The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-21

|
to see that the fairy gifts were his,
for whatever he did was successful.
When his father died and left him
his wealth it grew in his hands with
out single effort from him. He
built himself palaces in every place
that pleased his fancy and surrounded
himself with all that he wished, and
still his riches were greater every
year.
But by the time that he was 25
years old he began to wish for some
thing. At first he did not even know
that it was a wish. He knew only
that something troubled him, and as he
had never felt trouble before it made
him most unhappy.
He thought that perhaps he was i'll,
so he sent for the family physician,
who, of course. was the greatest ply
| siCian in the country.
The great physician prodded him
respectfully, tapped his chest with So
licitude, and listened to his heart SOL
| emily.
you are sound as a bell" said he
at last 81 will give you a little
something for your liver, and We'll
see how that will make you feel"
The seventh son took the little
something for his liver, but it didn't
make him feel a bit happier
So he discharged his cook and hired
1
the Gar of Russia But it made no
difference.
Then all at once, one day. he dis
| covered that what was the matter
with him was that he was wishing
for something. But he didn't know
what it was, and no matter how
hard he thought he couldn't even
guess.
So, having tried physicians and sec
| retaries and cooks in vain, he sought
!out the old Professor who had taught
him in the college.
The old man listened, nodding his
white head at intervals. When the
seventh son had finished telling his
story, he said:
My son, you have wealth and
health and all else that heart can de-
sire except one thing. And that one
thing is something that no money can
purchase. 1t is content"
rs that all?" thought the seventh
son to himself. "Well, 1 guess 1 can
find that"
So he jumped into his swiftest
steam yacht and sped away out on
the flashing sea, beyond the purple
capes, toward the rim of the world
There, swinging up and down, up and
down in the great rollers were the
had faces cut by the wind and hands
made sore by the brine, and they
never knew when they went out il
they should see land and home
again.
But they were laughing and singing
while they swung, and as the shining
wet fish came over the sides they APP
peared happier than the seventh son
had been in many long days.
II am looking for Content" he cried
to them. Surely she is with you"
The fishermen looked at the gleam-
ing, stately white yacht and ceased
their singing. They looked at the lux
ury of cabins and decks and ceased
their laughing. Then they stared at
him while the eldest fisherman answer
ed bitterly:
What! Do you expect men to be
contented when they must wrest poor
wages as we do from the sea, while
others, like you, speed over it as a
pleasure ground?'
The seventh son sighed and turned
his Prov homeward. He jumped into
his swiftest automobile and drove 1t
criss-cross over the land. He went so
fast that the burgomasters of seven
teen towns met in conclave with the
common councils of fourteen Others
and passed laws against him.
Fast as he sped he could never over
take Content. He stopped at palaces
and said. Surely she is here" But
the owners always answered, 1--WE
cannot be content till we are as rich
as YOU"
He heard a ploughman singing as he
went along the burrows. But when he
stopped to ask him IL he knew Con-
tent, the song was hushed and the
ploughnan said. II thought I did, but
now L Know that / am a miserable
wretch who is destined to drive the
heavy plough while luckier people dash
through the world in ideness.
The seventh son saw a mother pet
ting her three children. And she look
ed so happy as she gazed at them that
he said to himself, Surely Content
dwells here"
But when he approached and the
mother saw his elegance, she sighed
and said, ALIAS, poor folk have no
business to have children
He found mountaineer who sat on
"a rock gazing over the world with
such placid eyes that the seventh son
felt certain that his quest had ended
at last.
Content is with you, ds she notY'
he asked.
The mountaineer looked at him
cheerfully and said yes" But the
next instant he rubbed his hands
over his brow, and added, "At least
she would be If 1 did not know that
the riches of the world are SO un-
equally distributed"
When he left the mountafneer he
came to a tramp-drty and foul-lyinR
half asleep in the sun by the side of
the road. And when he asked him the
question, the tramp answered Eyes, 1
am content"
The seventh son shuddered and
fled. 'If this is where Content
' dwells," said he, II want none Of her."
But he couldn't get over wishing for
her for all that So he jumped into
his swiftest special train, but the train
was not swift enough to catch her.
You must make me a swifter loco
motive" he cried to his locomotive
builders and engineers.
They built him the swiftest engine
that had ever been made, but still it
was not swift enough.
81 see." said the seventh son an
grily that 1 shall have to build one
myself"
Immediately he sat down at a desk
and began to draw plans. And after
the plans were finished he carried
them to his machine shops himself
to explain them to the workmen.
Day after day he went TO the noisy,
hot, dirty shops, and before long he
was so interested that he put on
overalls every day and worked over
FORCES and lathes till he was ready
to drop from fatigue. But he was too
proud TO let the workmen see II, and