Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-09-30

Aa infttfS ~ the fuw.
"You would make sorry lawyer"
81 might go west"
'The farmer, Hugo, is the historical
fool. Go east, If you wish to travel;
the Pierian spring is not to be found IN
Colorado or California. II you were
an Englishman, I should advise the
army or navy; but you are too old, and
our officers play but paltry role. AS
money-grubber you would have to sac
rifice on the altar of Mammon your
youth, your breeding, your conscience"
Il quote my father verbatim, neither
indorsing nor condemning his words
land that precious thing, your leisure"
What am to do?"
Make haste slowly, my dear lad.
The small sum you inherit under your
mothers will is sufficient TO carry you,
afoot, all over Europe. Your face,
name and wits should prove passports
TO decent society. Leave this question
of a profession sub judice; but don't
idle, and, wherever you may be, set
apart so many hours each day to seri-
Gus study"
OF prejudice, / submit that his advice
was sound as a Newton pippin, and
came not amiss 1 believe in the con-
servation of energy, and his words
| chimed harmoniously with my own
nebulous ambitions. Accordingly,
some two months after his funeral l
decided to set forth upon my travels,
being reasonably certain that he knew
me better than i knew myself, ana
doubling nothing of his affection and
Eolicitude for my welfare.
THE Lord help you'll" said my moth
| er's cousin, famous banker, who had
| offered me n stool in his counting
house. "You are a bigger fool than
your father"
"Did you ever tell my father to his
face that you considered him a fool2''
I looked him fercely in the eye, and
he stammered out: "N-n-no."
| "I thought not. I have his whip in
| my possession, sir, and know how to
use It,"
| In this Cambyses vein / cut adrift
from an influential kinsman who had
| good-naturedly flung me tow-line. In
hts wake might have steered my bark
to fortune. lolling at ease In the stern
sheets; but was no parasite. and my
dear fathers good name was my most
precious possession.
For two years logged cheerily along
the high roads of life, avoiding as much
as possible the by-paths. the Was tene-
brosa, and following the finger OF
Fancy, surely the most complaisant
courier In the world. The dame, how
| ever. amused herself at my expense
upon several occasions. l ate haggis
In Scotland, and some blutwurst in Ber-
lin; but, thanks TO her. listened TO
Tannhauser at Bayreuth, saw the moon
rise out of the Adriatic at Venice, float
ed down the Danube from Vienna TO Bu-
oharest-an enchanting voyage-trav-
eled across Norway in u cariole, and
skated through Holland. Finally set
tied down In London to 18 months hard
work as q journalist.
But the tramp fever was In my veins
and the daughters OF Themis had tan
gled sleein TO unravel. Thus It came 70
pass that in the spring of 81 regis
| IeTeu my munro dO inc +NSioPoiI@' iAo'S'
of San Francisco. had passed leisure
ly from state to state, and my small
capital had assumed microscopical pro-
portions. With the exception Of half 9
dozen magazine articles-somc OF them
not paid for-I had done no work. But
carried good letters of introduction
had accumulated plenty Of material
and confronted the future with grin
upon my face.
In this mood. looking at the worlc
through rose-colored goggles, sal
down to breakfast upon the morning
succeeding my arrival at the Acropolis
and picked up the morning paper.