Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-12-01

order the station agent AROUND
'In due time he became a division
superintendent, and you may be assur-
ed that he simply revealed in his
power. The station agents had to step
about pretty lively when he same
along. He would jump on his car and
give orders right and left In time he
came to regard himself as a man OF
considerable weight and Importance.
But one day he happened to run up
against the president of the road, and
the president paid no more attention
to him than If he had been only sec
ton hand. Everybody was bowling
down to the president, and so the d.
vision superintendent became very dis
contented. What was superintendent
compared to the president? SO he
wished to be president of the road, and
then he would be at the top and could
make the superintendents and the sta
ton agents and the small boys dance
around In great style. And he being at
the top, no one could boss him around.
80 finally he became the president
of the road and just to show what
a power he was, he fired a few super
intendents and scared few station
agents half to death. He reigned with
absolute power, you may be sure. He
swelled around his club in a great
city and it used to fiatter him very
much to look out of the corner of his
eye and see people pointing him out
to other people. He thought that he
was at the very top of the heap
But one day some distinguished
noblemen visited the club as the
guests OF the famous social leader of
the country. and when the railroad
president waddled up to give them
the opportunity Of meeting him, the
social leader ignored him and treated
him as If he were only an ordinary
human being.
''This was a body blow to the rail-
road presidents vanity. If anybody
could treat him in this manner, why,
OF course, he had not reached the top.
And, consequently, he wished that he
might be a social leader so that he
could snub even such mighty people
as railroad presidents.
"In course of time, by much plug
ging and perseverance and lavish en-
tetraining, he succeeded in establish
ing himself as the recognized leader
and the forefront of the most ex-
elusive society.
He entertained noblemen, and he
discovered that there was nothing so
very elevating about that. He gave
great dinners TO lot of prominent
people who didn't interest him, and he
had to confess that there was little
qualification about that. Society bored
him, and he tried in\ vain to escape
from the vexations and tiresome re-
sponsibilities of his position.
lone day he was driving along a
beautiful country road in his carriage.
The Duke of Kafoozolum was with
him and the dukes conversation was
monotonous in the extreme.
Presently they passed a small
country boy who yelled out to the
duke: Get on to the whiskers,' and
also remarked to the great social
light something about his fairness. So
the great man stopped his carriage
and threatened the small boy, but the
latter only laughed and jeered at him.
All the way back the great social
leader was, silent and thoughtful. Here
was an Individual that dared to defy
him. What was his own eminence
worth II an independent small boy
could sit on a fence and make fun Of
him?
$50, deciding that the small boy
was in a more desirable position, he
wished that he might be a small boy
and jeer and laugh at the hollow
glories of fat old magnates and social
leaders. OF course, this being i'm
possible, he decided to do the next
best thing. He ordered his agent to
buy for him a nice farm some place
so that he could get away from the
grind and bore OF eternal social duties
and settle down to quiet, peaceful,
contented life in the country.
The agent looked around through
the land and finally bought a beautiful
old-fashioned farmhouse with broad
acres stretching away upon all sides.
It's a grand old place. the agent said,
with an old cononial house and old
fashioned furniture-just the proper
thing nowadays
And the social leader moved out
to the farm and thought 1t lovely.
Here was contentment and quiet and
he grew fatter and healthier every
day. He ralked the leaves and attend
ed to the flower beds and occasional
ly went out to the front gate to sjeer
at important old magnates that rode
by, I feel as IL / were a boy again.
ne thought, happily. Even the coun-
try around here looks just like the
country where used to live
And IL was not until after many
months that he suddenly realized that
he was back on the old farm where
he had been born. So, you see, he
had wished himself around in a circle
TO the place where he started FROM"
The chairman ceased and the room
was quiet.
We'll, hereafter I'm going to be
contented wherever am said both
the secretary and janitor.