The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-26
HE KNEW 1T ALL.

Chambers's Journal.

Chamberss Journal.
There was a fellow called New-Light
who knew it all. He lived in Rush City,
where the houses were mostly twenty-five
stories high; and between them were deep,
dark gullies called streets, in which ran
thousands of swift electric cars.
A great cloud of smoke hung over Eush
City, for there Were miles of factory CHM
neyS, and these were spouting night and
day, to the infinite pride and profit of New
Light and other shareholders.
New-Light had an office in the top of the
highest building in Rush City. On his
desk was telephone through which he
away; his letters for the post were slip
ped into tube at his elbow, and thence
slipped down through the twenty-five
he could not see Gods beautiful blue
heavens, but consoled himself by keeping
his private constellation of artificial light
always ablaZe.
summoned a whisky cocktail which re-
newed his strength-for the moment.
His lunch was summoned by telephone.
he held fast q narrow strip of paper which
was being perpetually dsgorged by a little
S clicking maehine called atieker.m This
mining and railroad shares In every big
city in the world. New-Light worshiped
this demon-it his god.
So soon as the demon grew tired of click
ing out paper, New-Light stepped into an
express elevator at his door, was shot down
to the earth WITH an electric SWoop through
twenty-five stories.
Then he stepped into an electric motor
and whizzed away to his club amid the
jangling of electric traffic overhead, under
ground and all about him. To his senses
there was something soothing in the clat-
tering of drays. He breathed comfortably
in the atmosphere of prosperous pandemon-
ium.
After a few cocktails, New-Light unused
on the progress of civilization and concluded
that man had so perfected the earth that
the Creator could safely leave the rest to
New-Light e. Co.
Rush City was far away in the interior.
and New-Light had not yet seen the ocean.
His universe had been one that moved only
at the click of an electric button or the
push of n piston.
The mighty world of stars said nothing
to him; the perlodicity of the moon, the
sun, the opening of fowers-an these
things affected Lew-Light only in so far
as the almanac registered his working days
beneath the tall, Sooty chimneyS of Rush
City.
The laws of merciful nature which aid
gulf er Stream sire and the priceless trade winds
all these things were to New-Light as or
no importance compared with trolleys, tick
erS, motors and factory chimneys.
One day New-Light saw the sea for the
first time. The tide was far out and he
walked long distance and perched upon
rock which stood alone at the edge OF
the exposed sands. He sat and wondered
if he could not organize company to
utilize the forces of the waves In the manu-
facture of electric power.
And, as he wondered, the tide and
surrounded his rock. And when he saw at
length that he was likely to be drowned
by the advancing waters he irreverently
cursed the Almighty for cruelty and stu
pidity in making tide that was likely
to drown so precious creature as himself
There We're fifteen fishing boats sailing
merrily hOmeward on this particular tide
Their crews knew little of telephones, tick
ers and motors. but they venerated the
works of God and studied the laws Of His
making. These men sailed in boldly over
the rocks for they knew the tides, the cur
rents and the depth of the water-their
wives and sweethearts waved to them from
the dunes.
The body of New-Light was washed
ashore and reverently cared for by the SIM
pie fishermen. But when they learned how
he had been drowned they could but say,
Poor fool; so rich in money, so poor in
knowledge.
New-Light was buried in Rush City, and
the papers said that The was the finest
product of our progressing and pushing
age