The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1913-08-07
ThePhilosophy
of Selfshness
By KATHLEEN J. MCURDG


his native town of Bloomsbury he
was everybody'S pet. When he smiled
his eye lighted up and dimple ap-
neared i'm each cheek. His face chang
ed, however, in twinkling at the re
cital of a tale of woe or an injury To
any animal. For this reason some
called him chicken hearted.
When Johnny grew to manhood
while he was as much beloved MS
stand in the community was not as
high as il had been when he was
child. Men and women occupy dll-
ferent sphere from either children OF
Youths. The latter periods are nat
ural; the former is artificial.
Edward Jones, a rich man OF the
town. died and left his fortune to
found an institution to be called the
Jones Lyceum. 1t was a bcautlful
monument To Mr.. Jones and was IRE
quented 10y the best people. The poor
had no use for ii. and if they had their
clothes were not good enough to war
rant their going there. One day Johh
Perkins was standing before 1t admir-
ing the architecture of the building.
4 beggar came along and asked MN
for aims. He gave the beggar
nickel. 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. Il won't leave it to the rich;
I'll leave it to the poor. No, won't.
either" he said on second thought.
I'll enjoy it myself-enjOy it by giving
it away while ! live
John had no idea whatever when he
said this that he had struck the philos-
ophy Of true selfishnesS. He thought
not of doing Il duty, only of giving
himself pleasure by benefiting others.
When John went home he found the
pOstman at the door who handed him
a letter 1t was pOstmarked Dawson,
Alaska. John was mystitied. He knew
no one in Alaska. However, he opened
the letter and found that ii was from
an attorney. informing him that John
Perkins had recently died, leaving John
Perkins reSiduary leg&tee Of his estate.
1t was intimated that the property
was very valuable and he had better
come at once and attend TO ii.
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
ed for him.
John went to Alaska, where he re-
manned several years. When he re-
turned he was drawing an income of
$4,000 a 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 his own selfish way.
1t was not long before he had acquir-
ed a reputation for a miser. He gave
nothing away. except under promise
from the recipient to hold the gift a
profound secret. And all the recipi-
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 ly-
ceum in contrast with the niggardli-
ness of John Perkins. John also suf-
fered from persons who applied to him
for money to use in various schemes
which would make them rich. They
oil s. T.,
set had made Il resolution to keep all
his 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 q 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 was
nothing to be made out of John Per.
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
squelched them by saying that he was
selfish; he knew it and didn't care
whether the world admired or blamed
him for it,
John gave away all of his income ex
| cept a couple of thousand dollars
which was all he and his mother need
ed to be comfortable. After his moth
er died he didn't spend as much, anC
his reputation for being a miser was
! enhanced. How could ii be otherwise
since he would not permit any one he
benefited to tell of what he had done
And the more he gave the crustier re
marks he made. No one understood
him, and no one cared to understand
him.
When John died. with no relative Il
| benefit by his fortune. everybody won
dered what would become of it
| Surely the town at last would ge
something from the old curmudgeon
! On opening the will it was found tina
| a splendid fortune had been frittereC
| away in small gifts. 1t was not know
| how many persons were benefited. bu
their name was legion. The legacie
ranged between 500 and $4,000. Th,
odd part of il was that there wer,
| legacieS for those whom the deceas SEE
was not supposed to have known.