Year: 1878

The Ends of Two Men Who Started Togeth-
| er Forty Years Ago.


New York Tribune Editorial, jan.


Here is little story which seems to
us to suit the day. On New Years
night, just forty years ago, two lads
landed from an emigrant ship in New
York. They were both honest, OF de-
cent parentage, and intelligent. They
discussed ways and means before sepa-
rating to seek their fortunes in the New
World. But the older boy, whom we
shall here call Wright, had so many and
such magnificent plans that the other
had opportunity to say but little. In
fact, he had no plans nor castles in the
air, being only concerned in finding i'm
mediate work and wages Wright, com
ing from a country where his class had
no chance, was bewildcred by the gilt
tering possibilities of republic. You
will see me in the American Senate
yet, he said to his companion.


The lad made this point his goal, and
based all his action morbidly on it, just
as Hastings did on the possession Of the
estate of his ancestors. Politics, Wright
perceived, was the shortest way up,
clean or dirty; the newspaper was the
quickest method Of gaining knowledge
Of politics. He secured situation in
the Office of New York paper of unsa
worry notoriety. The work was hard, the
pay poor, He eked out his resources
by jobbery; and, after several years, it
was limited, by blackmail. The man was
not without ability; he wrote one or two
elaborate articles which are even yet
remembered as the most brilliant of
their kind. Literary men were scarcer
then than nova little talent made
great bruit in the world Wright be-
came a lion for the time, was handed
about from club to club, and dined at
rich mems tables, until it was found
that he had laid his one golden egg. His
succeeding articles were insipid and
bombastic Then he was left to die
alone, and to swill cheap wine and bad
whisky at the grog-shops. He had ac-
quired the taste for both. But the Sen
ate was still before him. He turned
ward politician, sank by degrees into
the vilest depths of trickery and bribery
He had not been bad man in the be-
ginning. There were flashes of fine in
stincts, tender, manly feeling about him
yet. He ran for Governor and barely
missed success; he lived by turns in the
state-rooms of the best hotel and in the
slums behind the Bowery. He is dead
now. After thirtyfve years of useless
struggle, his body, diseased through eX-
haustion and rum, was laid in the grave,
and his soul went-GOd knows where.
Certainly it had been greatly deteriora-
ted and tainted in those years


In the meantime the younger man
had made no mark in the world. He
settled in Western village, worked, en-
joyed himself, made new friends day by
day. He was an earnest, thorough fcl
low. He became physician, and there
was no more keen, patient practitioner
in the State. He fell in love; never was
there a more ardent lover. He brought
up his children in the fear of God, with
clean minds, good digestion, high, honor
able aims He is living still, a white
haired. erect, clear-eycd old man. who is
not known outside of his own county,
but has built solid foundation under
his feet for this world by falr-dealing
and love to his neighbor, and for the
next by humble trust in an all-merciful
God.


Now we have told these incidents be-
cause there is not a reader OF this NOR
ning's Tribune who does not stand now
just where those lads did on that New
Years night We put our feet on the
shore of new world this morning. n
good many of us will make fine plans,
fix our eyes on some glittering height.
1t is the American custom Preachers
and teachers urge babies in pinafores to
aim high Success is to be conquered
by sudden leap A mastery magazine
article, a picture, dashed off in fiery
haste, some speech, or deed, or stroke of
business ability, we think will set the
tongue of the town wagging this year
and carry us straight up the heights.
There is an old story of two men who
set out to reach certain point. One
logged on securely afoot. One made
himself wings like 1carus and flew fur
long, when the sun melted the wax and
down he came in the slough. There are
so many painters of one picture, writer's
of one novel down there in the mud with
him. Or, if you are devout, you have
felt ardent aspirations, no doubt, this
morning. You are going to carry heav-
en- by assault in 1873. You set before
yourself ascetic self-denial, raptures of
devotion, and in reaching for them you
are blind to the wants of your office-boy
and nag your wife at the breakfast-ta-
Bile. But on this first of January let us
plan only for January the first. We
Shall find enough work and reward in it.
God will take care of the rest