The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-10-27

He sat in his snug library and
yatched the flames leap from the log
in the crate while he listened to the
bowling Of the fierce wind outside
for Dickinson could afford now TO
burn logs, even though wood was Pc
coming priceless.
He arose and paced the somber,
richly furnished room. His slippers
sank deep into the priceless carpet
and his eyes scanned the rare pictures
and hangings on the walls.
T have won-yes Won-Won be-
yond my dreams" he cried aloud,
raising his arms over his head in
gesture of triumph.
And SO he had. Donald Dickinson
was the wealthiest man in all the
town. His safe was bursting with
valuable securities; his farms dotted
the county, his herds roamed the hills;
scores of Woodworking farmers wor-
ried nightly over the mortgages he
held; bankers salaamed as he ap-
preached and boards of directors lis
tened with bated breath when he
spoke.
He was the most envied man in the
community. Many a man trying TO
keep his head above water in the
fierce game of life, as he passed Don
aid Dickinson's house that fierce win
ter night sighed and said:
Happy, happy man. He indeed has
attained the reality Of JOY
And so thought Donald Dickinson as
he paced his luxurious library and
smoked his expensive cigar and gazed
upon the evidences of prosperity about
him, and reflected that he owed no
man anything at all but that on the
other hand many men owed him all OF
their possessions and more.
After the flush Of self-gratulat1on
had passed Dickinson seated himself
in his great arm chair and gazed long
and single-heartedly into the fire.
What was this cold doubt which
crept I'D his spinal column and began
to pervade his entire being? He
reached forth and poked the fire Wig
orously and sighed in relief as he saw
the showers of sparks.
What-despite the flash Of heat, the
chill sticks still to his vitals. What is
it the frightens him, which his money
and power does not Danish.
He arises and walks unsteadily to
the window in an effort to throw
aside the terrible hallucination that
his will and that alone was not the
law. The driving snow which cut his
vision to a few feet, reclaimed his
fears and he felt all the helplessness
of mankind before the elements
OF a sudden through his brain
flashed the question, whitehead and
clear:
Was he happy? Had success and
the triumph Of winning it, and power
and all the rest made him happy and
filled him with content?
bah, what nonsense" and he
| laughed aloud as the memory Of the
bare-footed boy of 20 years ago with
out friends or equipment Or help, stole
| into his mind and his eyes took in the
evidences OF present luxury and power.
Happy, happy, Of course he was
happy Why not? What had he to
wish for that he had desired and
striven to attain? OF course he was
happy-and contented."
Just then the snow-bound vista
parted and the dim light of the shop
across the street met his vision. The
door of the shop opened and a woman
emerged. The woman's arms were
filed with bundles, telling their story
4 of good cheer to come. The man car
ried a little baby snugly wrapped in
fiannels and c1asping tight stick OF
candy. AS Dickinson idly watched
the baby laughed up into the fathers
face and the woman, watching, smiled
a happy smile as her eyes too sought
the mans face with glance full d
love and trustfulness. The man hello
the baby tighter as his eyes glanced
downward at both the woman and The
child with an expression of love anG
pride and power.
With groan, Donald Dickinson
sharply drew the blind and staggered
to his seat before the fire. The lifting
II OF the snowy curtain lot the Df1eI Mo
ment had shown him in an instant thu
failure of his life. He had succeeded
in all the things he had determined tt
do but for this success he had DELHI
erately sacrilced-iust what he hat
seen.
To him came a vision of the sweet
heart Of his youth with her honest
tender eyes-always lit for him wit
the love-light; and to him came til
memory of the cold and brutal par
ing when he had told her that for hiI
was only the God of Mammon, tina
success must be his at any cost an
: that a wife and family would imper
his chances to attain it. To-nigh
somehow he seemed to see ali abou
him, IN the fire, from the shadows 0
the WaII-everywhere, the reflection {
her eyes full of dumb despair an
wondering sorrow.
And then he had gone forth to ba
tie intellectually for success" wit
no entanglements to impede his pro-
MEAN