The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-05

"Three Wise Men of Gotham
Went to sea in a bowl
Had the bowl been stronger
My SONG might nave been longer"
p-ErF HE Three Wise Men sat together
in the club smoldng-room. They
were met there for a purpose
a solemnly resolved purpose-though
tina fact was not to be discovered in
the expression of their faces or their
attitudes. The casual observer, glanc-
ing at them in that ignorant yet opin-
donated fashion which casua observers
generally affect, would have sternly
pronounced them to be idle loafers and
loungers without a purpose of any sort,
and only fit to be classified with the
"drones" or d~o-nothings of the social
hive. Three stalwart bodies reclined
at ease in the soft depths of three
roomy saddie-bag chairs; and from
three cigars of the finest flavor three
little spiral wreaths of pale blue smoke
mounted steadily toward the ceiling.
1t was a fine day-the window was
open, and outside roared the surging
sea of human life in Piccadilly. Rays
of sunshine danced round the Wise
Men, polishing up the bald spot on
head numbe one, malignly bringing
into prominence the II hairs on head
number two, n shining a warm APP
prevail onsthe curly brown locks of
head number three, The screech of the
wild newsboy echoed up n down the
street: "Hextra speshul! Evening piper!
Evening pepper! Piper! Westy-min-ster
speshuli Hall the winners" A spruce
dandy, alighting from a hanson, COM
menced a lively alteration with the
cabby thereof, creating intense excite
ment in the breasts of four Christian
brethren-to wit, a dirty crossing
sweeper, a match-seller, a district mes
senger-boy, and a mar carrying a
leaden water-pipe. Call yourself a
masher!" cried cabby, vociferously.
Git along with yer, an hask one of
the club blokes to lend yer art a
crown" Here the mar carrying the
leaden water-pipe became convulsed
with mirth, and observed, Bully, amt
it?" conhdentially to the messenger
boy. who grinningly agreed, the smart
ly dressed young dandy growing scar
let with rage and insulted dignity. The
dispute was noisy. and some minutes
elapsed before it was settled-yet
through it all the mystic Three Wise
Men never stirred to see what was the
matter, but smoked on in tranquil 81
lence with closed eyes.
At last one of them moved, yawned,
and broke the spell. He was feir
stoutish, and fiorid; and when ne
opened his eyes they proved to be Of
a good clear b~lue-honest in expires
sion, and evidently meant for fun; so
much so, indeed, that though their
owner was by no means in a laughing
humor at the moment, he was power
less to repress their comic twinkle. His
name was George-George Fairfax
and he was a gentleman at ease"
with nothing to do but to look after
his estates, which, as he was not adj
dicted to either betting. drinking. or
gambling, brought him in a consider
ably substantial yearly income.
Fact is" he said, addressing him
self to his two companions, whose eye
lids were still fast shut, 'the worlds
a mistake. 1t ought never to have
been created. Things go wrong in it
from morning till night. Fellows who
write books tell you how wrong it is:
they ought to know Here he knocked
off the end of his cigar into the ash
tray. "Then read the newspapers;
by the Lord Harry! they'll soon prove
to you how wrong everything is every
where!" Man number two, in the chair
next to Fairfax, happened to be an in
dividual with the hair approved of by
the sunshine-a long-limbed, well-built
fellow with a rather handsome face.
Enclosing his ayes, which were dark
and languid, he sighed YEARLY.
"No world in it!' he murmured in
brief, sleepy accents. Social institu-
Observation-Disclosures. Man meant