The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-12
THE OLD MANS STORY
The Dreamer Has Another Wis
ion in Which He Sees, and
Hears a Story With a
Moral.
By w. II. l.. (Slicers)

Again, | walked along the high
way of life and as | was tired and
weary l sat down by the road side
to rest and 10. as | slept, again
vision came to me, but this time it
was the apparitjon of an old man
whose hair was white and whose
shoulders were bent with care. The
story he told me | will repeat as
I can remember it.
Many years ago." said he, when
[ was young man with many
friends and much talent, 1 had
friend of my own age and together
we started out to search for the
house of happiness For a few
years we travelled together and were
inseparable; but one day as we jour-
neyed on in our search we were ap-
preached by one of the three sisters
called Faith, Hope and Charity. 1t
was Charity and she offered to guide
us to the home true happiness. My
friend listened but l would not, and
so we parted; my friend gong with
Charity while | went alone.
l asked the old man the year and
date and when he had told me, l
said, 1 saw that meeting and also
saw him who was your friend find
the house Of happiness but do not
remember you. No" the old man
replied, that was many years ago
and | have changed but / was there,
and refused the offer of Charity and
went on alone, and for many years
/ continued my search but at last |
came to the conclusion that in or
der to find happiness | must first
secure wealth and so l gave over
every effort in the securing of
wealth. l sacrificed every princi-
pie that was left in my frantic eff
forts to that on which l had set my
heart. Honor, purity, nobleness.
honesty and conscience were cast
aside, l lived for but one thing, it
became an obsession to me, nothing
else mattercd. And gradually l be-
came rich and as my wealth in
creased | added to it by the labor
of little children. | was respected.
In my mills and stores young girls
tolled for wage that would hardly
keep body and soul together, some
gave up and took the easier way"
others labored on until sickness and
death brought relief. At last had
amassed a great fortune and then |
said, now, l will 60 and buy that
for which I have labored so long,
and l started out on my search
again. | caused to be built a beau
tiful mansion into which | placed
the rarest paintings and furnishings.
| searched the world over for the
beautiful and when it was found
bought it and placed it beside my
other priceless possessions. For a
time l would be happy but in the
end it was always the same; there
was something lacking, a vague
something which 1 could pot define
and which my wealth could not buy.
Meanwhile, the chum of my youth
had been steadily plodlng along. He
was not wealthy, in fact he was Oft
en- in want. He had no fine man
sion, no servants, no fine books,
priceless paintings, or rare treas.
ures; but i'll his face was look of
contentment and when we would
meet he would advance with out
stretched hand, but / would turn
my head away. Why should who
had been successful, recognize him
who had followed phantom and
was failure
The Chum of my youth died IN
want because he gave the last of his
food and money to another MILO was
sick an dfriendless. And now as
my sun is settling. and my memory
goes back to the years of my child
hood when was a boy at mothers
knee, and in-my fancy can see her,
seem to hear her voice as she reads
to us out of her bible; In as
much as We have done it unto the
least of these. We have done
it. unto me. For what is a man
profited. if he shall gain the whole
world and lose his own SOUL"
The old man stopped speaking for
shadows had deepened and the sun
had gone down, while on his face