The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-03-19
cuRATE AND MILLIONAIRE.

cURATE AND MILLIONAIRE.
But, does it never occur TO you ask
ed the curate as he poured two teaspoon
| fuls Of port into his glass and passed the
! decanter, docs II never occur to you
70 ask yourself what is the good OF it
aH?"
Never" said the millionaire. with de-
| cision.
You never regret you see. af-
| ter all, money is not everything. fs it?.'
! That observation is frequently made. =
| said the millionaire, thoughtfulIy, 'and
/ It is very misleading. Money is not ev-
/ erything, but il is much nearer 10 being
| everything than anything else. There is
| a good deal of cant talked about money
II is comforting cant, of course. One
| gets the same kind Of thing about birth
Personally, I always mistrust anything
/ that comforts.
But is it all cant? Take the ques-
/ ton of health, for instance Money can
not give health, and it is better to be
well than TO be wealthy
I often wonder why people 60 on say
] ing that money cannot give health when
[ they must see every day that money does
give health and that poverty causes III
ness. If work is injurious TO me I can
afford to give il UP. If I have TO winter
abroad I can do it easily, without con-
sidering the question Of expense. If an
Is
oeSt man to do it, and under the very
best conditions. The poor man can do
none Of these things. Ny ordinary way
of life is much more healthy than his.
| The food that I eat is of the best quail
ity and in perfect condition, while he eats
adulterated rubbish and stale garbage.
His house is i'll warmed and unsanitary,
and mine is perfect in these respects.
The poor man dies, and in nine cases out
OF ten il serves him right
isn't that rather a terrible thing to
say?" said the curate, nervously, play
ing with his wineglass.
In nine cases out Of ten poverty is
the result of stupidity. You blame a man
for his moral defects, and I blame him
for his mental defects; one is just as fair
as the other. And both the mental and
moral defects are about equally capable,
or incapable, of remedy"
Surely not" said the curate, earnest
". "A sinner may be recleimed, but you
cannot give man an intellect"
You should use the same word IN both
cases. You may reclaim mans intel
lect just as you may reclaim his morals.
I have done it. I'D it in my own case.
I admit that mental reclamation, like
moral reclamation, is rare"
1T all seems so dreary and fatalistic,'
said the curate
80 it is the millionaire agreed cor
daily "As 1 told you, I don't like COM
forting cant The best fable that ever
was written was the fable of the fox
and the sour grapes. Everybody's a
gentleman who feels like it, and wealth
is not everything. o. yesi I know these
consolat0ry stories for those who are
out of it. But they are only stories. and,
as a matter Of fact, wealth is everything
as near as you can get it. What wealth
cannot do nothing else can"
70 FC-
ment. Tell me-" he said, darkly, do
you value the affection of your relatives
and friends and those whom you have
about you?"
"Of course" the millionaire owned.
Perhaps one values that most Of all"
And DO you mean 20 tell me- asked
the curate, flushed with triumph, that
that kind of thing can be bought with
money!"
The millionaire concentrated his atten-
ton on his cigar with the air of man
who can provide a platitude without
troubling to think. but, of course" he
said, you can buy affection as easily
as you can buy a pound Of tea, and on
almost the same commercial princi-
pies"
The curate stuck to it. Are you sure
that it is genuine affection?" he asked.
There" said the millionaire, II don't
trouble myself. I get respect and sub
servience while I am there. and really I
don't care what they say when l am not
there. You see, I don't think about these
people very much 1t would annoy me if
they showed hostility while / was with
them. 1t would give one all the trouble
of having to think of new things to say.
But they are perfectly welcome to say
what they like behind my back, because
they haven't got any money worth men
tioning or any position, and they don't
matter. But as a matter of fact money
can generally buy genuine affection, an
affection that $ just as real as that
where there has been no value received"
Really, this Is too cynical said the
curate.
Not at ALL" replied the millionaire.
Sin fact, I am on the whole less cynical
than you. I stin believe in gratitude, and
IL would appear that you don't Gener-
osity IS an admirable and popular quail
ity You must admit that And it is
very easy for rich man to be generous.
He just plugs in a few presents. as a
gardener puts in seeds, and afteTward
he gets the fruits-quite genuine fruits
too. l sometimes wonder how anybody
who is not a millionaire believes in gen
uine affection. It is certainly a luxury
for the rich
Well" said the curate, with a sigh
i must not let you off. We owe two
hundred and fifty on the church restora-
ton at ST. Barnabas Give me a sub
scription. I'll see If it makes me think
more highly of you"
II never subscribe-I either do & thing
or I leave it alone. I'll tell you what
IN do: I'll wipe out this debt for you
altogether if you preach the opinions you
have heard from me from the pulpit"
me little curate got quite excited. I'D
sooner steal the money and then cut my
throat he said. IF I could have all
the money at the price of having your
views of life as wei, I wouldn't do
IT,"
The millionaire smoked for a moment
or two in silence. You're not bad sort
of fool" he said, at last. Barry Pain.
In Consultation.
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