Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-10-26
A1ban Kennedy Dimes

SllaS Geary led Lne way through
the hall and thence to the winter gar
den. Here the display Of plants was
quite remarkable and the building
one that had cost many thousands OF
pounds. Designed, as all that Richard
Gessner touched,to attract the wonder
of the common people and to defy the
er1sion Of the connoisseur, this I'M
mense garden had been the subject of
articles innumerable and of pictures
abundant Vast in size, classic In
form, it served many purposes, but
chiefly as a gallery for the safe Gus
tody of collection of Oriental china
which had no rival in, Europe.
ut is our patrons hobby said the
curate mincingly, as he indicated
the treasure Of cloisonne and of por-
celain; she does not frivol away his
money as so many do, on idle dissi-
pations and ephemeral pleasures.
On the contrary, he devotes 1t to this
beautiful objects"
do you call them beautiful sir?"
Alban asked ingenuously. "They
seem to me quite ugly I don't think
that If I had money I should spend
it on plates and jars which nobody
uses. I would much sooner buy q
attic ship an give it to the nation. ;"
And then he asked, did Mr.. Gessner
put up all this glass to keep out the
fresh air? Does he like being in a
hot house? I should have thought a
garden would have been better"
Silas Geary could make nothing OF
such criticism as this.
tsMy dear lad" he protested, "you
are very young and probably don't
know what sciatic means. When l was
your age. l could have slept upon a
board and risen therefrom refreshed.
At fifty it is otherwise We study the
barometer then and dust before we
sit. This great glass house Is Mr..
Gessner's winter temple. 1t is here
that he plans and conceives so many
of those vast schemes by which the
world is astonished.
Alban looked at his curiously.
as the world really astonished by
| rich men?" he asked.
Mr.. Geary stood still in amazemen1
at the question,
frank and birth rule the nation,
, he declared vehemently, sit is fit ani
) proper that it should do So Our arts
trocracy is rightly recruited frow
!. those who have accumulated the
wealth necessary to such position
, Riches, Kennedy, mean power. You
i will know that some day when 70,
7 are the master of riches"
!, Alban walked on little way with
;, out saying anything Then almos
6 as one compelled to reply he exclaim
!, ed:
,. "In the East End, they don't speal
: of money like that. / suppose it J
= their ignorance-and after all it Is
!, very great thing to be able to compe
:, other people to starve for you. Som
day. I'll take you down to the sweat
: ing shops, Mr.. Geary You'll see 10
:. of old china there, but I don't think
:. would be worth much. And all on
!, flowers are for sale-poor devils, W
I get little enough for supper if W
. don't sell them"
:, The curate expressed no prOfoul
; desire to accept this promising invit;
:. ton, and desiring to change S
;, thorny a subject entered a delightfl
!. old-world garden and invited Alban
attention to a supberb view of Ha
row and the Welsh Harp. In the ha
:. to which at last they returned, h
= spoke of that more substantial realit
9 dinner.
u Il am sorry to say that have
n Dorcas meeting tonight and cannt
6 possibly dine with you he explaine
i to the astonished lad 81 shall /
4 turn at nine o'clock, however, to Sc
i that all is as Mr. Gessner wishe
y The servants have told you, perhap
II that Miss Anna is in the country ar
does not return until tomorrow. TIL
If old house is very dull without he
1t Kennedy. 1t is astonishing how mut