Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-07-14
t h 9 y a ily
Short Story
THE BRONZE AND THE HUMAN
HEART.
by Alan Fiinsdale.

) ne Town or ifoiHuES WoTEl mas been
named for the man who did more
for it than any other person. While
Joel FoiHogsw0rth did much for the
town. be did not do anything for any
one I'm Ii excepting himself He found
ed the Holdings worth institution and
endowed it for the work OF scientific
research It's benefits 20 mankind
were intended 20 be general. not par
tiCular. and the real design was no
perpetuate he name Of joel H0lllugs-
worth On a circular plot Of ground
just within It's gates stood q bronze
statue Of its founder on a lofty
pedestal.
1t represented q man who looked ag-
gressive. by no means modest or re-
firing -one who would not aide hje
light under a bushei
One day Edgar Walker. young fell
low IL years of age, was passing
through the town of HOuinEswoTtL
his worldly effects tied up ia a BAN
dauna handkerchief. on his way to q
city near by. where he hoped TO make
his fortune His way led him by the
HoIingsw0rth institution, ana, paus-
ing. he looked through the g.i5ed
bars Of the gates at the noble pile
within. his eyes finally resting ON The
statute OF its founder.
Hearing a moan behind him. he
turned and saw q girl about 8 years
old crying Turning. he asked her
what troubled her She told him that
her mother had sent her 10 the store
with q silver dollar to make some pur-
chases and she had lost To-.
Now. Edgar Walkers capital on
which he proposed to found his for
tune was exactly 81 Taking Al from
his pocket, ne offered Il 20 the girl
She drew back, stopped crying and
with changed expression said
1T would be mean for me to take
money from a boy with holes In bis
shoes, even as a gift My father says
that the man who built all these build
ings used TO take money from any
body he could get il out Of. I won't
do that, no matter what I need
The girl went on her way and Ed
gar passed on through the town dream
ing Of the fortune he would make how
he would make it and what ne w0uld
do with fl after ii was made.
The wears went by. The noble pile
called the H0lingsworth institution
still rose high over the town that
nestled about IT, joel HollinEs worth
i'm bronze stitl stood with folded arms
within the gate, conscious Of bis no.
biIify of soul An occasional passer
still stopped to peer between the bars.
The particular passer who gazed one
sumner afternoon just before sunset
was prosperous looking gentleman
a few years short OF 40.
Hearing q musical laugh behind him
me turned and saw a woman between
rs and 80 with a girl some 20 years
her junior whose resemblance no her
indicated that the child was her daugh-
ter.
Come. mamma" said the girl taE-
giug at her mother lets look tn at
the green grass and the flowers and
the trees and the pretty walks"
The woman yielded, and the two
stood beside the man, mother and
child gazing on this beautiful home of
science. the man gazing upon the girl
Madam" he said 20 years ago /
was looking through the bars of this
gate when. hearing some one weeping
behind me. ( turned and saw that
child. She said that her mother bad
given her a dollar with which % make
purchases and she had lost it, j d.
fered her the only dollar ] possessed.
and she declined H.. saying that she
would not he SO mean as the man
standing there i'm bronze. Can II b8
that she ceased from that time % de-
veiop and is still a chtld2'
Il ann or was the child, replied the
mother who had lost the dollar and
who declined YOUR kind offer. J grew
TO womauho0d, married and became
widow Tais child Is nv daughter.
7 have not forgotten the boy who of
tered 70 supply my loss, and Ire haas
always existed i'm my mind as the am
Upodes of he man OF bronze
And I have remembered your re-
marks about the bronze heart of this
man. ] was going 20 the city 90 enter
upon my LIES career. ] resolved that
If / could not make q fortune without
grinding my fellow beings, without re-
fuslug tbe poor aud loWiy Z would ser
on without one. / have come =tatE
reasonable bounds of keeping uE res1-
tuition I have made money. aWf at-
tribute II To q natural gift for business
rather than 10 hard work. Fortunate
ly IL has NOT been necessary for me
to be mean To NE money making has
been easy
Then YOU viii not leave r. monu-
meut to yourself such as this
II shall leave no monument at ALL
When / die all on nearly all the funds
T have accumulated viii have gone al
ready 10 any deserving OF st may be
undcserviug, person whom happen
to meet needing assistance. III there
ifs anything left id shall be distributed
iu sums of 81 among the poor
"Thea yOu do not believe IN organ
lied Charitv2'
tI certainly do believe I'm f. But for
myself I prefer TO scatter nay gifts 10
such a way that the donor shall NOT
be known"
@Iu other words. SOU prefer RIA.
YOUR right hand shall not know Waal