The record-union., 1895-11-30

printed his portrait. Unknown men &C
costed him in the street and informed
him that great reforms were bound to
come, now that he was in the board.
At the second meeting he made
speech. Events from this on moved
rapidly, and, alas l am compelled 10
confess. quite disastrously. Speeches
multiplied. Each speech, if / may use
the figure, seemed to be the father of
triplets. and each triplet begat triplets.
And there were also interviews.
At first my friend was unusually gra-
cious with all his eloquence. He was
paternal, and, although he didn't realize
it, w as rather inclined to patronize his
colleagues. he always knew better than
they knew. In the meantime people
wrote him letters and sent him kindly
messages.
However, there is no warrant in this
brief story to go into the details at this
conjuncture. The descent was swift and
sure My friend was being insidiously
transmogrified. he, however, didn't
know il. Neither did tie people. With
out thinking one way or the other, they
gradually ceased TO read his speeches.
Their interest faltered and then fled.
This was the period of his fatal calm.
First, there was veneration; second, there
was unprecedented indifference; third
but we shall come TO that in due time.
The solemn truth Is that the people were
weary without realizing it. They would
certainly have resented the charge, how
ever, had 1t been made.
In the board contention reared its
horned head. 1t became loud ana dis
agreeable. Finally it became vulgar and
bitterly personal. This board is like all
the Others" said man TO his neighbor.
This fatal word was passed along The
ali falx
speeches of my friend and the proceed
ings of the board. They were now look
ing for light and forming judgment. The
old days were over; a new epoch had
come. The public began to criticise my
friend, mildly, Of course, but to criticise
min just the same.
Now criticism is like a habit 1t grows.
1t leaps over obstacles. 1t becomes
blind, unreasonable and unmanageable.
Ii Is unjust; sometimes, very often, |
dare say, 1t is untruthfu. Frequently it
is INSCRIPTIONS. 1t assails all along the
line. 1t pulls down private as well as
public character. 1t goes mad, and is
violent and relentless even beyond the
tomb.
Factions. contentious and laxative,
had followed unity. The whole commu-
nifty was stirred. My friend was changed
amazingly. l confess that. Heavy lines
came into the corners of his mouth. His
hair. always soft and obedient, now grew
stiff and obstinate His enemies. and he
had many of them at this time, were Wig
liant and industrious. Secretly they put
out ISLANDERS, and ISLANDERS grow like
snow balls when once in motion.
In brief, my friend was hypocrite, so
these persons asserted. He was mean.
lie cheated the poor. He was unkind to
his wife. He neglected his mother. He
was ignorant. He went to church to
cloak his iniquity. There were
several mysterious children in back
street. He was narrow minded, jealous,
bonn bastic, demagogical, and his heart
was little and very black. At last the
world was undeceived. No man could
live two lives without being found out.
GU can't forever wear a mask before
your true character. Blood will tell, etc.,
etc.
And so it came to pass that my friend,
good man, believe me, to the very last,
but changed in some degree. was spurned
and hated far and near. The community
was divided into three classes. First.
there were those who knew him to Ice
parsimonious scoundrel; second, there
were those who were in doubt, but in
clined to believe all they heard; third,
there were those who knew him to be
exactly what he was-an honest and
kindly man, who had been in some re-
spects mysteriously and completely meta
morpb osed.
And he died. And the Judgment In
which he died prevails unto this day.
To the student of human nature, to the
investigation of sociologc phenomena,
there still remains the unanswered ques-
ton:
How did it happen ?-B. o. Gilead, i'll
Cleveland Leader.