The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1915-04-23
...A...
CAREER
By DONALD CHAMBERlIN

Even at that tender age he discerneh
that. while there were a number of
sources of power. the one that covered
the widest field was wealth. At any
rate, he saw persons living In fine
houses and driving about in style. and
he not only envied them. but resolved
that as o ~ as he was able to accumu
late money It should be the object Of
his life.
When Edward. was fourteen he said
goodby to his father and mother and
went to the city to begin Il career. Be
ing bright and ready at all times for
work, be found a situation and not only
kept It. but advanced rapidly. As he
grew older there waS no desire In
bin for money in itself. hut for the
him. Except for the first few years
he spent in the city. he did not accumu
late by saving. The fortune that came
to him was the result rather of daring
operations. for which lie seemed to
have Il genius.
After awhile Edward wilkins had &C.
cumulated SO much money that it seem
ed impossible he should ever be poor.
His safety lay in having SO much CAPT.
tai that he could carry through any
scheme he undertook. II he wished to
buy all the corn in the country and
hold it at his own price he was able to
do sc. Did he choose to buy Il rail-
way he could first depress the stock.
then purchase it and hold it at his own
valuation.
wilkins had no desire to exercise the
power his wealth gave him. He was
content with knowing that he possess
ed it. He did not care for political
preferment; he took no interest in in
~f1uencing the course OF the government
When the great tinancier was forty
years Of age he had reached the sum.
NIT of his ambition He had acquired
m power through his wealth.
but since the exercise of that power
would give him no enjoyment he had
come to the end Ut his desire. He was
like Alexander. who complained be-
cause there were no more kingdoms to
conquer.
When an active brain tires OF what
has occupied and fed it there comes
a craving tor something to take its
place. One such person will spend
years building IA sumptuOus residence.
which is more likely to he Il sepulchcr
than a home. Another will turn au-
thor, taking comfort in giving to the
world theories for which it has no use.
wilkins. now that he had reached his
goal in half a lifetime. began to won
der what would he the end of the 9th
er half. After Il continued rise to the
summit would he descend again to end
his career in the valley:
One thing he had lived long enough
to recognize Life appeared to him a
constant shifting Nothing seemed to
endure unless it was inanimate. and
even that. though slowly. was continu-
ally changing its form. There were
mountains where there had been val
leys and valleys where there had been
mountains. Cities had been buried for
centuries. forgotten. then uncovered to
serve as curiosities. Whole sections
OF land had slid down into the sea and
passed out of sight.
What would become Of his great for
tune! He knew that after his death
1t would pass back into the great ocean
OF wealth. But would he retain 1t for
the rest Of his life?' Now that he had
achieved it he no longer valued it and
cared not so much what was to he
come Of it as what was to become Ol
him. Enough to give him the ordinary
comforts essential to old age was all 1t
S~rir1 DIT t1,ht np,f Vx,0s ENP nNnn
moment to him.
One night he dreamed IL vivid dream
He dreamed that he returned TO the
farm and was a boy again. Yet he
possessed all the experience he had nc
1uired. His ambition was gone. III
said to himself: Here | am. aud here
l wish TO remain. My body is not as
1t was. full of life. 1t is tired. All
desire Is rest
1t was IL strange dream. this old
spirit in a young body. 1t made q
marked impression on him at the time
but gradually passed out Of his mind
with other forgotten things
When Wilkins found that he had at
tanned his desire he %bethought himself
what he could do to replace the object
he had lost. Like many other rich me-
under similar circumstances, he decid
ed to build himself Il magnificent resi-
dence. He had long owned the farm
on which he had been born. His ia
ther and mother had died there. ant
be had no use for the place. SO tn
house was shut up and the land lief
untitled. though he gave orders tina
the house and fences should be KEEP
in repair. The farm marked his he
ginning: the palace he was about t
build would mark his end
He spent a year on designs for hi
residence. then began to build. Fou
years passed. and it was not finished
Indeed. he did not wish It finished
He chung to building 1t for something
to occupy him. When it was complet,
and be moved in be seemed lost in II