Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-09-17

inant idea Of financial accumulation
spends life not worth living
Worldly Approval.
So the idea Of worldly approval. II
that be dominant in a mans life, he Is
miserable. Every four years the two
most unfortunate men in this country
are the two men nominated for the
presidency. The reservoirs Of abuse and
diatribe and malodiction gradually hil
up, gallon above gallon, hogshead above
hogshead, and about midsummer these
two reservoirs will be brimming full,
and hose will be attached to each one,
and it will play away on these nom
inees, and they will have to stand 1t
and take the abuse, and the taisehood,
and the caricature, and the anathema,
and the caterwauling, and the hlth,
and they will be rolled in it and rolled
over and over in it until they are
choked and submerged and strangulated,
and at every sign Of returning con-
sciousness they will be barked at by all
the hounds Of political parties from
ocean 10 ocean. And yet there are
hundred men today struggling for that
privilege, and there are thousands OF
men who are helping them in the stru9-
gle. Now, that is not a life worth liv-
ing. You can get slandered and abused
cheaper than that Take it on a smaller
scale Do not be so ambitious 70 have a
whole reservoir rolled over on you
But what you see in the matter OF
high political preferment you see in
every community in the struggle for
what is called socia' position. Tens OF
thousands Of people trying to get into
that realm, and they are under terrific
tension. What is social position? 1t is
difficult thing to define, but we all
know what it is. Good morals and In
telligence are not necessary, but wealth,
or a show Of wealth, is absolutely in
disponsable There are men today as
notorious for their lbertinism 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 leyees. 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
if they met it hundred times IN a day,
and who could not write a letter Of ac-
ceptance or regrets without the aid Of
secretary. They buy their Libraries by
the square yard, only anxious TO have
the binding Russian. Their ignorance
is positively sublime, making Engllsh
grammar almost disreputable. And yet
the finest parlors open before them.
Good morals and intelligence are not
necessary. but wealth or show OF
wealth is positively indispensable. 1t
does not make any difference how you
got your wealth, if you only got It,
The best way for you to get into social
position is for you 10 buy large amount
on credit, then put your property IN
your wife's name, have few preferred
creditors. and then make an assignment
Then disappear from the community
until the breeze is over and come back
and start in the same business. Do you
not see how beautifully that will put
ont all the people who are IN ocmpeti'
ton with you and trying to make an
honest liyingg How quickly 1t viii ge'
YOU into high social position: WHAT i
the use of telling 10 or 90 years when
Won can by two or three bright strokes
make a great fortune; All, my friends
when you really lose your money no"
quickly they will let you drop, and the
higher you get the harder you VIII drop
There are thousands today in that
realm who are anxious to keep IN It.
There are thousands in that realm wh'
are nervous for fear they Will fall ou'
of it. and there are changes gong ol
every year, and every month, and every
hour which involve heaItbreaks tha
are never reported. High social lie Il
constantly in a futteT about the delicate
question as to whom they shall let Il
and whom they shall push cut. ana TN
battle is going on-pp milIor agaiLs
pier mirror, chandelier against ohaLde
Ier. wine cellar against wine cellar
wardrobe against wardrobe. equiPag'
against equipage Uncertainty ard ID
security dominant in thatrealm, wretch
edness enthroned, torture at premium
and a life not worth liyingl
All Dead Failures.
A life of sin, life of pride, life 0
indulgence, life Of worldliness, III
: devoted TO the world, the flesh and tn
devil. is a failure, dead failure, an III
finite failure | care not how man
presents you send TO that cradle or hoN
MANY garlands you send to that grave
Won need to put right under the nam
on the tombstone this inscription; BET
ter for that man if he had never bee
born.
D But shall show you life that
g worth living. A young man says:
3 am here l am not responsible for m
ancestry. Others decided that. al
not responsible for my Temperament
D God gave me that But here am
the evening of the nineteenth century
at 20 years Of age. | am here ano
d must take an account Of stock. Here
o have a body, which is diyinely cor
r structed engine | must put II 10 "a
very best uses. and | must allow notf
. inc tn damage this rarest of machiner,
i Two feet and they mean locomotio'
|. Two eyes, and they mean capacity
. nick ont riy own way. Two ears, al
o thew are telephones Of communicate
with all the outside world. and the
mean capacity to catch sweetest mus
q and the voices Of friendship-the vel
n best music. A tongue, with almost i
"a fnity of articulation. Yes, hands WI
A which 10 welcome OF resist or lift
A smite or wave or bless-hands to he
' myself and help others.
q Here is world which after 60
years Of battling with tempest and acc
u dent is still grander than any archite'
d human or angelic, could have drafte