The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-04-22

arisen. His grocer and the
newsboy knew him better than Dante
and Beatrice and trusted him about as
much as Hampden did naughty Charlie
the First. Yet witfal this foreman
was creditab!e man as men go, fair
sample of numerous type.
Over the river, out across the fats,
by the railroad tracks one could just
discern among tin cans, defunct fences,
empty barrels, gaudy rags and dingy
shacke, the humble
dwelling of tie wage Garner l have in
mind. His lot was cast in wilderness
of sin and dirt. yet lie seemed to be
happy. Each morning of the week
barring the seventh he swung onto the
track and headed straight toward
dense cloud of smoke which rolled from
great stack mile or so in the dis
tance. A comfortable looking pipe and
generously proportioned tin lunch box
were always in evidence. The man
was very punctual-disgracefully so.
It was said that he owned his home.
Whether he did or not there was athos
in the statement.
Now these five men were middle
aged thirty years ago, married, industri-
8us and reputable. In their respective
families were five boys Of nearly even
age. Fate had distributed endowment
impartially among them. Waving con-
sideration of their environment it can
be allowed that each had received an
equal share in the original equipment,
for the life which stood before them.
Bright, cheerful receptive boys they
were; sound in body and mind; active,
energetic, ardent little codgers, with
just enough of the frivolity of youth
to make them Ie 81. There at the be-
ginDing similar grievant es fell to each
/ of them and fair rounds of pleasure
brought equivalent cheer. The same
sports pleased, the same amusements
beguiled and kindred shadows de-
| pressed them all. How ideal 1t would
have been could these boys lave spent
their lives on this basis of natura
equality; each finding in everything
, the same measure of good, and Tad ant
J neutral. But it could not be SO. A
gradual change was to come over them
brought about by their different sur
roundings. Widely varying lesson
were to be taught. Dogmatic belief
: were to lie inculcated; antagonist
standards v ere to be set up for each t
: follow and soon they were to travel ia
apart. In Oh e thing however, custom
!. decreed that they should share alike
5 1t was the matter of book learning
: Identical literature was accessible t
them all.
y A decade passed, as decades will an
9 found these boys sprouting into mai
r hood The son ct the laborer Wante
: to be merchant. The manufactul er
a boy wished to tour the Europ, an col
h tinent in big car, own seven-mastt
!. and institute fashionable club. II
s. doctors boy was undecided. Oceasicl
i al statements of his father, couple
q with an inherent dislike for the profe
y sion had pl plejudiced him against the
4 apeutics. He did not know just VIII
r to aim at. Like Charles Lever he fe
an inclination toward literary lii
a Anyway time would develop some 81
le nal, In the interim he would broads
re out. The son of the foreman had
ar veloped into very exuberant lad.
Of a mere incidental he intended to maj
H. couple of millions, marry three
e. four actresses in quick succession, p
IN up a half-dozen brownstone fronts al
az dazzle the world generally with
of prodigious versatility and when /
ed empire was universal he would dicta
70. the trend of the world with offhal
" magnanimity. Truly his career was
Id be a marvellous one. His parents hi
n believed it possible, for was not Il
he boy the offspring of extraordinary fo
ar bearsY Circumstances had therefore
We conspired to hide and suppress tb
he greatness: Yet had it not existe
~ Yes-xtheir son was to be the culmiI
.ce ton of all this dormant, potential mel
ed Surely Christie ndOm would stagger.
w. Now the lawyers boy early evident
We an inclination to split hairs. 1t v
er. the genius of the father reprodnc
q / The law was noble calling. Its q
is tors rectified ills which the perversen
M of humanity generated. They pilo