THE QUIET HOUR
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‘•The Black Cat That Isn't There." j
Someone, in a mood of irritable re- |
action, after having tried in vain to!
understand his somewhat, vague and
hazy speculations, said that "a meta
physician—the mail who engages in
speculations concerning the relation
of spirit to matter and time and space
—is blind man, on a dark night, look
ing for a black cat that isn't there."
Whether lie is or not, that character
ization is an only too true and tragic
word-picture of a mighty multitude of
folk. You and I could name some of
them. They have all the ear marks.
They are “blind.”
They are in the "dark" some so
called blind men can tell day from
night and £•"■ ’lot quite so badly off in
tlie light ar the darkness. So that
»• blind m? a dark night is doub
ly blind.
They are dug for a' black eat”,
—or its spiritual equivalent. And e
ven the cat “isn’t there."
They are concentrating their efforts
upon the futile pursuit of that which
has no real existence.
We need not go to darkest Africa tq
find them e“Ker. We have sung how j
“The heat! in his blindness bows
dowu to w and stone” mistakenly'
fancing tk> ere Is god somewhere
about that id and stone, until we
are apt to conclude that the heathen
has a monopoly of this business of
“catching frost birds.” But he is not
alone in it by.any means.
There is something appalling in the
thought of the millions upon millions
of spiritually blind folk in the dark
night of heathendom who have spent
their lives for a hundred generations
in looking for what isn’t there." It
parallels Niagara’s power which has
gone waste thru the centuries. In
China and India, and Africa, for ages
countless hordes have spent their
lives’ energies and hearts affection
upon gods which exist only in their
own imagination.
But they are not the only deluded
folk. Tlie world of civilization and
nominal Christianization is full of peo
pie whose lives are spent in chasing
the “black cat that isn’t there.’
A man that, permits himself to com
under the spell of the delusion that
great wealth brings great satisfaction
and who devotes himself to its attain
ment is just as big a “fool”—and T
have the highest authority for the
use of that word. The eat lie’s after
“isn’t there.” He may get wealth.
Almost anybody with a little shrewd
ness; a great deal of unscrupulousnes
and a “str Df luck”, can do that.
But aft r i ’hat he was after was
not so mi :e mere wealth as the
satisfaction d happiness which he
had come to oelieve were the neces
sary accompaniment of wealth—and
he misses these ninety-nine times out
of a hundred. The happiness isn't
there, and he was blind to facts when
he supposed it was.
There is no possibility of any real
happiness in life for a shrivelled soul,
and the task of acquiring great wealt
without moral deterioration is too
great for most mortals. That is what
Christ meant by his “eye of the need
le” sermon. While wealth is not an
evil in itself, the temptations to tram
ple on all the noblest things of life in
its acquirement is so strong, that few
few millionaires resist it. Pay this
price for wealth is to bar oneself out
from all possibility of that very hap
piness which was the man’s real mo
tive in seeking wealth.
In Bishop's Williams address before
flic Cleveland Council of Sociology re
cently said:
“Inordinate wealth commonly knock
the soul out of a man. If you want t
find the dangerous classes in our civ-,
ilization, dehumanized demoralized
and possessed of the devil, you will
find them in two places—the slums
of New York and villas of Newport
The vices of both places are identi
cal, only the one is clothed in purple
and fine linen and the other in rags
and tatters. And you will find more
humaneness and wholesomeness in
the slums than in the villas.”
What is said here is not, a tirade
against wealth for the evil which it
often does to others; but merely an
• \
arraignment for the good of which
it so often deprives its winner. Down
deep in his heart whether lie himself
realizes it or not, the thing that he
most yearningly desires, and for the
sake of securing which he piles up
wealth, is tin' happiness which lie
thinks is inevitably linked with it.
And the happiness ‘‘isn't there” in ^
most instances. And it Isn’t there
just because, too often, he lias
buttered the capacity for happiness in
gaining the wealth.
Sometimes it's health, though this
is. comparatively a lesser thing. And
just a few blocks from where this is
written is one of John D. Rockefel
ler's numerous homes. II is income
this year is said to bo $80,000,000.
Estimating his expenditures on an al
most parsimonious scale lie lould
easily afford sweetbreads, at a dollar
a pound, and nightingales' tongues,
at fabulous quotations, cooked by
radium at a thousand dollars a mille
grain, three times a day. Any yet
his digestion has been so greatly im
paired by his strenuous efforts to
crowd out other oil sellers, that, it
is said, he is reduced to a diet of
bread and milk.
Sometimes the winning of wealth
shuts a man out from the kingdom of
happiness, because it has been won
at the cost of culture. He has money
enough to buy all the best books, pic
tures, statuary; to visit all the beau
ty spots of earth. And for him. of
tentimes, they are all but as pearls
cast before swine.
A steady atrophy of the finer (null
ities and capacities has been going
on. He has fed them as fuel to the
flame of his inordinate ambition to ae'
cumulate wealth. And by the time
the wealth has come they are dead
beyond resurrection, and the happi
ness he thought his wealth would
bring him eludes him to the end. It
“isn't there.”
This is not a mere scare picture
drawn by a professional moralist, it is
the word for word confession of many
a man who has paid the price.
Sometimes tin* fierce heat of mod
ern wealth-getting so curdles the
milk of human kindness in the man's
heart, that by the time ho is a mul
ti-millionaire he is as much of a
mummy as the Pharoli of the Exodus.
When a pirate, in the olden days,
was ready to stop sailing the main,
it might have been very pleasant if
he could quietly retire to some
charming villa and in the bosom of
a devoted family, and surrounded by
admiring friends, spend life’s mellow
years in ease and dignity. Hut tin*
trouble was lie could not, for various
self-evident, reasons.
Xo more can his modern represen
tative. In the cut throat competi
tion involved in piling up swollen for
tunes, the wrongs perpetrated upon
rivals are but shadows of the wrong
done the man’s self. The spring of
of unselfish love and godlike sym
pathy dry up, and will not start to
flow again in later years.
If this was a sermon, there is one
more item in this count that would
receive chief emphasis, for it in
cludes most of the others.
This man who in the pursuit of hap
plness, is deluded into thinking that
it is to be found in the pot of gold at
the foot of the rainbow's arch, and
who sacrifices all else to it. ‘ loses
his own soul.”
lie has sixty or seventy years to
do with as he would.
He coined them into gold.
And he forfeited heaven in the
operation.
He is, above all others, the “blind
man on a dark night looking for a
black cat that isn’t there.”
Smiles.
“Good morning, madam,” began the
hawker in his suavest tones. “I have
here a little article of universal util
ity. It is called the Marvelous Mice
Exterminator, and the price"
“No use," interrupted the woman
firmly. "Wo have no marvelous mice
in tii is house—only the ordinary kind.
Then the door was shut.—S. H. Re
view.
THINKLETS
Thoughts Gathered From The Pens
Of Busy People.
Groat art is born of fooling high,
intense anti holy feeling. In order
to do, you must feel,—11.
* * »
Keep your work well in hand but
don't let it get you in band. When
you nr*' master of your work you
talk with a clear head and are ready
to help others. When your work
masters you, you arc heavy to your
associates and talk shop.
* * *
Try to pull with the other fellows.
You can't pull it alone. Be with
the crowd till you can Blear them
your way. Harmony is the surest
leading string.
* * *
Think twice, count ten, then do
what you were going to say the other
fellow ought to do.
* * *
Work hard but take pleasure in
your work. Think good thoughts
and speak them openly. Help some
weaker one carry his burden for a
time. Wear your brightest smiles
on the cloudy days. These things
develop character—the kind that is
felt and leaves its mark.
* * *
Today is the time. Bo up and do
ing. tomorrow will be too late. 1
will wait, you say, things will
come iny way. No, he is worthless
who trusts to Fate.
* * •
One ounce of ambition, one ounce
of common sense, one ounce of de
termination, one ounce of grit, one
ounce of endurance, one ounce of
good will, there you have a prescrip
tion for character, and success.
* » »
Don't he visionary, don’t theorize.
Have a purpose, work for it. Do your
stunt. Don’t wait for others to make
a name on what you thought of.
* * *
The finest architect in the world
is the designer and builder of char
acter.
* * *
A man may tak joy in hi* work,
he cannot laugh at It—it is too close.
Mirth is a kind of serene skepticism.
It comes only with intelligence.- H.
* * *
It is only by trying to understand
others that we can get our own
le ans understood; and in matters of
human feeling the clement judge is
the most successful pleader.—Steven
son.
* * *
To marry is to domesticate tin Re
cording Angel. Once married, there
is nothing left for you, not even
suicide, but to be good.—R. L. S.
* * *
A sense of right living brings con
tentment and serenity. Only the
mind frought with knowledge of
wrong doing is harassed by doubt and
fear of the world and views others
with suspicion.
* * *
We live in the preeant and work
for the future. The dreamer of the
future merely hugs the hones of the
past.
a * »
If I could write a poem I tell you
what I’d do, I'd tell you of the pres
ent and what is here for you. No
use talking has beens, that’s all
tommy-rot; lots of good has happen
ed, now its Johnny-on-the-spot.. Taint
what you want that makes you fat,
it's what you get, you know; there’s
plenty here, don't ever fear, if you
only take your throw. Opportunity
may come but once, sometimes late
in coming. Why wait for it, go meet
it, get out and go a running.
Calendar For 1911.
The publishers of The Youth's Com
panion will, as always at this season,
present to every subscriber whose
subscription ($1.75) is paid for 1011
a beautiful Calendar for the new
year. The picture panel reproduces
a water-color painting of an old-time
garden in a flood of summer sun
shine, with a back ground of Lom
bardy poplars through which one
catches a glimpse 6f distant hills. The
picture being in twelve colors, the
tones of the original are faithfully
reproduced.
You can do us a favor by telling
your merchant that vou saw his “ad”
j in The Tribune.
1\> I \ RORPiRTS
DENTIST
Office over Kerr's Pharmacy
Other Ptnne2tt0 UeAdenee Phone 71
KlHiAK H. MATH EUS
DEN 'r I B T
Phones; Nos. 177, 217
Sam’i,. Wahl Bulbing
DR T. N. ALLISON
ID El N T T B rr
Phone 248 Ovi r I ttchardson County
Bank.
FALLS CITY, NEBRASKA
DR. H. S. ANDREWS
General Prat lioncer
Calls Answered Day Or Nlglu
In Town or Country.
TELEPHONE No. T
BARADA. - NEBRASKA
A. J. SMITH M. D.
Physician and Surgeon,
Calls answered promptly night or
day.
Salem, : : : : Nebr.
Phones, Mutual 53; S. E. Neb. 33.
CLEAVER & SEBOLD
INSURANCE
REAL ESTATE AND LOANS
NOTARY IN OFFICE
WHITAKER
The Auctioneer
Before arranging date write, tele
phone or telegraph, my expense
J. (i. WHITAKER
Phones 168 1.11-2161 Fulls Cily. Neb
H i+-K't+-»-v 1 « H-FH+iH
D. S. HcCarthy |
}
:: DRAT AND t
TRANSFER
Prompt attention given \
| to the removal of house* \
bold goods.
: PHONE NO. 211 |
t 1
* V
Pasts this in
Your Hat!
J. B. WHIPPLE
WILL SELL
Poland - China
Hogs
Saturday, Oct. 15. 1910
Saturday, Nov. 19, 1910
The Central
'
FALLS CITY, NEB.
DRAWER NO. 12.
REPORTS on financial standing
and reliability of firms, corporations
and individuals anywhere.
Domestic and foreign COLLEC
TIONS given prompt and competent I
attenlor
Christmas Cards Free
I want to send free to every lead
er of The Tribune 10 beautiful im- (
ported, embossed, colored Christmas
post cards, all diffeernt, without
any advertising on them whatever.
I do this because I want people to,
know tiie high grade cards I carry at
manufacturers’ prices. If you prefer!
beautiful New Years cards say so
when you write. All I ask is that
you send me four cents in stamps to
cover postage. Address, C. T. John
stone, Pres. Dept. Fi55, Rochester,
New York.
- t
The best quality of work at prices
that are right.
/
Isn't Right Now < I your financial condition ? I
a Good Time to 1),li;inu .\rai" nt !>™s'
——™——--■-— purity how much of your in
* ^come have vou saved? 1’ei
hips very little, if any. Why not start rijjht now
by opening an account with the
Falls City Stato Bank
and conserve your income from now on? 1 his bank
furnishes deposit slips, checks and pass books free
and pays interest on l ime Deposits and CIIFUO
RHINTS ACCOUNTS.
v_;
Chas. M. Wilson
Is showing a special assortment
of Berry Sets and finely decorated
Plates especially suited for holi
day gifts.
Our grocery stock is complete in every line,
but will use both windows for our China display
until after Christmas. Our China stock is all
in and we are prepared to supply your wants.
Chas. M. Wilson
Let The Tribune print
your SALE BILLS
Good Work Reasonable Prices
Good Bread
Good Fiour
You cannot have one without
the other. Fo bake good
bread you must have good
flour. \\ hen you use Gold
Coin Flour you are sure to
have good bread because it is
the one best flour on the mar
ket.
Ask your grocer for it.
Heck&Warnsley
Distributors for Southeastern
Nebraska
Get Ready for Xmas
Surprise your friends by sending them Photo Post
Cards. We print them. The price will surprise you.
Call or write for samples and prices.
Get your holiday stationery now. We can
please you.
The Tribune
II
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