The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-07
THE PRACTICAL
 Versus THE IDEAL

| who always act unwlsely and yet al- ways get on. The explanation may be In the fact that the former have no originality to lift them above the level of competition and tho latter have genius.
 My wlG soon after we were married developed n passion for what l called old trumpery. She attended auctions, and any hideous rug. rlckety clock or crazy chair put up for sale was sure to be bid In by her to lumber up the house. As to brlc-a-brac, l couldn't turn round without smashing some un' galnly pitcher, big at the glrth and llt' tie at the bottom. especially made to be knocked over. There were old swords, old blunderbusses, pieces of armor, rugs so homely that 1t would make one sick to walk over them, en- cravings yellow with age, pieces of tapestry with pictures on them of stiff looking people looking sour as vinegar. In short. everything in the house was either old or ugly or both.
 A practical man. with no nonsense about me, managed to keep the wolf from the door as a bookkeeper l had inherited 5000 from my father. which placed In a savings bank to draw 5 per cent interest. lt did not remain there long. My wlfe's Insane passion for auction purchases ate into It gradu ally. but surely. tlll my nest egg had been turned into lot of miscellaneous truck which any sane man would con slder fit only for junkshop.
 Mrs. Moneypenny had friends who were as crazy on this subject as hc; self. They would come into the house and go from room to room admlrine thls bit of coffee colored lace, ht only for rag bag: that miniature of some fat woman. with a coronct on her head. in chlpped oval frame; clock with a pair of rusty weights weighing per haps twenty pounds each and the sound of donkey engine In winding. Then they would go away, thanking her for showing them her collection"
 My dear" said one day to her de spalrincly. my $5.000 Is reduced to i've hundred"
 "Flve hundred, Then I made a mis- take In my figures. l thought there was only three hundred After all, l can get it."
 "Get what?" I cried, aghast.
 "The Rembrandt | have absolute proof that it Is genuine, and 1t Is going for a song"
 "Oh. heavens" muitered. sinking on to a sofn-"to be tied to a lunatic! And to think what is to become of our poor chlldrcnr
 She sat down beside me and put her arms about me. but said nothing. What could she sayg She was under the con trol of her passion. with no power to resist lt. She must be not only dragged down to poverty herself but drag hus' band and children with her. Within forty.eight hours she had the last cent In the savings bauk and got her pic ture. a dlngy painting of n man dress ed like a supcrnumcrary in theatcr. the only feature plainly visible being the tip of red nose.
 The day after the thing was brought home one of her friends. a lady, met me on the street and congratulated me on the valuable addition to my 'collec- tion."
 stared at her grlmly and passed on. while she looked ai me. wondering lr [ had lost my seascs.
 Going home. abused my wife for an hour She was patient about it and made no reply h4i at last. when beg gcd her Co grt r'd uf tie stun and re' 'orm. she agreed tu do so.
 "Vcry wcn." rplcd "l will send 'cy Moses, who VII make you bid 'or the lot We may get n few hun fred dollars oui Uf it" V Leave ihut 'o mc. dear" she replied You haven't tliuc Go to business. ani , will du an tl.II Is necessary" |, The next Gay ihp morning paper con lucd a rot!cc that Mrs. Moncypenny 1. rus to sell at auction her treasures. .hich She had been years accumulai Ng. as she was about 10 70 abroad to .Jlr another collection"
 N sight Of this announcement icnrly fnlutcd. hut revived on remem cring that the rubbage was to be s Id
 For days before the sale l was bcSct " people with printed lists In their hands asking me what such n number 'ould be had for at private sale. l uued away from all, saying that 1 lidn't know and didn't care-proba- ply dollar would secure anything In tue lot and lt would be large price.
 We'll. the snle came o0 | was busy nt the office making trial balance md got home after it was all over. Everybody had gone. and found my wife looking depressed. When l saw the house devoid of the trumpery with which lt had been lncumbered. | re ioiced.
 "Thank heaven" | exclaimed. tits zone! What did you save out of the wreckT'
 "Unluckily. two of the persons | eS pected would take the most of it at the largest prices were suddenly called lway. and that spoiled everything"
 How muchT l asked.
 "I bad lSured on $2j,000, but didn't get It."
 You mean S95O."
 No: tho total Is sl7,9J0, and fou, housand Of this Is for the Rembrandt