Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-01-11
A Dictated Letter.

When Howard Moore completed his
| college course he expected to find the
world waiting impatiently to avail it
self of his services. Though he had
not prepared himself for anything in
particular, he felt capable of doing ev-
erything in general. He wondered
| where he could go to be best appreciat-
| ed-where, in fact, his learning and
uncommon intellect would do the most
good.
! He was inexpressibly hurt when he
: found that no one noticed him at all
| The crowd jostled him on the street
eontemptuously there was no good fell
| lowship abroad in the busy city so far
| as he could find, no one gave him any
! dinners. he was not invited to join
! the clubs, and most emphatically he
was not offered any occupation. He
tried to be patient with this colossal
stupidity on the part of Chicago, but
| it was difficult. He then even conde-
! scended to look for work, but it was
not to be found. He was too sure of
| himself in way too confident of good
| birth and the inherited convictions of
a gentleman to care what he did-he
| diu not make those cautious distinc
! tions which a middle class fellow
would have made. But it did not seem
as if there was anything that came
within his possibilities within the
| length and breadth of the city that
wanted doing
However, by assidUously consulting
| the paper he found at length an adj
vertisement for a private secretary.
! rhe correspondence that followed led
| to his being installed in a luxurious
mansion as the secretary and factotum
of a certain distinguished lady.
To say that Howard Moore enjoyed
such a situation would be incorrect.
! As a matter of fact, he would rather
| have driven d street car in happy in
| dependence than have been in a place
whore his qualities were appreciated,
/ yet where his poverty and position
| placed him at a disadvantage. At first
he fumed and went to his room after
/ his days work hot and angry. Not
/ that he had anything to complain Of in
the department OF the beautiful chate-
/ laiue She was courtesy itself, but he
| could not claim that she treated him
with exceptional kindness, for the
truth was that she was kind To the
whole world. Not a letter reached
Edith Vaille that was not CONSIDERABLY
answered, no matter what its import.
If a young man wanted TO read her his
verses. hoping TO secure her for pat
ron. or an educational enthusiast came
with new fad, or a singer begged the
privilege of displaying her voice for
the benefit of the lady, she heard them
all, if her time permitted. The greater
part of her day was spent in attending
to charitable and benevolent matters;
society she patronized capriciously and
haughtily. Her library was her happy
retreat, and here only her intimates
were admitted 1t was in this room
that her chosen friends came at
o'clock OF each afternoon for a little
time of true sociability and restaround
Miss Vaille's fragrant samoyar. Andin
these peaceful pleasures Moore was al
ways invited to participate. Though
the conversation on these occasions
was nearly always light-hearted, il was
never trivial at times IL was learned,
at other times grave But it was al
WAYS Edith Vaille who dominated in
|it-it was she who introduced the new
book or the new musical composition
I sshn MI A N
spred her guests to their best, whether
( in conversation or in playing upon the
piano or violin.
Such strong friendships did Howard
| Moore form in this familiar room and
. In such high esteem was he held that
/ he forgot all about his foolish vanities
and chagrins Moreover. he became alb
sorhed. too. In the charities of the
chatelaiue The struggles OF which he
( learned. the heroic bravery of the poor
the pains and disappointments of
q genius. the frlghtful suffering OF those
whom society trampled under foot
made him forget all about himself.
In a short time he realized that the
small knowledge he had acquired at
/ the schools was totally inadequate TO
permit him to solve the least Of life's
problems. His egotism died away as
i frost melts before the sun, His stti-
/ tude Of mind became finely humble
T ana he learned from his beautiful pat
/ ron the lesson which her whole life
4 taught that in service Is the only sat
/ istactory living.