o
procure new rooms for the village library, and would Mr. John
Stanhope do his native village the honor of subscribing a small
amount toward this desirable end. As it is always much easier for
an indolent man to telegraph than to write letters, I replied by
wire that Mr. Stanhope felt himself much honored by the request.
Not entirely satisfied with this confession, I sent a second
telegram an hour later doubling my subscription. Still my
conscience troubled me.

"I have not done my duty," I said to myself. "Here I am, a man of
means, I may say of large wealth, with no special obligations
resting upon me, and yet I have done nothing to benefit or enrich
my old home. It is strange that it has not occurred to me before
what a privilege, what an honor, it is to be a philanthropist
even in a small way, and with what alacrity those whom Heaven has
blessed with a fortune should respond to the calls of deserving
need. I blush for my past thoughtlessness, and I shall hasten to
atone for my astonishing neglect. My duty lies before me, and I
shall not shrink from it, whatever the personal inconvenience."

Thereupon I telegraphed for the third time to the chairman that
it would give Mr. Stanhope the greatest pleasure to put up a
suitable library for the village of Meadowvale, and, in order to
guard against any possible misunderstanding, he would depart the
following day to confer with the committee as to site and
probable extent of the structure. This concession to my
conscience comforted me greatly, and I prepared for my journey
with a lightness that was almost buoyancy. The chairman and two
of the committee met me at the junction. They were most
deprecatory and apologetic, and mentioned with evident sorrow
the absence of several of the members which might cause a
postponement of the conference until the following day. I bore up
under this intelligence with astonishing cheerfulness.

"My good friends," I said, "don't let this disturb you for a
minute. I am not so pressed for time that I cannot wait on your
reasonable convenience. Your tavern is well kept and the food is
wholesome. I think I may say that my old friends in Meadowvale
will interest me until we can come to an amicable understanding.
Suppose, to be sure of a full meeting, that we fix the time of
conference at day after to-morrow--a little late in the
afternoon."

After this suggestion had been received with suitable expressions
of gratitude, we journeyed toget