The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-11-11
WHY DREW FORSOOK HIS IDOL
II, rKANKLIN HlCunoRN.

TN HE Inability OF the average man
20 see an lneh IN front nf his
nase makes idnlalry the mos,
natural thing IN the world fol
him 80 fall into, An IL savage he sets
NJ an image TO make hia deity real q
him and soon farsctH about tho deity
and falls 20 worahippins the image
Az civilized man he makes party
name symbol Of principles, fnt a time
flghta under the party for the pflnel'
pies, then fofEeta all about the pfinci-
plea. and tnds by tishsing for the par
~. He recognizes that money brings
happiness mar he thinks that II does
~-startH OUT to vet money. that he may
be happy fnrgrts that he IN after
money only an meanH to the end. and
makes money the end of his ac,ivi-
ties Thus idnlatry, the substitution
for exclusive consideration of the sym
bol for the thing symholIaed. In one
way or another. sets into the lives
of most Of us. be- we savage or eivii.
iacd, pagan or Christian,
Such was the experience nt J. Ham.
ilton Drew, Drew started out In life
n, the aga uf eighteen with one well
defined purpose m view. his marriage
with the best gtrl IN the world, Az a
means TO tina, very desirable end, $500
was the object ~ eighteen year old
Mr., nrcw's business quest. He was
twenty before he had the first 800
safely tucked In the bank nut long
before he haa the additional stoo had
been added tdola,ry had got hold NJ
him. ard when nj the agc ~ twenty.
three the $500 actually stood Ia his
credit he would have laughed at the
idea that he had ever had ransrmt
plated mntrlmony on such u conteInp
tlble figure. This ldolasry that poas.
essed Mr. Drew was his business. the
getting of the money for moneys sake
alone The end that he had set out
for WAS lost sight Of, ana the means
tn the end substituted.
As Drcw'a hundreds grew into
thousands and even modest tens Of
thousands. the wedding day ever r..
ceded. and perhaps never would have
been reached haf not the best girl In
the world taken matters into her own
hands. she was twenty. then ne
thlrty-.wo. The trip to Europe origi-
nally planned was abandoned because
Of business engagements that had TO
be met So n compromise was made
by little run down the coast.
Now. II mus, not be supposed that
Drew did not love his wife, for he ala
AS devotedly AS man welded 10 nm
Idol can. One night when he nwoke
and found her face wet with tears
he was shocked and pained beyond ex
preston. There was no expression.
by the way, which emphasized hia
uniutentIonal neglect. All that money
could buy his wife had, But the un-
satisfied quest Of the materIal-com.
fort purchasing money. that demand
cd tho best that her husband had
20 give. the time. the thought. the
care. that she felt were RIGHTLY hers
she hated as one religious denomnn-
tion hates the craven image Of ano-
ther.
In course Of time the baby arrived
Drew was properly and decently de-
lighted For full week he divided
his worship. Then little by little, he
drifted back to hls idol TO be sure
he continued TO enjoy the bnby's sud-
den Developments. The marvel Of the
first smile that the nurse indorsed as
due to intelligence and not to collie
6br example. tickle(i the father hs
greatly ns though he had been Il poorer
man, without the suggestion OF an
idol. And then the first tooth put in
It's sudden appearance. II was n rid
iculous affair. as nll first teeth are,
not to be seen with the eye mt all, but
felt with the forefnger. Sensible ba-
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