The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-07-25
TheAmateur Gentleman
by Jeffrey FarnoI

bother YOU only well. II seemed MS
wife was sick-fellow actually
blubbered So Of course l rang for
my rascal DANNY. Danby's my valet,
y know Have YOU any money,
Danby?' says I No sir. says he;
queer thing. but Dandy never has,
although I pay him regularly
devilish improvident fellow. Dandy
So went out and unearthed
Jcrningham-and paid the fellow
on the spOt-only right. y know"
But why not paw your debts with
YOUR own money! Barnabas in
CURED.
For the very good reason that it
all went-age- ago."
why. then" said Barnabas,
earn more"
Eh?" said the captain, staring
earn il? Ny dear Beverley,
never earned anything in my life.
except my beggarly pay, and that
isn't enough even for my cravats."
We'll. why not begin?"
Begin? To earn money? How?"
You might work" suggested
Barnabas.
"Work?" repeated the captain,
starting. "eh, what? On, I see,
you're joking, Of course-deuced
quaint. b'gad!'
No, I'm very serious" said Bar
nabas thoughfully.
Are you though But what the
deuce kind Of work d you suppose
I'm fit for?"
All men can work." said Barna-
bas. more thoughtfully than before.
we'll can ride, and shoot, and
drive a coach with any one"
Anything mOre?"
"No-not that I can think Of.
Have you ever tried to work,
then-hard work, I mean?"
"Oh. Lord, no. Besides, I've al
ways been too busy. Y know. I've
never had to work Y see, as luck
would have it, was born gentle
man, Beverley"
Yes" nodded Barnabas, more
thoughtfully than ever, "but-What
is a gentleman
A GENTLEMAN? Why-let me
n thinkl" said the captain, ma
neuyering his horses skillfully as
they swung into the Strand.
And when ne had thought as far
as the Savoy he spoke:
"A gentleman" said he, is a fell
low who goes to university, but
doesn't have to learn anything; who
goes out into the world but doesn't
have tO-work at anything; and
who has never been blackballed at
any of the clubs. I've done a good
many things in my time, but I've
never had to work"
That is a great PITY" sighed
Barnabas.
"Oh! is it, b'gadl And why?"
Because hard work ennobles a
man." said Barnabas.
Always heard it was a deuce OF
a borel" murmured the captain.
"Exertion," Barnabas continued,
growing a little didactic perhaps,
''exertion iS-life. BY idleness come
degeneration and death"
Sounds cursed unpleasant,
b'eadl" said the captain.
The work a man does lives on
after him." Barnabas continued, 1T
is his monument when he is no
more. far better than your high
sounding epitaphs and stately tombs,
yes, even though it be only the fur
row he has plowed, or the earth
his shade has turned"
"But-my dear fellow, you surely
wouldn't suggest that 1 should take
up-digging?"
You might do worse" said Bar
nbaS, but"
Hal" said the captain. well now,
suppoSing I was a-deuced good dig
ger-a regular rasper, bgad! 1
don't know what a digger earns. but
lets be moderate and say five or six
pounds a week. Well, what the
deuce good d. you suppose that
would be to me? Why, l still owe
Gaunt, as far as 1 can figure it up,
about 10000 pounds, which is
deuced lot more than it sounds. l
should have been rotting in the
fleet, or the MarShalsea. years ago
if it han't been for my uncle's
govt, b'gad!"
To Be Continued