Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-19
By BEATRICE FAIRFAX.

TINE man with a surplus OF wealth
and idle time, and the too-ofte
attending poverty Of heart.
brain and soul, awakens to manhood
with the discovery that he holds in
one hand candle and in the other
hand matches. called Pride, Vanity,
Passion, Power and Self with which
to light e.
The devil Is generous with his
equipment, and never partial. The
young man with the unllghted candle
looks around him and sees that many
other men are similarly equipped
They have lighted their candles and
are making merry with the moths
that are attracted by the flame.
They shout In triumph as moth aft
er moth circles too near the flame. is
burned and drops to the floor. And
the man with the greatest number OF
moths around his candle shouts the
loudest. for is he not the greatest hero
among mankind2
Some day, perhaps, these candies
will burn to their sockets. and before
they expire a tiny flame will shoot
forth from every candle, burning the
hand of the man who holds H. But
that is a long time away and many
men are never burned, so why fret the
merry present with thoughts OF a
troubled future?
SO all light their candles. and more
moths futter in-soft and white and
graceful A snowflake falling from
heaven seemed never sweeter.
And the snowflake after IL has fall
en- 20 the ground and become a part
OF the mire is a symbol Of what hap
pens TO the moth.
Only Moths.
These silly moths see many things
in the flames that were never there.
They see love, warmth OF heart and
soul Caresses ease, luxury and fine
raiment. and OF all these little allur-
ing binding. dazzling lights shot out
from the flames none has as great
power 20 attract as the light that
promises fine raiment
The moths are soft, pretty. silly
brainless things. So bralnless they
would sell their souls for ine clothes
and think they got the best OF the
bargain. Every hutter OF their wings
that brings them nearer the flames
tells Of this intention.
Poor little things! II they sold only
their souls the price would be dear
enough. but this world has way OF
refusing to leave all punishment to
the next and they sell more than
their souls They sell their peace
and happiness In this life a. we'll As
all hope for the next
There IS no garment so fine that II
is worth the price paid for It In the
moth-and candle market Storm
tossed, dragged. beaten, oppressed,
abandoned and dishonored, the soft
satiny raiment with which the moth
has attired herself makes poor pro-
lection against the elements whose
wrath her vanity has invoked.
The satisfaction OF vanity is the
shortest lived OF all sentiments; the
moth soon finds that attire can be
never so fine that a happy, contented
heart beats under the scarlet letter of
shame pinned on the breast
No Conoealment.
No girl ever enjoyed a luxury that
was not won honestly that the world
did not and IL out No girl ever
picked fine raiment out OF the flames
OF a candle held out TO her by a young
man that the world did not know It.
II was too young" poor girl will
plead ito know ] was doing wrong
NO girl replies the world rs ever
so young that she is not old enough
10 know better"
II saw no soft, allurins lights in the
flames. II saw only dishonor and deg
"a 1ation. Il neither forgives nor for
gets the girl Il may condemn the
man. but 1t never Furnishes him. II is
always on the breast OF a woman that
the scarlet letter burns.
1t is always the woman who pays