The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-24
The Misery of Misers.

.sportsworlan. # 53 n III vi
The Misery Of Misers.
de morttis NIL enisi bonuln," said the
charitable Romans; hit 4 Why j Is N It not
both fair ana proper to- draw some les
son from tho life md death Of Russell
Sage. DO the moral Mandatory Ok not
ss"'The days OF man IRE three score years
and ten 'cried David and Il russell Sage
came to four score years and nine, nor
his days but labor and sorrow, for
he pursued and gnined his llenrtss de-
sired object. But was that object worth
eighty-nlne years OF life Was the heap
ing up OF riches, not knowing WHO should
gather them, an IDEAL ana an aim that
should have held II mans sole, undivided
and intense attention8f for three. uarters
o. a century? Can such an object, even
when 1t is SO entirely achieved, tie ever
Justified as the real motive for Il man g
5lfe? II 50, mankind would do we'll to
pause and slenrken and lay to heart the
lesson and the forces Of Russell sage's
life. ~ ~ GA SS AZ.
~ There Is d great gulf between the salary
Of an humble clerk in a, small grocery
store and a fortune OF seventy y ve NJ n Or
one hundred million dollars, and yet
Russell Sage did not cross this abyss on
tho slippery bridge OF fraudulent rebates.
wrecked railroads, or brlbed legislatures;
TIis path IS not shewn with 1ackcned
regulations, and his fortune was not
founded on illegal or immoral methods
What he had was acquired in merchan-
dizing, first in groceries and then In,
money, stocks and bonds To this pursuit
he brought n keen Judgment and nt untir-
Ing energy that were not unworthy Of
the highest service. l53 e
Frugal and abstemious, avoiding OK
cess and keeping his body under subjec--
ton, The needed only some noble and
Spiritual aim to have made his influence
and ramo an enduring power. But"
some will say, she preferred to amass
money, His time and shis talents were
|lhis own. He paid his taxes and thereby
discharged his duties" TO society, yes
But a MANS highest duty Is to himself.
Not to feed and pan,per and indulge his
body, but BY practcng every manly viz
tue, by forbearanco, courage. nobility and
generosity. to develop every latent pos
sibllIty Of the aodgiven opportunity Of
this life. s6 n j53 u. Il { Bs rs, II N.
81 New York ala not stop Its humane and
unselnsh works beca use one niaef more
or less. .clutched with trembling hands
an over increasing pile Of gold. But the
man, In his mad pursuit OF gold, lost
his chance. In the place Of q nature that
like some spreading tree welcomed every
shower ana burst Of sun. there was de-
}veloped n furtlvo, shrinking. tlmorous
spirit, that. like some tortuous root, bur-
rowed In the ground, avoiding every duty,
denying every responsibility. and stead
astly8aholding to,5only one sprinciple, that
OF tho Joy OF boarding. " And such have
their reward. 5
The gold is here to DO had by him who
will pay out for 1t his hours OF life,
with tho certainty that such a course
will leave the soul atrophied, the char
acter perverted and tho noble emotions
shrivelcd. The exchange can te made
but the final Judgment on "Tomlinson"
was:
THE soul that you got from Almighty
God 5 XII.
You have bartered It clean away
De lnortuls, etc,. again-but let US re-
member how much more we need the
opportunity for serving our fellow men
than they need our services. Perhaps
then We will gain a clearer ar appreciation
OF what the real prizes OF this life are
and how they may DO gained