The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-04-22
The Second
Generation
An Entertaining Narrative of Five
Young Men and the Results
They Achieved.

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Pdper Read Before the Chautnaqua Circle.
1t would be nice, l have often fancied,
to be perched aloft on some towering
peak, that rose far above the sight OF
men. with just enough of what mortais
term necessaries, to render living COM
fortable-with just enough egolsm TO
do ones own thinking, and, sitting there
in the midst of satisfaction, freed OF
the lust for participation, survey the
doings of a nation for thousand
years.
What motley would the privilege
reveal! Possibly long before the mil
iennium had run its length tired eyes
and mind would ache for final relief;
possibly tortured soul would cry out
against continuance. But am inclin-
ed to believe that it would be an alb
sorting study, this measuring ofcount-
less things, in their activity and Iepose,
this appraising of the beautiful, the in-
famous, and all intermediate phases,
this wonderful watchfulness over vast
extremes, and everything between them
80 absorbing that the last second
would be as sweet as the greeting to
hopes fairest Immortality.
Confessedly it is peculiar wish,
wholly impossible, as it is idle. And
vet in a liberal sense minute particles
of its f,tlfiliment come to everyone.
The life of each human being rises thru
it's years to a plane which offers near
and distant views with many changes
and shifting scenes, full of every emo
ton, crowded with all that thought and
memory and passion and hope can pic
ture.
Nearly half way, now, up this latter
slope, We are rausing; some lltt'e
higher, some little lover. Each one
has followed a separate trait. And
each on looking back Can scarce y trace
it's many twistings, can scarcely say
Just how or why he cIept up his partic'
lar way. The path which e esch has fol
lowed is of course best known and
most interesting. Yet sometimes ont
looks at the way which others went
some to commendable achievement
some to pitlable failure and yet Others
to a middle ground Of common respect
ability.
In Aourishing little city not man.
years past there lived five families. Th
father of one was lawyer, of anothe
manufacturer, of another a doctor, o
another shop foreman, of the otfer
iaborer, Just common laborer. Fac
family appeared to occupy its becom
ing place. The lawyer was success
ful practitioner with a wide sweep Q
reputation and a numerous clientag
of well-to-do lnnocents. 1t naturall
follows that he was prosperous MAJ
All really good law sages are prospe
Gus, honorable men.
On beautiful rise of ground in a
,outskirt fast growing into fashionab
suburb loomed pa atial home. The'
it stood magnificent symbol of dolls
wealth. 1t was season residence
the manufacturer. He too was EN-
nently prosperous. Too much so b
lieye. 1t is said that the medicine me
of old administered herb decoctions
panacea for human ills and in cases
exigency cauterized or sometimes bl'
respondent sufferers. The decoctin
burning and bleeding, more especial
the bleeding, still flourish in the
accustomed way. The gentleman u
der scrutiny was fine type of t
brotherhood and had not a singnl
condition prevailed, he too would ha
enioyed an enyiable increment. Z
community was disgustingly health
However, he occupied no mean pla
in its estimation and affairs, and shar
abundantly in the good things it kne
To have seen the foreman would ha
been to imagine him the mannfactur
And had a stranger talked with hin
am quite sure that suspicious of jul
prudence mastered would have