The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-09-25
The Dignity Of
Labor
A Story Showing Its Change
In Half a Century
By JOHN Y. HARMED ,

During the past half century a great
change has come over what we CAV tile
dignity of labor-nOt that labor Is a
more honorable calling than formerly.
but it is SO regarded. In America We
took originally our ideas concerning
trade and labor from England, where
neither was then regarded as ut &C.
cupation for gentleman. Fifty years
ago one might not In America sell
goods at retail and maintain first
class social position. The daughters Of
gentlemen and ladies could not earn
money without being taboo by persons
Of their own set. \
Today our merchants and social
princes are retailers. The daughters of
well to do persons prefer to work rath-
or than wait for husbands, and many |
a young man with taste for mechan-
les prefers to make his start In the
machine shop rather than in the count |
ing room.
Nevertheless snobbery has not died T,
out. 1t will never die, filing its ranks
mostly from the get-rich-quick ele-
ment. Modern high social life Is a
combination Of refined persons and
snObs. For the snObs nothing is quite
good enough Refined men think little
Of taking off their coats and doing bit
Of carpenter work about their homes.
Their wives are every day coming
more and more to dispense with hired
help.
One August day young man knock
ed at the door of Mrs. Bradbury, who
lived in a small town called Glendale,
situated in a beautiful valley, and said
to her:
II am looking for a place to spend
month in which to regain health i'm
paired from overwork. l have been
told that If l can get you to take me
in 1 will be very pleasantly situated
The lady looked the young man over
and consented to take him to board
and treat him, II he SO wished, as a
member of her family. He gave his
name as Charles Treat, but concerning
his antecedents or his occupation said
| nothing. The accepting Of Mr.. Treat
as a member Of the family meant more
to him than would at first appear.
Glendale society was more than usual
" pleasant, and Mrs. Bradbury, whose
ancestors had been its leaders In for
mer times, though she was now poor
retained her membership. Many good
men and women had of late years beel
admitted to social companiOnship, bu
the snob had not been kept out. New
ertheless Glendale social life was SUI
ficiently- progressive to take persons
for their intrinsic worth.
For the first week Of his sOjOurn II
Glendale Charles Treat divided his da!
between sitting ON Mrs. Bradbury
porch and taking walks in the countr,
: round about. Then Mrs. Bradbury
finding that he was growing impatien
{ to get back to work, suggested that b
+ would be better satisfied to remain
he had some companionship and offel
u ed to introduce him to the young me
and young women of the place. Trea
= consented and became member Q
, the younger social circle of Glendale.
There were tennis courts there,
which those devoted to outdoor sport
gathered, and Treat found the gam
ID both attractive and of advantage
his health. He was well liked. thong
T. not what is called popular. Populs
- young men and women in society al
- usually ephemeral. Unless they haS
=. sterling qualities they are liable
:. drop out Of the esteem in which the
are held, taking a back seat. Amor
the more refined young men and wor
~ en- Treat was considered an equa
20 among those whose, parents had I
vi Gently got rich he found little fave
N They required some information as
no what was his occupation, and he d
a not seem inclined to crafty their Gu
on osity.
On Treat took more especially to tenn
er than to the other methods of recre
ng ton. He played good game, thou!
NJ at the time. his health having be
or impaired by overwork, he did not pl
th a strong one. 1t was noticed that
lot was dreamy-that is, he was liable
1e be thinking of something else tn
Ter what he was doing. On several oc'
SlOuS Willie at tciiiiiS, StiuNN W a. ~
M, den thought while ball was to
emf sent back, he would let 1t go by wi
TO out seeing it. This was not accepta|
d, to his partner when he had one a
'hu gained him the name of "woolgath
o! err" One of the young men who
eve ticed this idiosyncrasy declared Il
ers Treat was either mad or genius. a
''er ing that geniuses were part luna
ou. and, after all, there was not mt
'n' difference between the two. But
"a" others would not agree to this.
In these days wealth counts for
al, much those possessing it naturally
-. come social leaders. Among the yo'
A., ladies of Glendale was Miss Mar
Gov Broadnax, whose father had mad
tho great deal of money In manufactur
dor bones into fertilking material.
left Broadnax, being able to entertain N
zen lavishly than any of the young VOL
own In Glendale. naturally fell into the
can sition of leader of the younger
d to About the time that Mrs, Bradt
be introduced Charles Treat this 70
take woman had begun to assume the r
. re- to pass upon any person who was
'orld ceived within the circle. Not ha'
been consulted as to Treats ad