He sat on the Rostrum wearing Black Broadcloth, betokening Virtue, and
in addition to his ancient Trade-Marks, the White Shirt and the White
Vest, he had a White Bow Tie. As he sat there in conscious Rectitude,
wondering if the Congressional Investigation would harm the Beef
Trust, it could be seen at a Glance that he would never take anything
that was too heavy to carry, unless he had a Dray.
The studious Young Gentlemen who had been preparing themselves to
go out into the Great World and draw Car-Fare as Book-Keepers and
Stenographers, looked up at Honest Hezekiah and said, "This is where
he puts us next to the Recipe for Getting There."
At last the Honored Guest arose and told the Class that the Young
Man who wishes to succeed must be Upright, Frugal, Industrious, and
Patriotic. He considered it the Duty of every Young Man to accept
whatever Compensation was offered him and be Content, for as soon as
he began to earn more his Employer would come around and put it in his
Pocket. Above all, he must love his Country and let Integrity be his
Watchword and remember that a Good Name is better than Riches, even if
other People don't think so. Then he sat down without batting an Eye
and every member of the Class of '03 knew just how to go out and pile
up a Million.
* * * * *
MORAL: What's more, they believe it themselves.
* * * * *
_THE GIRL WHO TOOK NOTES AND GOT WISE AND THEN FELL DOWN_
Once upon a Time there was a long-headed Girl who used to sit in
her own Room on Rainy Afternoons and evolve Theories. Her principal
Ambition in Life was to stand Ace High with all the Nice Men of her
Set. She hoped in the course of Time to tease one away from the Drove
and gallop him into the Branding Pen.
Now this Girl was so Foxy that at times she got in front of herself
and blocked off her own Plays. Her scheme for getting all the Real
Boys intoxified with Love for her was to engage them in Conversation
and find out what kind of Girls they liked. Then her Play was to be
that Kind. She had no Difficulty whatever in inducing her Men Friends
to talk about the Opposite Sex. They were all keyed up on the Subject
and full of Information. Just as a Feeler one Evening she asked an
eligible Charley if he didn't think that the Woman of To-day was too
Extravagant.
"That's just why so many of us shy at the Matrimonial Jump," he
confided to her. "There was a time when the Man who got $75 per
Month and had about $200 planted could take a Chance at the Game.
But now that measly Allowance wouldn't keep a High Roller supplied
with Violets. The up-to-date Maudine isn't happy unless she has a
Gray-Squirrel Coat, an Auto Car, $11,000 worth of Twinklers and a
fourteen-room Apartment. That's why these Society Shawl-Holders keep
on making Love right and left but never come down to Cases."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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