Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-11


= Ip and down. FIJI father -at look
ng at him colaly. but curiously, as j.
| studying some peculiar racteristic
that for the first time had begun to af.
feet him.
Father" John Gordon finally ex-
claimed. you viii never understand
my choice. | wondered all the way
home whether It was worth while to
try TO explain myself. But you have a
right to know why | refuse your offer
and why make choice OF the career
must follow
Rufus Gordon gave no sign of assent,
but his son went on speaking with
growing feeling that at times rose into
genuine passion; yet at no point did he
lose control Of himself either in voice
or in manner.
II am not Judging you, father, when
/ say that a life TINT is centent TO OK
pend its srca cst energies in money
making ia a life that has not only no
attractions for me, but it has a positive
repulsion. To spend the day in Il COIN
petitivc strife that seeks 10 get more
and more, largely st the expense OF
the weak and helpless; to spend night
after night in dressing up in fne cloth
ing and being amused, to live only with
those select companions who are able
10 dress and eat as well as we are. to
be practically ignoran Mt of and abso-
lutey Indifferent to the conditions OF
thousands Of human beings in this
oit l.
than commercial standard and no
passions beyond the physical appe-
tites-all this is q growing horror to
me, We live in a beautiful house"
John Gordon glanced around the room,
which was furnla.ed with elegance
and great good taste, with only here
and there a suggestion OF q barbaric
lapse into the vulgarity of over display.
I'VE have servants, carriages. yachts
summer residcnccs-luXuric of all de-
scriptons. Out of all the wealth Of
our lives We give fraction of income
to so called charity We are all three
of us church members. We pay n large
sum noniraily to church expenses
We do not give anything Of our per-
church or Christian work. The whole
OF our family life has rovolyed about
ourselves-our eating. dressing. enter
tanning and money making. What
have we ever cone for this city where
we live? How much of service pre-
scnting real sacrifice have we ever
given to help solve any of its real hui
day as II there were no such thing in
America as poverty or intemperance
or injustice or inequality or greed or
child murder. The wealth that buys
things seems to be our daily god, The
prayers wc say in church have no
meaning because we do not mean
them. The very charity we dispense
is an act OF proxy which represents no
thought, no sacrifice and no human
affection. We give because it is Gus
tornary or as means of silencing God
pity u.s. our waking cOnsciences that
in spite OF US sometimes remind US
that there is a human brotherhood
Day after day, with monotonous
trea dnll regularity. follows one func-
>,
thcatcrs, concerts, gayeties. self, self,
self-while the city grows up IN it's po-
litlcal life. rotten, vile uncared for by
the money grubbers so long az too
much blackmail is not levied on the
business in which we are engaged.
Practically we have said all these
years to this city, where our money
a p,
your real life. All that we want out Of
you is living for ourselves, a luXuri-
GUS living. Let the preachers and the
philanthropSts and the professional
reforncrs see to all the painful and
disagreeable details OF human misery
and social wrong. We are too busy
with our money making to be dis
turbed bt cries FOR justice or righteous
ness Father, you know this is the
SORT OF life you plan for me to perpetu-
ate. Your ambition for me is to have
mo enter the bank, to become an eX.
pert in fnanco. to marry and manage
a luxurious proud. exclusive establish
ment and train my children to follow
on in tho same path. keeping the name
cial word to speak in the city and in
select circles as 4 synonym for distiu-
2uished wealth and high breeding, I'M
mixed with any vulgar association
with common humanity. / say such
career fills mo with horror feel as If
all these years | had been living under
the condemnation Of an angry God,
and | cannot and | will not any longer
live such a life. You have no right to
ask me to do it. have no right to at
tempt it,"
"Is that your answer to my CUES.
ton? ! asked you what you were go
Ing to do"
Rufus Gordon had not moved a mus
Gle during his sons talk, and he spoke
now In an easy contemptuous manner.
John Gordon came up to the side OF
the table opposite his father and looked
keenly across at him. Then he turned
away and went over to one of the
great windows and looked out on the
fashionable avenue. When he finally
turned around and faced his father
again, he was astonished to see him
rising from his chair and coming over
toward him. In all his knowledge Of
his father, John Gordon mad never
known him before to exhibit so much
feeling. Probably neither man fully