Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1915-04-10
The Conversion Of Il Seb-Made Man.
By Nyro D'Ivra
Cor "The Palisadian"


FOR "The Palisadian"
1t was Christmas night and man
who was perfectly satisfied with him
self, sat before the fireplace musing.
Nearby stood the christmas tree,
iavis hly decorated and glittering IN
Cinsil. This man was wealthy, gave
freely to charity and his work in the
BUSINESS world was made. He denied
neither his wife, nor child that which
Chey desired. TO the contrary he
showered both with many costly gifts
Yet wiz all, his wire seemed unhappy.
A silent misunderstanding twiXt him
and his wife prevailed. Exactly
what Misunderstanding existed he
could not discern. In offering her
his love and carresses she acted not
the same as of yore. When his eyes
searched deeply into hers she seemed
to possess ''far away look"
He had married her when she was
very young and the newness Of
matrimony had filled her very life
with ecstacy, but as they grew older
she seemed to sway from her love and
later when the baby came, she show
cred all her love and attention on the
child and only caressed her husband
when duty called (Which was in the
morning when he left for business
and in the evening when he returned).
He could not understand it. He had
not spoken harshly to her, she had
whatever she wanted, the child was
JOY to both and goodness knows he
loved her as we'll as ever. Then what
ha h.
not his fault, that was certain. If
she wanted to be Indifferent, that was
her funeral, not his. Few men had
risen from obscurity to the position
he now held and fewer still gave as
much in proportion to charity as he.
Many men had praised him for his
business abilities and the president of
the Ladies' Aid Society had person
ally thanked him for giving a huge
donation to the home of Friendless
Cats. His heart was in the right
place (Which literally means the Left,
All this naturally tickled him and in
cidentlly caused his mouth to curl into
a perpetual grin. Not T. R. grin,
but grin which manifested self-as
surance. ct" was scrubbed, not
written-but scrubbed, and poorly
scrubbed at that, all over his face.
And that is the state of affairs as
they existed Christmas night.
This tale was started by saying that
this man sat musing before the fire
rlace, and that is how we still find
him. 1t was a lucky thing that he
did not sit too near the fireplace for
his feet would have gotten warm, his
corns would have popped and he
would have left the room, in which
case this episode would terminate
right here But as we still find him
s1uatted down in the chair, we will
have to trot on, hoping against hope
| that he will either vacate the chair
or arrive at some decision concerning
himself.
If only the fireplace would burn his
toes, but no-that would not be
proper. The proper thing would be
to try and cure him of his conceit,
| which made his wife unhappy and
proved him to be an ass. Self-made,
| indeed, yes, there are many Self-made
men and there are also self-playing
pianos, but both lack "fnish." They
are perfect in technique, perhaps, but
on! so unpOetlcal, SO unmuSlcal. Even
normal ears can barely listen to
either.
The log in the fireplace called to a
| lighted candle in the Christmas tree
"Ah there! little candle? are you
not unhappy up there in that tree,
wasting your strength in giving such
little light? Don't you wish you
were me, who give both light and
quantities of heat?"
NO." replied the candle. 81 am
not unhappy; | am only little chunk
of wax. l know, and my life is short,
but while l live | try to be merry.
The little light l give as my body
melts away, is not very bright, but
it suffices, for it causes the children
to laugh and they love to watch me,
and when l am gone, l know that