The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1913-12-11
hePhilosophy
Of Sel6shness
BY KATHLEEN J. M'CuRDY

When johnny Perkins was boy In
| his native towt, Of Blonmsberry he
wax eyerybudys pet. When ne smiled
his eye lighted up and IL dimi,Ic np
ieaied in each check. His face CHAR.
4 1t. however. In a twinkiing ut Tie re
| itai Of Il t,le OF woe vi an injury to
/ my animal Fur this reason some
allied him chicken hearted
| When johnny grew 10 manhood,
while he was MS much beloved his
stand in the community was not aH
high us it had been when he was a
child. Men and women occupy Il lif.
fctent sphere from either children or
youths The latter periods are NIT
ural; the former is artificial.
| Edward Jones. a rich man Of Inc
town died and left his forums 10
found an institution to be called the,
Jones i.yceum. J., was q beautiful.
monument to Mr.. Jones and WAS fire..
| luented by the best people. The poor
| lad no use Tor it. aud II they had their
clothes were not good enough to war
ant their going there. One day John
Perkins was standing before it admir-
ing the architecture OF the building
4 beggar came along and asked him
for aims. He gave the beggar a
aickel. all the money he had in his
pocket at the time. He looked from
Mr.. Jones' monument to the beggar
and from the beggar back to the mon
ument
when I've got a fortune" he said to
himself. II won't leave it to the rich:
III leave it to the poor. No. won't.
either" he said on second thought.
III enjoy 1t myself-enjoy It by giving
1t away while live"
said this that he had struck the philos.
ophy Of true selhshness. He thought
not of doing duty. only Of giving
himself pleasure by benefting others.
When John went home he found the
eostman at the door. who handed him
Z letter 1t was postmarked Dawson.
Alaska. John was mystitied He knew
no one In Alaska. However. he opened
the letter and found that it was from
an attorney. informing him that John
Perkins had recently died. leaving John
Perkins residuary legatee Of his estate.
It was intimated that the property
was very valuable and he had better
come at once and attend to it.
When John showed the letter to his
mother she told him that this John
Perkins was his fathers younger
brother. who had disappeared some fif-
teen years before. John had been nam.
I'd for him
John went to Alaska. where he re-
manned several years When he re-
turned he was drawing an income OF
$4,000 year from mines he had in
herited from his uncle He converted
his property into mortgages. settled in
his native town and began to enjoy
life In bis own selfish way.
It was not long before he had acuuir-
ed reputation for miser. He gave
nothing away, except under promis,
from the recipient to hold the gift \
profound secret. And all the recipj
ents were those of the middle and low
er classes The Jones memorial was
referred to as illustrating the benefit
done the town by the donor Of the w.
ceum In contrast with the niggardli.
ness Of John Perkins John also suf.
Tered from persons who applied to him
Tor money to use in various schemes
which would make them rich. They
were all refused for John at the out
set had made resolution to keep all
nis money for needy persons
The enmity John excited among the
better classes as he grew older embit
tered them against him. He lived with
his old mother in comfortable house
into which none Of his own class ever
came. The reason was. primarily. that
such persons were not invited; but
secondarily. they knew there wa,
nothing to be made out of John Fer
kins. They had no time to waste on
those who would be of no benefit to
them There were rumors that he was
not quite so bad as he was painted,
but whenever such came to his ears he
them by saying that he was