Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-07-25


find time to see him again. Jack
consented, and they appointed time
| for that purpose. In the evening
Jack made speech on the issues of
the day and his candidacy for con-
gress. It was his first speech in his
native town, and the crowd was COM
| pletely carried away with his elo-
quence and enthusiasm. The next
day towards evening the two friends
met again in accordance with the ar
rangement made the previous day,
and on Dicks suggestion repaired to
the park and seated themselves near
the fountain, where they had often
met years ago in the heyday of
their youth. They we're boys again
lin Imagination, aud many OF their
boyhood experiences passed in re-
view before their minds.
After they had spent some time in
this manner. Dick directed Jack s at
tention to the fountain, when the
following dialogue took place:
Dsck-Look, Jack, is that not a
beautiful sight?
Jack-Certainly it is; but it is 30
familiar to US that its beauty does
not strike us in the same degree that
it would strike strangers.
/ Dick--True; familiarity has a
tendency to lessen our appreciation
OF an object, but with all that it may
teach lesson that will add to its
beauty and enhance our estimate of
it.
Jack-I do not see that it can in
this case.
Dick-I presume you will only
call it within of mine.
I Jack--Well, what 10 itY
| Dsck--You might take offence.
Jach-Whatl I take offence at
anything you say? You know me
better than that.
Dick-Well then, will proceed
to explain myself, and | know that
| you will be very much surprised.
But be it SO. My interest in your
welfare prompts me to do it. My
dear friend, were I in your position,
/ could not behold this object, with
the lesson it teaches, without serious
thoughts.
Jack--Ah yes; that is possible in
your case, with such sensitive nerves
as yours; but after all | fail to COM
prehend the drift of your serious re
marks.
/ Dick-Look at that fountain again,
and tell me what becomes of the
stream after it has reached its high
est pointl
| Jack-Singular man that you are !
Why it naturally descends according
to the laws OF gravitation.
Dick-Exactly, it is common
law Of nature that material objects,
which are made to ascend by a GER
l
tain force, will descend again when
resistance overcomes the power that
made it ascend. The same law
governs many actions in life, and
generally the higher the ascent, the
more rapid and destructive the de.
scent. Let me give you a forcible
example in the political world:
"Aaron Burr was man Of an ex-
traordinary cast--a man massive,
piercing and towering in intellect,
vast and dazzling in the cabinet
second to none for genius, literature
and science. For time his course
was steadily onward and upward.
The honors of the camp, the bar and
the legislative forum were success
sively twined around bis brow, hold
ing the second place in the gift of
the people, with fair prospect to
become President Of the young re-
public. He was already looked up
on as the coming man for the high
est position in the gift Of the peo-
pie. But alasl he fell. He was
doomed not to make the ascent. In
his eagerness to ascend this ladder
he forgot to examine his foothold.
The round on which he stood was
| bending and cracking beneath him.
But, nevertheless, he reached for an.
other. The round gave way, the
shock carried him down to the next,
and the next and yet the next, and
continuing to descend with acceller-
ated impetus, In the twinkling of an
eye, aaron Burr lay at the bottom,
the dishonored of his country, the
desrised of men, the neglected Of
Heaven.
"His was a mastery mind; and
| he used it as the keen resistless
weapon with which his passion tried
to hew way to conquest, and few
could escape its attack. IT any one
came under the gaze of bis pene-
trating eye, he was lost. For cum
ming he was an Iago, in lust a Tar
quin, in patience and endurance
Cataline, in pleasure Sybarite, in
gratitude Malay, and in ambition
an Alexander. Aaron Burr affords
the world an awful example of
powerful intellect, destitute OF vir-
tue; the murderer of Hamilton, and
the destroyer OF himself.
"But now, behold that little
stream. Though it meets obstacles
in its course, it makes its serpentine
| way through quietly. ulacidIv with.