fiction

Evil Results Mean Evil Causes. Two clergymen who were sincere and faithful workers in their special fields sat talking together in the study belonging to one of them. The elder had referred to the recent articles published in “Success” entitled “The Shameful Misuse of Wealth.” “It certainly is shameful to use wealth in giving extravagant banquets, buying fifty thousand dollar fur cloaks, one thousand dollar handkerchiefs, five thousand dollar dogs and supplying them with costly wardrobes, coaches and coachmen to give them their daily airing, etc. But if the money rightfully belongs to the spender, we have no right to […]

The Tyranny of Strikers. Two ladies sat earnestly conversing in the little parlor belonging to one of them, in a city of the eastern middle states. “But I am so sorry for the strikers’ poor families,” said the visitor, a Mrs. Helen Hazard, who was said to be fairly well off, eccentric and somewhat imbued with some “strange socialistic notions.” “They are not to blame for their suffering and they are starving and are half clothed and sheltered. And they will soon be driven from their miserable houses by the mine owners because they cannot pay rent or keep up […]

The Problem of the Enormously Wealthy I had just finished reading one of the new and popular novels, entitled “The Undercurrent,” by Robert Grant, and had found it a very interesting and well-written book. I noticed that the author raised a number of vital and important sociologic and economic questions which intensely concern the people of this early twentieth century; but he seemed to have raised them merely for the sake of raising them, as he made no attempt at answering them. His characters suavely put aside every remedy that has ever been proposed, and the author suggests nothing but […]

The Worst of Crimes. There are crimes for which we imprison and hang, and consider our duty well done. We brand men as felons for stealing a few dollars or injuring a fellow being, perhaps in a fit of anger, and set them aside, a class by themselves too low for human kindness. But there are acts committed by good men which we do not punish by law that work more evil in the world than any petty thief or common murderer could bring about. And men who grow rich by these acts are honored and respected and pointed at […]

The True Teachings. Once upon a time there was a good and wise being who was the chief of all the people in the land, and greatly beloved and honored by them. He left them to the care of several of his favorite sons, who at different times came and dwelt among them and taught them how to live, so as to attain -the greatest happiness. One especially, whom all the people who knew him loved dearly, came and lived a simple, truthful life, and taught the people that they were all brothers and the children of one father. He […]

A Story of a Far Away Land. Once upon a time, a long way off, there was a rich and beautiful island in the midst of a warm sea. The island was quite populous, but everything grew or could be found, either in the sky, or the waters, or the depths of the ground—all that the people could need; precious metals and stones were found deep in the earth, fine forests clothed the hillsides, and bountiful harvests were reaped from cultivated soil. The climate was glorious, and the breezes were fresh and pure and full of life-giving elements. Nothing seemed […]

A Story of a Far Away Land. Once upon a time, a long way off, there was a rich and beautiful island in the midst of a warm sea. The island was quite populous, but everything grew or could be found, either in the sky, or the waters, or the depths of the ground—all that the people could need; precious metals and stones were found deep in the earth, fine forests clothed the hillsides, and bountiful harvests were reaped from cultivated soil. The climate was glorious, and the breezes were fresh and pure and full of life-giving elements. Nothing seemed […]

A Woman’s Club A group of women who live in a western city, possessing abundant leisure, yet not belonging to the upper four hundred, and not by any means drudges in the lower ten thousand, conceived the idea of forming a club of their own. It should be their very own—it should not be patronized by any of the women of the big “women’s club” nor corrupted by the membership of the common herd. They were sufficiently intellectual and aspiring to carry on a literary and social club which should vie with Capitol Hill organizations in point of interest and […]

A Plain Story of Plain Folks. Somewhere at the head of the long, dusty, noisy room a bell rank out, the big wheel slowed up, the sewing machines on the long tables ceased their clatter and the new silence seemed to settle down with a startling emphasis on ears accustomed for so many hours to a ceaseless din and turmoil. It was hot, suffocating unwholesome, and the very air seemed to reek with weariness and lassitude. The hands were too tired for their usual banter and chaff as they passed one another, but piled up their work and hurried away […]

IDEALS For the Journal. As a boy Marius Dale was a dreamer. A backwoods farmer’s son, usually occupied in hoeing corn, watching sheep, hauling wood or weeding the garden, he still dreamed—dreamed of beauty, or greatness, of power, of achievement, and with it all, of love and kindness to his fellow-creatures. Little he knew of the need for love and kindness out in the struggling, cruel world, but the light of a divine yearning toward all suffering beings, dwelt in his soul from the first. Many of his dreams were vague and purposeless, but sometimes when his work was done […]