" i
,
.
*
j
Conservative.
another lifetime to spend , he might
mnke ns valuable a collection , but not
the same. Many treasures in the way
of manuscripts and historic mementoes ,
pictures , books and gifts of inestimable
value to an elderly man , because the
givers "wo see no moro in the world of
men. "
Then Doctor Miller undertook to be
president of the Greater America Expo
sition. He was so
Disaster.
harrassed and wor
ried that he hardly dare even take time
to mourn the loss of his treasures for a
single day. At times grief is a luxury.
We have greatest praise for the officials
of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition but
not for these. Yet the men who labored ,
tugged , bore the brunt oud the failure ,
deserve far greater praise , for the task
was hard just in proportion to the fail
ure. Men make mistakes in judgment
and if they are bravo and honest they
stay by them to the end. What is the
labor incident to any sort of success
compared to that ? What credit does
Mr. Wattles deserve compared to Doctor
Miller ? He deserves all the more con
sideration because he is along in years
and he is and has been a man of note
and national importance. The failure
of the exposition was for that reason a
greater irritation. Dr. Miller did his
duty , all the hard summer , with smiling
face , gracious dignity and unfailing
cordiality. Ho never indicated by word
or sign what he was enduring.
When the mouth of November
dawned and the exposition ended , the
loss of the palatial
Death.
homo had become
a sort of calloused wound , painful but
habitual then came the hardest of all
the death of the wife of his youth and
his riper years. She had been an invalid
for many years she depended upon her
*
husband for so much that the blank life
left to the man is more pitiable even
than usual in such events.
So the sad record of a few mouths
closes. Doctor Miller must surely feel
as if his Gothsemane was passed , as if
the future can hold nothing which he
need fear to meet. We hope he may be
able to realize that "the sunshine is
never wholly dead , Heaven is shadow-
less overhead and God is over all. " His
numberless friends sympathize with him
in his sorrow and they appreciate all
that ho is , all that he has been and will
yet be to Omaha. Life means much to
such men and he will have many oppor
tunities to demonstrate his unselfish
character and noble impulses for the
good of all mankind. After all , that is
happiness. Woman's Weekly , Omaha ,
Nov. 10 , 1899.
The idea of tle Homo-Market Olub
that the stamp duties can be laid aside
gradually "is a good one , " the Boston'
Record ( rep. ) says , "and must bo carried
out , or the death-knell of protection by
the custom-house is sounded. "
AN ONLY SON.
[ From the Oakland Enquirer. ]
He was an Only Son. I did not know
this until after I had been on the car
some considerable time. There wasn't
a great deal in his appearance to indicate
that he was a mother's pride and hope.
His dress was slovenly rather than
shabby , and there was nothing in his
vacant face that anyone except a mother
could hang affection upon.
It soon became evident that this fel
low passenger of mine was laboring
under some great internal excitement.
Suddenly he leaned over and gave vent
to his feelings by precipitating his sup
per upon the car step. This action
caught the motorman's eye.
"Here , you quit that , or get off the
car , " said the man of brakes , and bells.
The Only Sou looked around , and in a
maudlin voice informed the car man
that he had paid to ride , and ride he
would in a manner to suit himself.
Then with considerable emphasis he
went on to state his confidential opinion
of the motorman's origin and character ,
ending up with a comprehensive oath
intended for the world in general.
Then the inotorman waxed wrathful ,
and the Only Son waxed defiant. After
their stock of epithets was exhausted
they proceeded to business. Finally the
Only Son was thrown off the car , and
the atmosphere cleared off.
" " I said after the motorman
"Say , , re
gained his breath and composure , ' 'who
is that fellow , anyway ? "
Then between stops and clanging of
bells he told me that sad old story , the
numerous variations of which have
broken so many hearts. The boy for
ho was scarcely in his majority was an
Only Son. His father has been for many
years in the employ of the Southern
Pacific Company as a mechanic. His
mother is one of those true womanly
souls , whose life has been given , and
given in vain , to a son whom her wealth
of affection had perverted The unhappy
pair had seen their baby grow from an
innocent childhood into a degraded and
criminal manhood. They saw their
hopes and aspiration ? for his future
burst one after another before their eyes.
But still they refused to see the truth
the disgraceful escapades of the youth
wore to them the pranks of unthinking
boyhood. The father worked overtime
and denied himself to keep the sou out
of prison. The mother sat alone at
nights waiting for her erring boy and
praying that no harm might como to
him.
him.Then
Then the war broke out and a beam
of hope brightened the unhappy home.
The son enlisted and marched off to
the music of brass bands , amid the
plaudits of the admiring crowds. And
the mother was satisfied , for her son
was to become a hero. The burden of
care and worry was lifted from the
father's shoulders and for a time there
was a sad happiness in the little home.
But a perverted nature will assert
itself even among the restrictions of
army life. Before many mouths had
passed the son retiarued , and the joy
of reunion could not blot out the new
and deeper disgrace. Yet still the un
happy parents hoped against hope. And
still , as each succeeding day shows
greater and deeper depths of depravity
still they hope. By one not blinded
with love , his future is easily seen.
Sooner or later he will sink into the
disgraced grave of a drunkard or a
criminal. Suicide that were a mercy.
The mother's heart will it break ?
Or will she still have faith in him , her
Only Sou ?
Heaven pity the mother 1 Heaven
pity the sou I To whom will be charged
the ruin of that young life only Heaven
can tell. Love is sometimes a blessing ,
but sometimes there is no greater curse
than to be an Only Son.
ALEXANDER GORDENKER.
. , . , . Morton
OATAIEAI. . . , , , , , .
should devote his
attention to rolling oats. Omaha
World-Herald.
Rolled oats are a brain food. The
editorial staff of that journal need tons
of it.
The man who
thinks , talks ,
OITIZFN
writes and works
to improve and build up the community
where he lives , without regard to "what
people say , think or vote , " is a good citi
zen.
zen.Too
Too many men never do anything
without first trying to find out whether
the proposed action will be popular or un
popular. The almost universal weak
ness of the public men of the United
States is debility of moral courage. This
enervating epidemic is more disastrous
to the republic than war and pestilence.
The good citizen will always endeavor
to love his country for its own sake and
to stand by its flag because of the
liberty and happy protection which that
flag represents ; but the demagogue talks
glibly of country and flag , and the rights
of the plain people for his own sake.
The demagogue is worse than war ,
pestilence and famine unified.
"Tho democratic " in the
policy , ex
pectation of the Atlanta Constitution
( dem. ) , "will be to hold the Philippine
Islands for the time being in the interest
of humanity and until such period , nearer
or remote , when we have justified our
occupation , discharged our obligations ,
and placed the islanders on their feet as
men able to govern and take care of
themselves. This will be the democratic
policy because the democratic voters
will insist upon it , because justice de
mands it , and because it is in the inter
ests of humanity. "