Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-09-06

you see that sofa" said n gentleman
some years & to q friend. "Well.
that one sofa almost ruined me. 1t
took me years and years to recover my
self. have always kept that sofa as
an object lesson for my children. When
L was n young man we were living In
n humble street and In n small but
comfortably furnished house. ! was
WORKING my way along md would In
time have come out all right. But one
Day my wife was at an auction sale.
and she was able to buy that sofa very
cheap. She bought 1t, but no sooner
did she put It In our parlor than il
made all the rest OF the furniture look
Shabby. Then w decided to get a new
parlor set to match the sofa. No soon
er did we fix up the parlor than we had
to buy new furniture for the dining
room, and so we went on fixing the
house. Then. after we had refurnished
the house, we decided that the house
itself was not good enough for the fur
niture, so we moved into a larger house
on a better street. Then. when we
moved Into the better street. we found
out that we had to have better clothes.
mus we went on increasing our ex-
penses and our outgo, while u income
remained the same. Then the first
unlng l knew the bills kept plling up.
and l was n financial wreck" "Ab.
yes said to myself when I heard
that story, how true that Is about the
unsatisfying result of selfshly living
Tor what we can get! When we live
for self the more we have the more we
want. Greed has an omnivorous appe-
tite. Greed is a glutton. Greed keeps
crying: More, more. Give me more.
u have more"." My friend, is not
this the personal history Of your greedy
life?
Rich but Selfish,
My brother. how old are you: For
ty.' How are you getting along in
business? oh" You say. '~splendidly,
splendidIy. Ny business was never
better ti.an now" .Are you making
any money outside of your business?
Yes you say. Il dp not tell this to
everybody, but I will to you. Last
week l closed one deal alone whereby
made on one piece Of land n net
profit of $4,000" Indeed. l
you inherited n good deal of money
from your father to start in business?
INHERITED, Indeed. | did not. Why.
father never had anything to speak Of.
/ was brought up on a farm. I made
my own way alone, Why, when I first
came to this city my wife and I used
TO live in W rooms. Then l often
said TO her, II the dime ever comes
we have an annual IN ONE OF
$1,000 and a little home IF cur own
we will be satisfied" Then you laugh
to yourself and say, Thank God. we
haTo n :;ood deal more than our little
Low and $1,000 u year income
Is that SO. my friend? Then l sup
pose, as your money is increasing, you
are giving more and more to God and
10 your fellow men. l suppose, as your
enlarges. you do not grind your
clerks down to n mere pittnnce and
mat you give them more time off for
'est. I suppose that every year, as
'our financial income enlarges, your
'NAN nv tIAitil Sc ulSD. lou look
1t me a moment. Then you drop your
as you slowly say: NO; ought to
10 this, but l do not give as much now
did twenty years ago. The TRANCE
act Is that financial success inevltab bly,
encourages seltShness. The more | get
he more l want and the less I give in
proportion to my success. This is a
'eltish world, and I am each year like
most rich men, becoming more and
more selfish" God pity you. o Chris
migrate. God pity you, l say
gain. because as you grow weather.
do less and less for others. l
now one fact Is true-the more YOU
the less enjoyment you derive ont
f your W selfish successes. He
hat loveth silver shall not be satisfied
With silver, nor he that loyeth abun-
ance with increase"
But l take a step further in my sub
ect and declare that greed is an ON
-ivorouS demon, which is not satisfied
feeding in our own pasture lands
lone, but he wants us to collect his
odder from the pastures of our neigh
O'S ASN san Va 81 ilht All
Their sins. 1t will so warp and twist
ur natures that before we know it we
I'LL be looking at the world through
llse ~spectacles. and our open palms
ill be itching after other mems goods.
nd what Is worse. our covetous hands
often will grasp those things which
elong to our nciChbors. What" you
ny, d you mean to Affirm that our
Oh men. as Il class. are thieves INC
obbers?" No, | will not go as far as
lat. l Will not say that as pickpock-
IS they will grab your purse and run.
ut will say this; II 4 man will allow
lie evil worm Of greed 10 gnaw ut his
cast .ong enough he may be willing,
nd he often Is willing, to do that
hich In the sight Of man ms well as
ID is morally wrong. although by
ans law it may be legally right. Let
e Illustrate this by a practical Incl
mt Of everyday life.
| have a little butcher
op upon one Of the street corners of
IS Angeles. Supposing l am having
flourishing trade there and you hear
it and you decide to open a little
ltcher shop upon the next corner.
len, supposing l go to you and say:
ir. ~So-and-so, you must quit. l was