Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-12-10


Rufus Gordon finally spoke after his
son had been silent long time.
We've been over all this more or
less before. l hoped your trip abroad
would take some Of your foolishness
out OF you. 1t seems it hasn't. Well.
what 90 you expect to doT"
The question was blunt. 1t was more
1T WIS brutal.
John Gordon rose and began walk.
Ing up and down. His father sat look
Ing at him coldly. but curiously, as If
studying some peculiar characteristic
that for the first time had begun to af-
feet him.
"Father," John Gordon finally ex-
claimed. You will never understand
my choice. wondered all the way
home whether 1t was worth while to
try to explain myself. But you have a
right to know why refuse your offer
and why I 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 ut 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 that is content to ex-
pend its greatest energies In money
making is q life that has not only no
attractions for me. but 1t has positive
repulsion. TO spend the day IN conf
petitive strife that seeks TO get more
and more. largely ut the expense OF
the weak and helpless; to spend night
after night in dressing up In fine cloth
ing and being amused. to live only with
those select companions who are able
to dress and eat as well as we are, to
be practically ignorant Of and abso-
lutely Indifferent to the conditions Of
thousands of human beings In this
great city. to have no ideals higher
than commercial standard and no
passions beyond the physical appe-
tites-all, this is growing horror to
ME. We live in q beautiful house."
John Gordon glanced around the room,
which was furnished with elegance
and great good taste. with only here
and there suggestion of barbaric
lapse into the vulgarity Of over display.
I'VE have servants. carriages, yachts,
summer residences-luxuries Of all de-
scriptions. Out of all the wealth Of
our lives we give fraction Of income
to 50 called charity. We are all three
Of US church members. We pay large
sum nominally to church expenses.
We do not give anything Of our per
sonal lives or personal enthusiasm to
church or Christian work. The whole
Of our family life has revolved about
ourselves-our eating. dressing. enter
tanning and money making. What
have we ever done for this city where
we live? How much Of service pre-
senting real sacrifice have we ever
given to help solve any Of Its real hui
man problems? We live from day to
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 we 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 1t Is GUS
tomary or as a means Of silencing (God
pity usD our waking consciences that
In spite Of US sometimes remind US
that there Is a human brotherhood.
"Day after day. with monotonous
treadmill regularity, follows one func-
ton after neutrality-suspicious., teas,
theaters. concerts, gayeties, self. self,
self-while the city grows up In Its po-
litical life. rotten, vile. uncared for by
the money grubbers so long as 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
! has been nude: We care nothing for
your real life. All that we want out OF
you Is a living for ourselves. luxuri-
GUS living. Let the preachers and the
philanthropists and the professional
| reformers see to all the painful and
disagreeable details Of human misery
and social wrong. We are too busy
with our mcney making to be dis
turbed by 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
me enter the bank. to become an e1-
pert in finance. to marry and manage
a luxurious. proud. exclusive establish
ment and train my children to follow
on In the same path. keeping the name
of the Gordons as a social and fnan-
cial word to speak In the city and In
select circles as synonym for distin-
guished wealth and high breeding. un-
mixed with any vulgar association
with common humanity. ! say such q
career fills me with horror. | feel as II
all these years l 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 1t. I have no right to at
tempt It,"
"Is that your answer to my ques-
ton? asked you what you were 60
ing to do"
| Rufus Gordon had not moved mus
Gle during his sons talk. and he spoke
now in an easy. contemptuous manner.
! John Gordon came up to the side OF