Life — April 16, 1914 — page 8: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

680 A Wise Man Lay Dying HE wise man lay dying. This in itself may be taken as proof of his wisdom by some, but there is other evidence. Calling to his son, the wise man bade him be seated near the death- bed, and said: “My son, I am dying. Soon you will have no father, but fear not; before I go I give to you something of more value than many fathers. In life I have been of small service to you, but dying I will to you a god before which the whole world bows—the only uni- versal and compelling deity.” The wise man reached under his pillow and drew forth a bag filled with gold. “Behold! The secret of earthly hap- piness and success. Listen, my son, Here is a million dollars, the painful accumulation of my lifetime. Let it be your god, for it is easily worshipped and is not a jealous god. Do as I say and you and your children forever shall be at peace. Invest the money; purchase with it a mortgage on the labor of other men. Gold is holy and the mortgage it buys can never be paid off. For while you and your children live in idleness this mortgage will grow, spread itself out upon still other men and their children forever. Have no fear, the men and women whom this gold will buy have called it holy and taught their children to serve it with reverence. Your mortgage on them: can never be shaken loose, for the’armies and navies of the earth were created to protect and perpetuate it. Be temperate and use a tenth of the care in guarding your god that a mother does to rear her child. And as years pass you may lessen your care, for the gold will draw unto itself other gold, even while you sleep, until your mort- gage on human lives will stretch around the world. And you will come to love your god above all things and nurture it tenderly. Be reasonable. Remember that your god is greatest when men and women stagger by the wayside. In such times they will sell themselves cheaply to you, lay their souls in your hand for a smile from your god. Men will crawl deep into the carth to serve you, and women will THE DEATH toil long hours and bear children to worship and magnify your god. “Nay, they can not escape. Anon “one may, but two will spring to take his place in your service. For wealth is only wealth while poverty lasts, and poverty must remain until wealth is gone. He is rich who has more than other men, and is not rich when others lave as much. Poverty is not abolished hy making other men rith, for to be rich is to be among the holy minority. “My son, I love you. Therefore I have toiled with great pain and good fortune, but not in vain. For unto you and: yours forever I bequeath wealth and ease, guarded and multiplied by the thousands who worship and must serve it. Lose it to another and you do but join with them who serve for food to eat. I have said.” OF HUMOR Imaginary Conversations “C\. OOD morning, sir. I am awfully sorry to trouble you, but my duty " “Oh, that’s all right. You are a Cus- tom House officer, I take it.” “Yes, sir, And it is necessary for me to ask you if you have anything to declare.” “Nothing that I can think of.” “Well, in case you should happen to think of anything you might let us know. Good mornin “Good morning. I'm free to go ashore, am 1?” “Oh, certainly. sire” Carry your bag, Nowadays MAN'S house Walk.” his Castle comichooks, com