The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-07-19
Every successful man Is more or
less of u selfish man. The de-
voted fail

49, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
This is the inscription on gravestone
not far from Iarrisonviiie, Cass county
Mo.
Somebody who has kept up with the
long list of fiction will tell you that the
words were wri;te. by Thomas Hardy IN
his story of Jude the obscure ->o
matter. They are carved on the grave
stone in the church yard just of a coul'-
try road that leads TO the little county
sea; on the western border OF -aissou4i
The grave is older than the slab by NOR NOR
than a quarter of a century. Oh iiiot
than tG,snty-fiye years the flnal fe't %
the OCCUPANT was markell by tree, 1oi
there was no other tree within lnlie %
more of the place. One day STORM
started somewhere in Kansas ana crosseu
over into Missouri. For nearly q year
people pointed out its course. IL was t"o
miles vide II was 100 miles long. mol
n living thing that stopped IN the sweep
of the tornado escaped. 1t TWISTED the
old tree that has stood as sentinel anu
sigr.board for this grave and tore lis roofs
from the ground.
In 1890 DR. Hugh NcReynolds, the faita-
full old physician of the first people who
made the community, Joined the gold
search which whitened the Western plains
that year with covered wagons. "hlci
made a trail over the mountains ana around
the canons and wound its way 10 the iaho
where the sun went down. one devoted
servant was with him, slave his "lie
remained behind to care for the old missus
and the children The summer rpened the
fruits and grain OF Missouri: the harvest
followed; the leaves turned yellow and fei!;
the snow whitened the earta ana the
llouestops and spring returned before I'd
tnss came back to waiting ones OF the
safe arrival of master and servant ana
then there was another long wait ana
after that news of success. From time 10
time this was repeated Inc fortune hau
been realized. The separation was mellow
ed by anticipated return There were no
couriers or messengers in that time, SO mat
the long silence was considered 10 mean
that the hon eward journey was under way.
Nearly four months Of this silence. Nearly
-four months Of watching and waiting, may
be praying. for even then there was tnat
simple faith which Vas more than Norman
blood.
a HEAVY MESSENGER.
Across the prairie of CasS county there
came one night a man double-weish1ed-
About his waist. in his pockets. in his
hands fortune. Gold coin and gold dust
and quartz. In his heart a message OF sor-
row. 1t was night when the lights OF the
village greeted his coming. BE made ms
iicurneying slower. until all the lights went
out one by one, and then the messenger
came to the house, crept into The barn ana
rested until the sun was UP.
Harrisouvi!le was still a village. The sin
= gle cry of anguish which broke from the
home to which the messenger OF fortune
and sorrow had come was heard in every
house All day people went from their own
places with consolation. and returned TO
console one another. They met in the
street and wept. Later in the day they
met in the sanctuary of the town and APP
peaIed for that help which is the last re-
art han a Eit-
tidings travelled into the country, and peo-
pie from the farmhouSes came in to weep
with those who wept For days the topic
of the village was the fact that the faith
full old physician who had healed SO many
iil his time WAS beyond recall.
Some time after, when grief had spent 1t
self. the people heard the story of the
journey OF the black man who had returned
In obedience To his masters request, and
his sense Of duty as we'll
In CalareraS county master and servant
worked together. sometimes digging. some
times in the guich. IN patient search for the
treasure OF the earth. Their labor was re-
warded beyond expectation. Then came an
epidemic in the camp. The master stopped
his search for gold and ministered to the
sick His servant was his nurse They
were not Always successful II is appointed
to all men TO die even when they away
from home, toiiing for those who are at
home. The epidemic was merciless The
old physician sometimes acted in the ca
GDaciy of minister after he had failed in his
other mission. He received the messages
of the dying. closed their eyes and consoled
the tereayed. In some cases he assisted in
thu sepuichrs OF the dead.
This epidemic did not release It's fevered
grasp until there Were more dead in the
valley than living. Then like an insatiate
fiend Il turned upon the devoted physician,
and he died in tho arms of his faithful!
slave. In the last hour OF his life he COM
mftted TO his servant all he had accumu-
dated. allot1ins TO him his portion. and his
freedom. on condition that the servant
turn 10 his mistress in Missouri with her
portion
HUMAN HARPIES.
There We're human harpies then as there
ara now. and as there ever Will DO until
tho good time promised by the Tatriarchs
from tho beginning shall come. Some Of
these were in Caiaveras county. and when
they failed IN robbing the living they de-
spoiled the dead To escape these was the
problem OF the faithful servant and mes
senger. Although he had lived inland all
his life up to this time. he knew there was
"a way out other than the Ions, tedious.
barren trail by which they had come into
the new country. He had heard men talk
OF the sea Not likely that he had any con-
ception OF its immensely or It's uncertain
conditions. He only knew il was ono way
our. by stratagen. by exposure. by lonely
walks. often by night; in the thunder and
lightning of canyon and gulch, mountain
and vale, often an nungerad, mora frequent
1y wearied by physical ailment he reached
San Francisco with all his treasure, the
value OF which was estimated a. Sl5.GVe.
a. saw the sea and heard for the frst
time the sound thereof, which is either
anthem or requiem. He only knew, as he
had heard IL IN vague way in the camp,
thar men weni down to this sea in ships,
He knew. perhaps by intuition that there
was long voyage around the Cape. and
that doubled there was stll an uncertain
one which nigh; land him in New York.
He only kntw that New York was some
where toward sunrise. as he knew that
San Francisco lay IN the track OF sunset
But between the sea With its storms and
the back trail with Its human harpies and
deserts and sarages. he chose the SEA Like
ali men Cd his race his was u religious na.
ture. guided and sustained by that super