The independent., 1907-02-14
BY George Ade.

neeT coating, was by Oliver GoidSmlth,
and it was all about what happened to
the Preacher
This was long time ago, before II.
Marion Crawford begun turning them
out on his Lathe.
There were no Department Stores in
those days, and the Bright Young Man
who was troubled by Inspirations had
to go some in order to establish him
self as a Popular Writer.
The Author succeeded in giving away
a good many Autograph Copies to SEN
timentaI Friends, who said they would
prize the Volume ever 50 much more
If they didn't have to go out and buy
it. But when he collected Royalties he
never had to borrow any WheelbarroW
in order to get the Stuff over to the
Bank.
After he died and the Copyright ex-
pired and his Heirs could not claim
Rake-Off, nearly everybody on Earth
began reading the book and they have
been at it ever since.
As soon as Copy gets SO tear
stained that the Lines are blurred and
the Pages all guGnmcd together, the
Owner goes and gets fresh one for
about 20 cents and starts in to churn
up his Emotions some more.
All of which goes to prove that a
Preacher who has been dead $50 years
hasn't an Enemy in the World.
At the time the Book was written,
the Minister playing in Minor League
was known as Vicar. NOW he Is
known as a good many Things, espe-
ciaily if he dabbies in Politics
The Vicar got many a Jolt. After Or
ganizing large and hungry Family,
he aWoke one morning TO learn that
the Friend who had arranged to let
him in on the Ground Floor of Ban
ner Proposition was about to file Pc
titiOn in Bankruptcy. Liabilities. 81, 600
pounds; Assets, two Suits of Clothes,
a Cameo Ring and Hot Water Bag.
1t is a blessed provision of Nature
that nearly every Man who loses his
Wad has a fine bunch of Children that
are quite beyond the reach of Greedy
Creditors. We cannot learn from
careful study of approved Fiction that
any old Batch ever went broke. He is
lonesome enough, goodness knows, and
a very Melancholy Figure along about
Christmas Time, but he always has II
bundle of Money that you couldn't
push through Door
After being trimmed, the Vicar and
his Family were kept close to the Car
pet The Book devotes a good many
Pages to telling how they were happy,
even though they seldom had one
Dollar to rub against another. In fact,
the Story leads us to believe that those
who have no Velvet are seldom led
into Temptation
We know however, that the Vicar
and his devoted Missus and the as
sorted flock of Young Folks did not
miss a great deal by being hard up.
They lived in the quiet, old-fashioned
Days. when a Little Gooseberry Wine
and Family Prayers made hot Com
hination with which to fill in long
Evening.
Suppose the Vicar had stood in with
some Hartman OF that period and had
succeeded in getting one of those large.
elegant, dropscal Fortunes-the kind
that every American Citizen is roast
ing and trying his blamedest to get
hold of.
Could he have got any Action for his
Money? Not SO you could have no
ticed it.
Why grieve over the Hard Luck
Story of a Household that was on deck
long before people had learned how to
roll their Money?
Nowadays the Lady of the House
who is on her Uppers picks up the
bargain sheet of the Sunday Paper
and sees the Pictures of 100000
things that she wants TO buy ana
can't.
In 1850 the woman who was nat had
nothing to worry her. The family
across the street did not have any
Electric Runabout or q Talking Ma
chine in the Front Room which you
could hear Mile away when all the
windows were open.
Nobody was expected To pile $500
worth of American Beauty Roses in
the center OF the Table every time a
few Friends came in To break Brcad.
The sS-a-day Seaside Hotel, the
Winter Trip TO Florida with car
load Of Trunks and the Private Golf
Links were few of the Modern Ne
cessitles that Father Time was holding
up his Sleeve Ns a glad surprise for "a
later Generation
The Vicar of Wakenelds name was
Doctor Primrose. but he was not re-
lated Ia the celebrated Primrose, al
though both were In the same Line of
Work That Vs. they had To- make good
hN NhnFNtufe pff nm IA p1nffpFm Eg0rnts