The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-03-13
8 elect gtorp.
HIS REDEMPTION.
From London Truth.

heSgl6 DurueJC cOnSlQ6r60 UIlaU he nau
had very bad luck in life That was not,
perhaps, to be denied Nor was it to be
denied, either that his own folly had con-
tributed, its full quota to the disastrous
consequences which had overtaken him
He had begun life under auspicious cir
cumstances. His father was rich man
of good social position, who had given his
son every possible educational advantage,
and had spared no pains to launch him
fairly on a career at the bar. But, alas
financial crash came. The elder Bur
dett lost the bulk of his fortune and be-
came transformed from wealthy man to
a very poor man, indeed.
of course, Resgie's allowance had to be
Knocked off, and he was thrown upon his
own resources. That was bad luck for
him, no doubt, just at the opening of his
career But he might have weathered it
and got along pretty comfortably-for he
was clever and capable youngster-if it
had not been for the consequences of past
follies in the shape of varsity debts.
To Reggie Burdett, son of million
aire, enjoying handsome allowance,
total indebtedness of 9700 or 9800 seemed
nothing worth worrying about.
To Reggie Burdett, the penniless de-
pendent on his own earnings, that amount
was crushing burden, more especially as
the news of his fathers failure set all the
young mans creditors a-pressing him with
heartless unanimity.
He was forced to make an arrangement
with them by which he undertook to set
aside half his annual earnings for their
benefit until their claims were satisfied in
full These earnings totaled up to about
G250 per annum 1t followed that Reg
gle was left with some 9125 per annum
to live upon. Here again he missed by
extravaganza his chance of getting straight.
He did not think that he was extravagant
On the contrary, he prided himslf on
being rigidly economical. From way Of
life which had entailed an annual expendi-
ture of $500 he descended to the one
which only ran to about f200.
For while he was making his downward
leap it would not have been much more
difficult to come the 975 lower, and thus
have kept within his actual means The
temporary enjoyments thereby missed
would have been inconsiderable. The
lasting benefits, the peace of mind, the
consciousness of paying his way would have
been very considerable, indeed But he
regulated his economies on a wrong prin-
ciple Instead of estimating what he could
afford to pay for, he merely reckoned up
what he could manage to do without
The result-could it well have been
otherwise ?-was increased embarrassment.
Now, Reggie was not naturally vicious.
In the days of his prosperity he had drunk
the cup Of pleasure, as young men do, but
not in manner that seriously lowered his
moral tone.
The advent, however, of harrassing wor-
ries affected in him change which they
are, alas too prone to produce. When a
man is upsides with circumstances and feels
that by his own efforts he will soon be in
a position to enjoy those more rational and
higher pleasures which the respectable
among us aim at he has no particular temp
tation to sink into degrading indulgences.
But let man be worried, harrassed,
desperate Let him see no escape from
constant trouble Let him feel that the
domestic happiness, for which his better
nature longs, is fading every day farther
back from him into the vista of an impos-
sible futurity-then it Is 10 to l that he
will cease to keep morally straight, because
he has nothing to keep morally straight
for; that instead of aiming at higher and
now impracticable delights, he will fling
himself into the present vortex of practical
indulgences.
Reggie Burdett was already in the first
stage of this degrading process. His tone,
his ideas everything about him were going
down. He began to develop lower stand
ard of life, to cultivate an air of vulgar
cynicism; not that mere affectation of it,
which many fools assume as an inexpen-
sive substitute for wit, but genuine dis
belief in higher things, which is surely
bred of intercourse with animal natures.
So Reggy sank and wallowed, until he
was in fair way to become completely
identified with his swinish associates. But
before that lowest pass was reached, be-
fore he had drifted into the regions of the
irreclaimable, something happened-the
luckiest incident of his life-he fell in love.
1t was absolutely sudden-the work of
a moment He met her one day at the
house of mutual acquaintance, and he
knew instantly that he had stepped into
another world. Her influence over him
was immediate and complete And yet
she was not considered attractive by men
generally. Of the thousand and one who