Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-02-18
MIR. NEw-LIGHT OF RUSH CITY.
rhought He Knew 1t All, But His
End showed There Was Much
for Him TO Learn.

There was fellow called New-Light
who Knew IL all. He lived In Rush City,
where the houses were mostly 20 sto-
ries high; and between them were deep,
dark gullies called streets, in which
ran thousands of swift electric cars,
says Chambers Journal.
A great cloud of smoke hung over
Rush City, for there were miles OF fac
tory chimneys, and these were spouting
night and day, to the infinite pride and
profit of New-Light and other share
holders.
New-Light had an Office at the top Of
the highest building in Rush City. On
his desk was a telephone through
which he could talk with people thou
sand miles away; his letters for the
post were slipped into tube at his ell
low, and thence slipped down through
| the % stories to the letter box on the
street floor; he could not see Gods
beautiful blue heavens, but consoled
himself by keeping his private constella-
tion Of artificial light always ablaze.
When he felt weary, an electric but
ton summoned a whisky cocktail, which
renewed his strengthen the moment.
His lunch was summoned by tele-
phone. He ate IL with one hand; with
the other he held fast a narrow strip
of paper which was being perpetually
disgorged by a little clicking machine
called a ticker" This little telegraphic
demon told the price Of mining and rail-
way shares in every big city Of the
world. New-Light worshiped this de-
mont was his god
SO soon as the demon grew tired OF
clicking out paper, New-Light stepped
into an express elevator at his door.
which shot him down to the earth with
an electric swoop through Is stories.
Then he stepped into his electric mo-
tor and whizzed away to his club amid
the jangling Of electric traffic overhead.
underground and all about him. To his
senses there was something soothing in
the Gathering Of drays He breathed
comfortably In the atmosphere Of pros
porous pandemonium
After a few cocktails, New-Light
unused on the progress Of civilization.
and concluded that man had so perfect
ed the earth that the Creator could safe
~ leave the rest to New-Light & Co.
Rush City was far away In the In
terror. and New-Light had not yet seen |
the ocean. His universe had been one
that moved only at the click of an cleo
trio button or the push of a piston.
The mighty world of stars said moth |
ing to him. the periodicity of the moon, |
the mighty lifts OF the tides. the rising |
Of the sun, the opening of flowers; all |
these things affected New-Light only in |
so far as the almanac registered his |
working days beneath the tall, sooty |
ehimneys Of Rush City.
The laws of merciful nature which |
aid the mariner in his voyages-the |
blessed Gulf stream and the priceless |
trade winds-all these things we're to |
as of no Importance COM
pared with trolleys, tickers, motors and |
factory chimneys.
One day New-Light saw the sea for
the first time. The tide was far out,
and he walked a long distance and /
perched upon a rock which stood alone
At the edge Of the exposed sands He
sat and wondered If he could not or
ganize company to utilize the force
Of the waves in the manufacture Of
electric power.
And. as he wondered. the tide rose
and surrounded his rock. And when he
Jaw at length that he was like to be
drowned by the advancing waters. he
cursed the Almighty for
,ruelty and stupidity in making a tide
hat was likely to drown so precious a
creature as himself
There we're Is fishing boats sailing
nerrily homeward on this particular
.ide. Their crews knew little of tele-
phones. tickers and motors, but they
7enerated the works of God and studied
he laws of His making These men
allied in boldly over the rocks. for
hey knew the tides, the currents and
he depth of water-their wives and
iweethearts waved to them from the
lunes.
The body of New-Light was washed
shore and reverently cared for by the
imple fishermen. But when they
earned how he had been drowned they
ould but say: Poor fool so rich in
money. so poor in knowledge"
New-Light was buried in Rush City,
md the papers said that ''he was the
finest product of our progressive and
ushing age"
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