Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1894-07-27

take the abuse, and the falsehood, and
the caricature, and the anathema and
fine caterwauling and the filth, and they
will be rolled in it and rolled over ana
over in it until they are choked and
submerged and strangulated, and at
every sign of returning consciousness
they will be barked at by all the hounds
of political parties from ocean to ocean
And vet there are hundred men 10,
day struggling for that privilege ana
tbere are thousands of men who are
belninp them in the struggle. Now
that is not life worth living. You can
got slandered and abused cheaper than
that Take it on smaller scale. 10
NOT he so ambitious to have whole res
ervo;r rolled over on you. But what you
see in the matter of high political pref,
ermont YOU see in every community IN
the struggle for what is called SOCIAL po-
sition.
Social Ambitions. ling 10
Tens Of thousands of peop are under
get into that realm, and social positioni
terrific tension. Wig to define, but we
It is difficnlft is Good morals and
all know % are not necessary, but
intelll1hssor the show Of wealth is abso'
;,ssttely indispensable. There are men to-
dav as notorious for their libertinism as
the night is famous for its darkness who
move in what is called high social posi-
ton. There are hundreds Of out and out
rakes in American society whose names
are mentioned among the distinguished
guests at the great levees. They have
annexed all the known vices and are
longing for other worlds OF diabolism
to conquer. Good morals are not neces-
sary in many Of the exalted circles OF
society.
Neither is intelligence necessary. You
find in that realm men who would not
know an adverb from an adjective II
they met it a hundred times day and
who could not write letter OF accept
ance or regrets without the aid OF sec
rotary. They buy their Libraries by the
square yard, only anxious to have the
binding Russian. Their ignorance is
positively sublime, making English
grammar almost disreputable, and yet
the finest parlors open before them.
Good morals and intelligence are not
necessary, but wealth or a show OF
wealth is positively Indispensable 1t
does not make any difference how You
got your wealth if you only get 1t. The
best way for you to get into social posi-
ton is for you to buy large amount
on credit, then put your property in
your wife's name, have few preferred
creditors and then make al assignment
Then disappear from the community I'M
ill the breeze is over and then come
back and start in the same business DO
Won not see how beautifully that will
put out all the people who are in compe-
tition with you and trying to make an
honest living? How quickly it will get
YOU into high social position What is
the use Of 40 or so years Of hard work
when you can by two or three bright
strokes make a great fortune? All, my
friends, when you really lose your mon
ev how quick they will let you drop.
and the higher you get the harder you
will drop.
There are thousands today in that
realm who are anxious to keep in 1t
There are thousands in that realm
who are nervous for fear they will
fall out Of it, and there are changes 60
ing on every year and every month and
every hour which involve heartbreaks
that are never reported. High social life
is constantly in a futter about the deli
cate question as to whom they shall let
in and whom they shall push out, and
the battle is going on-pier mirror
against pier mirror, chandelier against
chandelier. wine cellar against wine
cellar. wardrobe against wardrobe, equi-
page against equipage Uncertainty and
insecurity dominant in that realm,
wretchedness enthroned, torture at a
premium and life not worth living.
A life Of sin, life Of pride, life OF
indulgence, life of worldliness, a life
devoted to the world, the flesh and the
devil is a failure, o dead failure, an in
finite failure. l care not how many pres
ents you sent to that cradle. or how
many garlands You send to that grave,
you need to put right under the name
on the tombstone this inscription, Bet
ter for that man II he had never been
born.
Living That Is Worth Something.
But shall show you life that Is
worth living A young man says: i
am here. l am not responsible for my
ancestry. Others decided that am
not responsible for my temperament;
God gave me that But here | am, In
the afternoon Of the nineteenth century,
at 20 years Of age. l am here, and
must take an account Of stock Here
have a body which is diyinely con-
structed engine I must put 1t to the
very best uses, and must allow moth
ing to damage this rarest Of machinery.
Two feet, and they mean locomotion.
Two eyes, and they mean capacity tc
pick out my own way. Two ears, and
they are telephones Of communication
with all the outside world, and they
mean capacity to catch Sweetest music
and the voices Of friendship-the VerJ
best music. A tongue, with almost In
fnity Of articulation. Yes, hands with
which to welcome or resist OK lift o.
smlte or wave or bless-hands to helI
myself and help others.
Here is a world which after 5000
years Of battling with tempest and acct
dent is still grander than any architect
human or angelic, could have drafted
l have two lamps to light me-a COLDER
lamp and a silver Tampa golden LAM
set on the sapphire mantcl Of the day,
silver lamp set on the jet mantel OF tn
night. Yea, 1 have that at 20 years o
age which dehes all inventory Of valua
bles-a soul with capacity to choose O
reject, to rejoice or to suffer, to love O
to hate Plato says it Is immortal Sen
eca says it is immortal Confucius say
it is immortal An old book among tn
family relics, book with leathern GOV
er almost worn out and pages almos
obliterated by oft perusal, joins the othe
books in saying am immortal l hav
! on -oo., TO-, n 1;fatiY,a IN vaara vet 4