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Show HOW MUCH MAKES A MAN RICH. "To be rich," said William L. Marcy, at one time Secretary of State," requires only a satisfactory condition of mind. One man may be rich with a hundred dollars, while another in the possession of millions may think himself poor, and if necessities of life are enjoyed by each it is evident that the man who is best satisfied with his possession is the riches." To illustrate this idea Mr. Marcy relates the following anecdote: "While I was called upon one morning at my office by a rough specimen of a backwoodsman, who stalked in and commenced conversation by inquiring ‘if this Mr. Marcy?' I replied that it was my name. ‘Billy Marcy?' said he. I nodded assent. ‘Used to live in Southport, didn't you?' I answered in the affirmative, and began to feel a little curious to know who my visitor was, and what he was driving at. ‘That's what I told ‘em, ‘cried the backwoodsman, bringing his hand down on his thigh with tremendous force. ‘I told ‘em you was the same Bill Marcy who used to live in Southport, but they wouldn't believe it, and I promised the next time I came to Albany to come and see you, and find out for sartin. Why you know me, don't you, Bill?' I didn't exactly like to ignore his acquaintance altogether, but for the life of me I couldn't recollect having seen him before, and so replied that he had a familiar countenance, but that I was not able to call him by name. ‘My name is Jack Smith,' answered the backwoodsman, ‘and we used to go to school together thirty years ago, in the little red school house in old Southport. Well times have changed since then, and you have become a great man and got rich, I suppose' I shook my head, and was going to contradict that impression when he broke in ‘Oh! yes, you are, I know you are rich, no use denying it. You was Comptroller for-for a long time and the next time we heard of you you was Governor. You must have had a heap of money, and I am glad of it-glad to see you getting along so smart. You was always a smart lad at school, and I knew that you would come to something.' I thanked him for his good wishes and opinion but told him that political life did not pay so well as he imagined. ‘I suppose,' said I, ‘fortune has smiled upon you since you left Southport? ‘Oh, yes,' said he. ‘I hain't got nothing to complain of. I must say I have got along right smart. You see shortly after you left Southport our whole family moved up into Vermont, and put right into the woods, and I reckon our family cut down more trees and cleared more land than any other in the whole State. ‘And so you have made a good thing of it. How much do you consider yourself worth?' I asked, feeling a little curious to know what he considered a fortune, as he seemed to be so well satisfied with his. ‘Well, he replied, ‘I don't know exactly how much I am worth, but I think (straightening himself up) if all my debts were paid I should be worth $600 clear cash.' He was rich, for he was satisfied."-Denver Tribune. |
