The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-26
ByJ. Il. Stewart, NJ. D.

/ own sake. or am a psychological study
which amuses your
Il little of both, 1 fancy" responded
attempting to soften him; shut, to be
frank with you. really think you are
padly III need Of guardian, and I am
going to assume that office, If you Will
allow me. Come, leave this New Jeru-
salem and come up among us Gentiles.
You are literally starving for human fell
lowshiD."
His face assumed even a more withered
expression than it had presented. when
I saw him first that night.
His whole aspect was one of immeas-
urable WEAKNESS. In that one moment
I read it all. A sensitive soul. battered
and bruised by contact with the baser
metal of everyday existence. Cheated
and defrauded of his own. Harassed and
/ hounded by creditors, whose debts he had
contracted in good faith, through the ly-
ing promises of a friend he trusted Alone
in the world and unbeiieved by anyone.
AS he slowly shook his head from side
to side dish or other culinary article
fell in the apartment occupied by the
landlady. Raising his arm, he pointed
IN the direction whence the sound came.
In the gesture was my answer; he could
not leave, he owed her too much And
so even mere, l thought in this dreary
home, he Is not free from the darts and
StlIiSS lIidI Sdp lis lie, Ills energy, MIS-
nerve. Hedged in on all sides and too
helpless by nature as well as circum-
stances to right himself
o you builders of useless and half
filled temples; eStabliSherS of fruitles3
missions for the heather. Your own Is
your own to do with as you will but, do
you know no Scrolls and have you no
charity in your philanthropic hearts for
such as he? Do you so fear being bored,
or are you so meanly selfish that you
will not let him sit for one hour by your
Preside or at your table; that he may
forget and that much stronger for the
rest?
God help us. we are all alike; and such
men as Scroff know it only too we'll
1t was with strange mixture of sad
ness and embarrassment that l took up
my hat.
You must not come again" he said
when I was at the door. You see how
useless it Is Let me pillow on with the
dull shape of my career, turning the
warm earth of humanity from 1t, first
on one side and then on the other My
vice, jaded steed that it is, will soon land
me in my last sorrow What Is beyond
I do not know; do not care If there
be friend" 1 do not know what l said.
I recall stumbling down the stairs and
out into the street; tnen going to the
Jockey club and playing all L had in my
pocket, with the vague idea. l think. of
making a stake with which to give
Scroff fresh start in life, loosing all
and walking home In the gray dawn
for want of cab hire.
sordid, selfish reprobate that am.
with the first sunburst of the next
spring day my young first-born philan-
thropy waning in my heart and I'M
natural parent that 1 was, crept out and
left it. on the first doorstep where L
met friend who asked me to breakfast
with him. The only defense have to
offer for my conduct after all these years,
is this: 1 really could not afford to sup
port bring up and educate DR.. Scroff
in way that would in the least have
conformed with the requirements of the
case I most sincerely hope that he
found a worthy custodian backed by a
stouter purse and heart than mine. He
did not present himself at the clinic
again And to show the injustice of this
world and how the unworthy are lifted
into the exalted places and the worthy
are trodden under foot, [ will add this
statement: After a prolonged and 81
lent absence on DR. Scrolls part, PROF
Schoeler promoted me to fill his chair
He, however, retained one string to the
prize which he twanged pretty smartly
when he said ''You cannot fill 1t any
worse than poor Scroff did,"