Year: 1872

Once three little hoys named Tom. Dick. and !
Harry, set on fence, talking over their hopes |
and aspirations in life, and gazing into futurity,
and chewing gum, and enjoying themselves, |
except Tom, who was trying to smoke a !
cigarette, and just at that precise moment was |
beginning to feel unsteady about the stomach. |


While they sat there, who should come
along but one Of those old philanthropists, !
with glngham umbrella and nine fingers of
Grape on his high hat, who was all the time
aggravating small boys with moral conundrums.
so, as soon as he saw these three chaps, he
went at them with his regular catecbism and
he laid his hand on Toms head, which Tom
had just combed in order to distract girl who
lived next door to him, and this benevolent
being said


Thomas, my son, what is your ambition in
life J? What do you want to be when you grow
up"


Tom felt miserable on account of that cigar
ette; so he only answered


"All | want is to get rich. :"


! An expression of pain passed over the aged
mans face; and he turned to Dick, who had
| taken the gum out of his mouth, and had it in
his hand


And, Richard, what do you want most in
this life ~


Dick said he was going to be great man.


More suffering appeared in the good old frl-
lows face as he said to Harry


And, Harry, what is your ambition ?"


TO be good, sir, replied Harry.


Now, 1t Is the regular conventional thing in
all the books, when a boy answers in this noble
manner, for the philanthropist to shed silent
tear, and to fork out halt dollar as the reward
of virtue. But this man, with the bombazne
on his hat disappointed Henry by simply
wiping his nose with a red pocket handker
chief, and stating that Harry was on the right
track, and had chosen the only course that
could make him happy.


And this was precisely where this old custo-
mer was wrong, as We shall see.


Tom, for instance, started out to get rich
and he stole from his employer about four dol,
lars week, and played marbles for keeps and
cheated, and worked hard, and saved up. and
got stingy and mean, and never gave cent to
+ any sick crippes in the street, aud refrained


from alleviating the suferings of any lonely


widows and orphans who were starving to death


in garret, and disgorged no funds for the


benghted heather in Africa, who, he said,
ought to be benighted, and we're better off when
: they were benighted. And when the collection
was taken up in church on Sunday he always
put half dollar on the plate and took out
: seVenty-fve cents change and considered that
sharp fnanciering And as he got older he
= speculated in oil, and took his friends on the
ground floor of his company, which smashed
up after Thomas had made his profits. And

E million dollars in it he failed and embezzled it,
I and went to Europe to take tour for the sake
OF his health, for he had obtained his desire to


be rich.


y One would think that the wicked man would
have been filled with remorse and anguish and


would have reflected how unsatisfactory riches


are after all, and how clear conscience is


better than the wealth Of Cre,us; and then,
looking upon his gold, he would have considered
3 it mere drOss, that could not bring happiness
i and then he would have sighed for the purity


and innocence of his childhood 3 day, and re-
J, Dembered how he had wasted his life since
It the happy time when he sat on that fence and


cOnversed with the benign philanthropist with


the umbrella and the high hat. But Thomas


said he was satisfied. He had the cash, and
IS he felt firstrate. No pang of remorse bother


ed him, and he didn't want to be boy sgain


but he enjoyed himself just as he was, spend


ing his revenue and having everybo consider.


ing him magnificent fellow, which they didn'


when he was poor; and he even had the hardi


hood to assert that he would do just as he had
y done again.


2 Dick wanted to he great So he got elected


justice Of the peace, and he let up on hardened
d criminals, who had prrpetrated frightfuI crimes
2 on condition they would vote for him for Com
' mon Council. So they did, and be was elected
And then he gave out contracts to rascally


politicians who could rob the Treasury as much
n as they wanted to, provided they would send
: Dick to the Legislature, which they accordingly
!. did. And when he got there he voted for all
II the deadwood corporations and railroad swind
!: les for the fellows who promised to make him
4 Governor, and he was elected Governor; and
r. he began to pardon ali the pickpockets and
Z thieves out of the pententisry and wink at all
! the frauds practiced in the Legislature, so as
e to be sent TO the Senate-which he was and


now he i loading his dice to be President, and
!, very likely he will, some day or other
s But now, at the very pinnacle of fame, does


he sit down, and at the goal Of his ambition