service for nothing. Very well.
keep your illusions; I keep my money.
You have written somewhere that books
go to those who love them. Money is
ike books; it wants to be adored New
York Times.