,the ,mansion      ,illustration3 ,see  
page #eg ,,but ,,how ,,have ,i ,,failed 
,,so ,,wretchedly8         ,,the        
,,mansion      ,,by     ,,henry ,,van   
,,dyke      ,,with ,,illustrations ,,by 
,,elizabeth ,,shippen ,,green           
,illustration      ,,harper  ,,brothers 
,,publishers     ,,new ,,york ,,and     
,,london 4 ,m 4 ,c 4 ,m 4 ,x 4 ,i       
,,copyright #aiaj1 #aiaa1 ,,by ,,harper 
,,brothers       ,,printed ,,in ,,the   
,,united ,,states ,,of ,,america        
,,published ,,october1 #aiaa            
,illustration  ,the ,mansion   ,there   
was an air of calm and reserved opulence
 about the ,weightman mansion that spoke
 not of money squandered1 but of wealth 
prudently applied4 ,standing on a corner
 of the ,avenue no longer fashionable   
for residence1 it looked upon the       
swelling tide of business with an       
expression of complacency and           
half-disdain4  ,the house was not       
beautiful4 ,there was nothing in its    
straight front of chocolate-colored     

stone1 its heavy cornices1 its broad1   
staring windows of plate glass1 its     
carved and bronze-bedecked mahogany     
doors at the top of the wide stoop1 to  
charm the eye or fascinate the          
imagination4 ,but it was eminently      
respectable1 and in its way imposing4   
,it seemed to say that the glittering   
shops of the jewelers1 the milliners1   
the confectioners1 the florists1 the    
picture-dealers1 the furriers1 the      
makers of rare and costly antiquities1  
retail traders in luxuries of life1 were
 beneath the notice of a house that had 
its foundations in the high finance1 and
 was built literally and figuratively in
 the shadow of ,st4 ,petronius' ,church4
  ,at the same time there was something 
self-pleased and congratulatory in the  
way in which the mansion held its own   
amid the changing neighborhood4 ,it     
almost seemed to be lifted up a little1 
among the tall buildings near at hand1  
as if it felt the rising value of the   
land on which it stood4  ,john          

,weightman was like the house into which
 he had built himself thirty years ago1 
and in which his ideals and ambitions   
were incrusted4 ,he was a self-made man4
 ,but in making himself he had chosen a 
highly esteemed pattern and worked      
according to the approved rules4 ,there 
was nothing irregular1 questionable1    
flamboyant about him4 ,he was solid1    
correct1 and justly successful4  ,his   
minor tastes1 of course1 had been       
carefully kept up to date4 ,at the      
proper time1 pictures by the ,barbizon  
masters1 old ,english plate and         
portraits1 bronzes by ,barye and marbles
 by ,rodin1 ,persian carpets and        
,chinese porcelains1 had been introduced
 to the mansion4 ,it contained a ,louis 
,quinze reception-room1 an ,empire      
drawing-room1 a ,jacobean dining-room1  
and various apartments dimly reminiscent
 of the styles of furniture affected by 
deceased monarchs4 ,that the hallways   
were too short for the historic         
perspective did not make much           

difference4 ,american decorative art is 
capable de tout1 it absorbs all periods4
 ,of each period ,mr4 ,weightman wished 
to have something of the best4 ,he      
understood its value1 present as a      
certificate1 and prospective as an      
investment4  ,it was only in the        
architecture of his town house that he  
remained conservative1 immovable1 one   
might almost say                        
,early-,victorian-,christian4 ,his      
country house at ,dulwich-on-the-,sound 
was a palace of the ,italian            
,renaissance4 ,but in town he adhered to
 an architecture which had moral        
associations1 the                       
,nineteenth-,century-,brownstone epoch4 
,it was a symbol of his social position1
 his religious doctrine1 and even1 in a 
way1 of his business creed4  ,a man of  
fixed principles1 he would say1 should  
express them in the looks of his house4 
,new ,york changes its domestic         
architecture too rapidly4 ,it is like   
divorce4 ,it is not dignified4 ,i don't 

like it4 ,extravagance and fickleness   
are advertised in most of these new     
houses4 ,i wish to be known for         
different qualities4 ,dignity and       
prudence are the things that people     
trust4 ,every one knows that ,i can     
afford to live in the house that suits  
me4 ,it is a guarantee to the public4   
,it inspires confidence4 ,it helps my   
influence4 ,there is a text in the      
,bible about 'a house that hath         
foundations4' ,that is the proper kind  
of a mansion for a solid man4  ,harold  
,weightman had often listened to his    
father discoursing in this fashion on   
the fundamental principles of life1 and 
always with a divided mind4 ,he admired 
immensely his father's talents and the  
single-minded energy with which he      
improved them4 ,but in the paternal     
philosophy there was something that     
disquieted and oppressed the young man1 
and made him gasp inwardly for fresh air
 and free action4  ,at times1 during his
 college course and his years at the law

 school1 he had yielded to this impulse 
and broken away--now toward extravagance
 and dissipation1 and then1 when the    
reaction came1 toward a romantic        
devotion to work among the poor4 ,he had
 felt his father's disapproval for both 
of these forms of imprudence2 but it was
 never expressed in a harsh or violent  
way1 always with a certain tolerant     
patience1 such as one might show for the
 mistakes and vagaries of the very      
young4 ,john ,weightman was not hasty1  
impulsive1 inconsiderate1 even toward   
his own children4 ,with them1 as with   
the rest of the world1 he felt that he  
had a reputation to maintain1 a theory  
to vindicate4 ,he could afford to give  
them time to see that he was absolutely 
right4  ,one of his favorite ,scripture 
quotations was1 ,wait on the ,lord4 ,he 
had applied it to real estate and to    
people1 with profitable results4  ,but  
to human persons the sensation of being 
waited for is not always agreeable4     
,sometimes1 especially with the young1  

it produces a vague restlessness1 a dumb
 resentment1 which is increased by the  
fact that one can hardly explain or     
justify it4 ,of this ,john ,weightman   
was not conscious4 ,it lay beyond his   
horizon4 ,he did not take it into       
account in the plan of life which he    
made for himself and for his family as  
the sharers and inheritors of his       
success4  ,father plays us1 said        
,harold1 in a moment of irritation1 to  
his mother1 like pieces in a game of    
chess4  ,my dear1 said that lady1 whose 
faith in her husband was religious1 you 
ought not to speak so impatiently4 ,at  
least he wins the game4 ,he is one of   
the most respected men in ,new ,york4   
,and he is very generous1 too4  ,i wish 
he would be more generous in letting us 
be ourselves1 said the young man4 ,he   
always has something in view for us and 
expects to move us up to it4  ,but isn't
 it always for our benefit8 replied his 
mother4 ,look what a position we have4  
,no one can say there is any taint on   

our money4 ,there are no rumors about   
your father4 ,he has kept the laws of   
,god and of man4 ,he has never made any 
mistakes4  ,harold got up from his chair
 and poked the fire4 ,then he came back 
to the ample1 well-gowned1 firm-looking 
lady1 and sat beside her on the sofa4   
,he took her hand gently and looked at  
the two rings--a thin band of yellow    
gold1 and a small solitaire             
diamond--which kept their place on her  
third finger in modest dignity1 as if   
not shamed1 but rather justified1 by the
 splendor of the emerald which glittered
 beside them4  ,mother1 he said1 you    
have a wonderful hand4 ,and father made 
no mistake when he won you4 ,but are you
 sure he has always been so inerrant8   
,harold1 she exclaimed1 a little        
stiffly1 what do you mean8 ,his life is 
an open book4  ,oh1 he answered1 ,i     
don't mean anything bad1 mother dear4 ,i
 know the governor's life is an open    
book--a ledger1 if you like1 kept in the
 best bookkeeping hand1 and always ready

 for inspection--every page correct1 and
 showing a handsome balance4 ,but isn't 
it a mistake not to allow us to make our
 own mistakes1 to learn for ourselves1  
to live our own lives8 ,must we be      
always working for 'the balance1' in one
 thing or another8 ,i want to be        
myself--to get outside of this          
everlasting1 profitable 'plan'--to let  
myself go1 and lose myself for a while  
at least--to do the things that ,i want 
to do1 just because ,i want to do them4 
,my boy1 said his mother1 anxiously1 you
 are not going to do anything wrong or  
foolish8 ,you know the falsehood of that
 old proverb about wild oats4  ,he threw
 back his head and laughed4 ,yes1       
mother1 he answered1 ,i know it well    
enough4 ,but in ,california1 you know1  
the wild oats are one of the most       
valuable crops4 ,they grow all over the 
hillsides and keep the cattle and the   
horses alive4 ,but that wasn't what ,i  
meant--to sow wild oats4 ,say to pick   
wild flowers1 if you like1 or even to   

chase wild geese--to do something that  
seems good to me just for its own sake1 
not for the sake of wages of one kind or
 another4 ,i feel like a hired man1 in  
the service of this magnificent         
mansion--say in training for father's   
place as majordomo4 ,i'd like to get out
 some way1 to feel free--perhaps to do  
something for others4  ,the young man's 
voice hesitated a little4 ,yes1 it      
sounds like cant1 ,i know1 but sometimes
 ,i feel as if ,i'd like to do some good
 in the world1 if father only wouldn't  
insist upon ,god's putting it into the  
ledger4  ,his mother moved uneasily1 and
 a slight look of bewilderment came into
 her face4  ,isn't that almost          
irreverent8 she asked4 ,surely the      
righteous must have their reward4 ,and  
your father is good4 ,see how much he   
gives to all the established charities1 
how many things he has founded4 ,he's   
always thinking of others1 and planning 
for them4 ,and surely1 for us1 he does  
everything4 ,how well he has planned    

this trip to ,europe for me and the     
girls--the court-presentation at        
,berlin1 the season on the ,riviera1 the
 visits in ,england with the ,plumptons 
and the ,halverstones4 ,he says ,lord   
,halverstone has the finest old house in
 ,sussex1 pure ,elizabethan1 and all the
 old customs are kept up1 too--family   
prayers every morning for all the       
domestics4 ,by-the-way1 you know his son
 ,bertie1 ,i believe4  ,harold smiled a 
little to himself as he answered3 ,yes1 
,i fished at ,catalina ,island last     
,june with the ,honorable ,ethelbert2   
he's rather a decent chap1 in spite of  
his ingrowing mind4 ,but you8--mother1  
you are simply magnificent6 ,you are    
father's masterpiece4 ,the young man    
leaned over to kiss her1 and went up to 
the ,riding ,club for his afternoon     
canter in the ,park4  ,so it came to    
pass1 early in ,december1 that ,mrs4    
,weightman and her two daughters sailed 
for ,europe1 on their serious pleasure  
trip1 even as it had been written in the

 book of ,providence2 and ,john         
,weightman1 who had made the entry1 was 
left to pass the rest of the winter with
 his son and heir in the brownstone     
mansion4  ,they were comfortable enough4
 ,the machinery of the massive          
establishment ran as smoothly as a great
 electric dynamo4 ,they were busy       
enough1 too4 ,john ,weightman's plans   
and enterprises were complicated1 though
 his principle of action was always     
simple--to get good value for every     
expenditure and effort4 ,the            
banking-house of which he was the chief1
 the brain1 the will1 the absolutely    
controlling hand1 was so admirably      
organized that the details of its       
direction took but little time4 ,but the
 scores of other interests that radiated
 from it and were dependent upon it--or 
perhaps it would be more accurate to    
say1 that contributed to its solidity   
and success--the many investments1      
industrial1 political1 benevolent1      
reformatory1 ecclesiastical1 that had   

made the name of ,weightman well known  
and potent in city1 church1 and state1  
demanded much attention and careful     
steering1 in order that each might      
produce the desired result4 ,there were 
board meetings of corporations and      
hospitals1 conferences in ,wall ,street 
and at ,albany1 consultations and       
committee meetings in the brownstone    
mansion4  ,for a share in all this      
business and its adjuncts ,john         
,weightman had his son in training in   
one of the famous law firms of the city2
 for he held that banking itself is a   
simple affair1 the only real            
difficulties of finance are on its legal
 side4 ,meantime he wished the young man
 to meet and know the men with whom he  
would have to deal when he became a     
partner in the house4 ,so a couple of   
dinners were given in the mansion during
 ,december1 after which the father      
called the son's attention to the fact  
that over a hundred million dollars had 
sat around the board4  ,but on          

,christmas ,eve father and son were     
dining together without guests1 and     
their talk across the broad table1      
glittering with silver and cut glass1   
and softly lit by shaded candles1 was   
intimate1 though a little slow at times4
 ,the elder man was in rather a rare    
mood1 more expansive and confidential   
than usual2 and1 when the coffee was    
brought in and they were left alone1 he 
talked more freely of his personal plans
 and hopes than he had ever done before4
  ,i feel very grateful to-night1 said  
he1 at last2 it must be something in the
 air of ,christmas that gives me this   
feeling of thankfulness for the many    
divine mercies that have been bestowed  
upon me4 ,all the principles by which ,i
 have tried to guide my life have been  
justified4 ,i have never made the value 
of this salted almond by anything that  
the courts would not uphold1 at least in
 the long run1 and yet--or wouldn't it  
be truer to say and therefore8--my      
affairs have been wonderfully prospered4

 ,there's a great deal in that text     
',honesty is the best'--but no1 that's  
not from the ,bible1 after all1 is it8  
,wait a moment2 there is something of   
that kind1 ,i know4  ,may ,i light a    
cigar1 father1 said ,harold1 turning    
away to hide a smile1 while you are     
remembering the text8  ,yes1 certainly1 
answered the elder man1 rather shortly2 
you know ,i don't dislike the smell4    
,but it is a wasteful1 useless habit1   
and therefore ,i have never practised   
it4 ,nothing useless is worth while1    
that's my motto--nothing that does not  
bring the reward4 ,oh1 now ,i recall the
 text1 ',verily ,i say unto you they    
have their reward4' ,i shall ask ,doctor
 ,snodgrass to preach a sermon on that  
verse some day4  ,using you as an       
illustration8  ,well1 not exactly that2 
but ,i could give him some good material
 from my own experience to prove the    
truth of ,scripture4 ,i can honestly say
 that there is not one of my charities  
that has not brought me in a good       

return1 either in the increase of       
influence1 the building up of credit1 or
 the association with substantial       
people4 ,of course you have to be       
careful how you give1 in order to secure
 the best results--no indiscriminate    
giving--no pennies in beggars' hats6 ,it
 has been one of my principles always to
 use the same kind of judgment in       
charities that ,i use in my other       
affairs1 and they have not disappointed 
me4  ,even the check that you put in the
 plate when you take the offertory up   
the aisle on ,sunday morning8           
,certainly2 though there the influence  
is less direct2 and ,i must confess that
 ,i have my doubts in regard to the     
collection for ,foreign ,missions4 ,that
 always seems to me romantic and        
wasteful4 ,you never hear from it in any
 definite way4 ,they say the            
missionaries have done a good deal to   
open the way for trade2 perhaps--but    
they have also gotten us into commercial
 and political difficulties4 ,yet ,i    

give to them--a little--it is a matter  
of conscience with me to identify myself
 with all the enterprises of the        
,church2 it is the mainstay of social   
order and a prosperous civilization4    
,but the best forms of benevolence are  
the well-established1 organized ones    
here at home1 where people can see them 
and know what they are doing4  ,you mean
 the ones that have a local habitation  
and a name4  ,yes2 they offer by far the
 safest return1 though of course there  
is something gained by contributing to  
general funds4 ,a public man can't      
afford to be without public spirit4 ,but
 on the whole ,i prefer a building1 or  
an endowment4 ,there is a mutual        
advantage to a good name and a good     
institution in their connection in the  
public mind4 ,it helps them both4       
,remember that1 my boy4 ,of course at   
the beginning you will have to practise 
it in a small way2 later1 you will have 
larger opportunities4 ,but try to put   
your gifts where they can be identified 

and do good all around4 ,you'll see the 
wisdom of it in the long run4  ,i can   
see it already1 sir1 and the way you    
describe it looks amazingly wise and    
prudent4 ,in other words1 we must cast  
our bread on the waters in large loaves1
 carried by sound ships marked with the 
owner's name1 so that the return freight
 will be sure to come back to us4  ,the 
father laughed1 but his eyes were       
frowning a little as if he suspected    
something irreverent under the          
respectful reply4  ,you put it          
humorously1 but there's sense in what   
you say4 ,why not8 ,god rules the sea2  
but ,he expects us to follow the laws of
 navigation and commerce4 ,why not take 
good care of your bread1 even when you  
give it away8  ,it's not for me to say  
why not--and yet ,i can think of cases--
 ,the young man hesitated for a moment4 
,his half-finished cigar had gone out4  
,he rose and tossed it into the fire1 in
 front of which he remained standing--a 
slender1 eager1 restless young figure1  

with a touch of hunger in the fine face1
 strangely like and unlike the father1  
at whom he looked with half-wistful     
curiosity4  ,the fact is1 sir1 he       
continued1 there is such a case in my   
mind now1 and it is a good deal on my   
heart1 too4 ,so ,i thought of speaking  
to you about it to-night4 ,you remember 
,tom ,rollins1 the ,junior who was so   
good to me when ,i entered college8     
,the father nodded4 ,he remembered very 
well indeed the annoying incidents of   
his son's first escapade1 and how       
,rollins had stood by him and helped to 
avoid a public disgrace1 and how a close
 friendship had grown between the two   
boys1 so different in their fortunes4   
,yes1 he said1 ,i remember him4 ,he was 
a promising young man4 ,has he          
succeeded8  ,not exactly--that is1 not  
yet4 ,his business has been going rather
 badly4 ,he has a wife and little baby1 
you know4 ,and now he has broken        
down1--something wrong with his lungs4  
,the doctor says his only chance is a   

year or eighteen months in ,colorado4 ,i
 wish we could help him4  ,how much     
would it cost8  ,three or four thousand1
 perhaps1 as a loan4  ,does the doctor  
say he will get well8  ,a fighting      
chance--the doctor says4  ,the face of  
the older man changed subtly4 ,not a    
line was altered1 but it seemed to have 
a different substance1 as if it were    
carved out of some firm1 imperishable   
stuff4  ,a fighting chance1 he said1 may
 do for a speculation1 but it is not a  
good investment4 ,you owe something to  
young ,rollins4 ,your grateful feeling  
does you credit4 ,but don't overwork it4
 ,send him three or four hundred1 if you
 like4 ,you'll never hear from it again1
 except in the letter of thanks4 ,but   
for ,heaven's sake don't be sentimental4
 ,religion is not a matter of sentiment2
 it's a matter of principle4            
,illustration3 ,it is not a good        
investment  ,the face of the younger man
 changed now4 ,but instead of becoming  
fixed and graven1 it seemed to melt into

 life by the heat of an inward fire4    
,his nostrils quivered with quick       
breath1 his lips were curled4           
,principle6 he said4 ,you mean          
principal--and interest too4 ,well1 sir1
 you know best whether that is religion 
or not4 ,but if it is1 count me out1    
please4 ,tom saved me from going to the 
devil1 six years ago2 and ,i'll be      
damned if ,i don't help him to the best 
of my ability now4  ,john ,weightman    
looked at his son steadily4 ,harold1 he 
said at last1 you know ,i dislike       
violent language1 and it never has any  
influence with me4 ,if ,i could honestly
 approve of this proposition of yours1  
,i'd let you have the money2 but ,i     
can't2 it's extravagant and useless4    
,but you have your ,christmas check for 
a thousand dollars coming to you        
to-morrow4 ,you can use it as you       
please4 ,i never interfere with your    
private affairs4  ,thank you1 said      
,harold4 ,thank you very much6 ,but     
there's another private affair4 ,i want 

to get away from this life1 this town1  
this house4 ,it stifles me4 ,you refused
 last summer when ,i asked you to let me
 go up to ,grenfell's ,mission on the   
,labrador4 ,i could go now1 at least as 
far as the ,newfoundland ,station4 ,have
 you changed your mind8  ,not at all4 ,i
 think it is an exceedingly foolish     
enterprise4 ,it would interrupt the     
career that ,i have marked out for you4 
,well1 then1 here's a cheaper           
proposition4 ,algy ,vanderhoof wants me 
to join him on his yacht with--well1    
with a little party--to cruise in the   
,west ,indies4 ,would you prefer that8  
,certainly not6 ,the ,vanderhoof set is 
wild and godless--,i do not wish to see 
you keeping company with fools who walk 
in the broad and easy way that leads to 
perdition4  ,it is rather a hard choice1
 said the young man1 with a short laugh1
 turning toward the door4 ,according to 
you there's very little difference--a   
fool's paradise or a fool's hell6 ,well1
 it's one or the other for me1 and ,i'll

 toss up for it to-night3 heads1 ,i     
lose2 tails1 the devil wins4 ,anyway1   
,i'm sick of this1 and ,i'm out of it4  
,harold1 said the older man 7and there  
was a slight tremor in his voice71 don't
 let us quarrel on ,christmas ,eve4 ,all
 ,i want is to persuade you to think    
seriously of the duties and             
responsibilities to which ,god has      
called you--don't speak lightly of      
heaven and hell--remember1 there is     
another life4  ,the young man came back 
and laid his hand upon his father's     
shoulder4  ,father1 he said1 ,i want to 
remember it4 ,i try to believe in it4   
,but somehow or other1 in this house1 it
 all seems unreal to me4 ,no doubt all  
you say is perfectly right and wise4 ,i 
don't venture to argue against it1 but  
,i can't feel it--that's all4 ,if ,i'm  
to have a soul1 either to lose or to    
save1 ,i must really live4 ,just now    
neither the present nor the future means
 anything to me4 ,but surely we won't   
quarrel4 ,i'm very grateful to you1 and 

we'll part friends4 ,good-night1 sir4   
,the father held out his hand in        
silence4 ,the heavy portiere dropped    
noiselessly behind the son1 and he went 
up the wide1 curving stairway to his own
 room4  ,meantime ,john ,weightman sat  
in his carved chair in the ,jacobean    
dining-room4 ,he felt strangely old and 
dull4 ,the portraits of beautiful women 
by ,lawrence and ,reynolds and ,raeburn1
 which had often seemed like real       
company to him1 looked remote and       
uninteresting4 ,he fancied something    
cold and almost unfriendly in their     
expression1 as if they were staring     
through him or beyond him4 ,they cared  
nothing for his principles1 his hopes1  
his disappointments1 his successes2 they
 belonged to another world1 in which he 
had no place4 ,at this he felt a vague  
resentment1 a sense of discomfort that  
he could not have defined or explained4 
,he was used to being considered1       
respected1 appreciated at his full value
 in every region1 even in that of his   

own dreams4  ,presently he rang for the 
butler1 telling him to close the house  
and not to sit up1 and walked with      
lagging steps into the long library1    
where the shaded lamps were burning4    
,his eye fell upon the low shelves full 
of costly books1 but he had no desire to
 open them4 ,even the carefully chosen  
pictures that hung above them seemed to 
have lost their attraction4 ,he paused  
for a moment before an idyll of         
,corot--a dance of nymphs around some   
forgotten altar in a vaporous glade--and
 looked at it curiously4 ,there was     
something rapturous and serene about the
 picture1 a breath of spring-time in the
 misty trees1 a harmony of joy in the   
dancing figures1 that wakened in him a  
feeling of half-pleasure and half-envy4 
,it represented something that he had   
never known in his calculated1 orderly  
life4 ,he was dimly mistrustful of it4  
,it is certainly very beautiful1 he     
thought1 but it is distinctly pagan2    
that altar is built to some heathen god4

 ,it does not fit into the scheme of a  
,christian life4 ,i doubt whether it is 
consistent with the tone of my house4 ,i
 will sell it this winter4 ,it will     
bring three or four times what ,i paid  
for it4 ,that was a good purchase1 a    
very good bargain4  ,he dropped into the
 revolving chair before his big library 
table4 ,it was covered with pamphlets   
and reports of the various enterprises  
in which he was interested4 ,there was a
 pile of newspaper clippings in which   
his name was mentioned with praise for  
his sustaining power as a pillar of     
finance1 for his judicious benevolence1 
for his support of wise and prudent     
reform movements1 for his discretion in 
making permanent public gifts--the      
,weightman ,charities1 one very         
complaisant editor called them1 as if   
they deserved classification as a       
distinct species4  ,he turned the papers
 over listlessly4 ,there was a          
description and a picture of the        
,weightman ,wing of the ,hospital for   

,cripples1 of which he was president2   
and an article on the new professor in  
the ,weightman ,chair of ,political     
,jurisprudence in ,jackson ,university1 
of which he was a trustee2 and an       
illustrated account of the opening of   
the ,weightman ,grammar-,school at      
,dulwich-on-the-,sound1 where he had his
 legal residence for purposes of        
taxation4  ,this last was perhaps the   
most carefully planned of all the       
,weightman ,charities4 ,he desired to   
win the confidence and support of his   
rural neighbors4 ,it had pleased him    
much when the local newspaper had spoken
 of him as an ideal citizen and the     
logical candidate for the ,governorship 
of the ,state2 but upon the whole it    
seemed to him wiser to keep out of      
active politics4 ,it would be easier and
 better to put ,harold into the running1
 to have him sent to the ,legislature   
from the ,dulwich district1 then to the 
national ,house1 then to the ,senate4   
,why not8 ,the ,weightman interests were

 large enough to need a direct          
representative and guardian at          
,washington4  ,but to-night all these   
plans came back to him with dust upon   
them4 ,they were dry and crumbling like 
forsaken habitations4 ,the son upon whom
 his complacent ambition had rested had 
turned his back upon the mansion of his 
father's hopes4 ,the break might not be 
final2 and in any event there would be  
much to live for2 the fortunes of the   
family would be secure4 ,but the zest of
 it all would be gone if ,john          
,weightman had to give up the assurance 
of perpetuating his name and his        
principles in his son4 ,it was a bitter 
disappointment1 and he felt that he had 
not deserved it4  ,he rose from the     
chair and paced the room with leaden    
feet4 ,for the first time in his life   
his age was visibly upon him4 ,his head 
was heavy and hot1 and the thoughts that
 rolled in it were confused and         
depressing4 ,could it be that he had    
made a mistake in the principles of his 

existence8 ,there was no argument in    
what ,harold had said--it was almost    
childish--and yet it had shaken the     
elder man more deeply than he cared to  
show4 ,it held a silent attack which    
touched him more than open criticism4   
,suppose the end of his life were nearer
 than he thought--the end must come some
 time--what if it were now8 ,had he not 
founded his house upon a rock8 ,had he  
not kept the ,commandments8 ,was he not1
 touching the law1 blameless8 ,and      
beyond this1 even if there were some    
faults in his character--and all men are
 sinners--yet he surely believed in the 
saving doctrines of religion--the       
forgiveness of sins1 the resurrection of
 the body1 the life everlasting4 ,yes1  
that was the true source of comfort1    
after all4 ,he would read a bit in the  
,bible1 as he did every night1 and go to
 bed and to sleep4  ,he went back to his
 chair at the library table4 ,a strange 
weight of weariness rested upon him1 but
 he opened the book at a familiar place1

 and his eyes fell upon the verse at the
 bottom of the page4  ,lay not up for   
yourselves treasures upon earth4  ,that 
had been the text of the sermon a few   
weeks before4 ,sleepily1 heavily1 he    
tried to fix his mind upon it and recall
 it4 ,what was it that ,doctor          
,snodgrass had said8 ,ah1 yes--that it  
was a mistake to pause here in reading  
the verse4 ,we must read on without a   
pause--,lay not up treasures upon earth 
where moth and rust do corrupt and where
 thieves break through and steal--that  
was the true doctrine4 ,we may have     
treasures upon earth1 but they must not 
be put into unsafe places1 but into safe
 places4 ,a most comforting doctrine6   
,he had always followed it4 ,moths and  
rust and thieves had done no harm to his
 investments4  ,john ,weightman's       
drooping eyes turned to the next verse1 
at the top of the second column4  ,but  
lay up for yourselves treasures in      
heaven4  ,now what had the ,doctor said 
about that8 ,how was it to be           

understood--in what sense--treasures--in
 heaven8  ,the book seemed to float away
 from him4 ,the light vanished4 ,he     
wondered dimly if this could be ,death1 
coming so suddenly1 so quietly1 so      
irresistibly4 ,he struggled for a moment
 to hold himself up1 and then sank      
slowly forward upon the table4 ,his head
 rested upon his folded hands4 ,he      
slipped into the unknown4         99    
99       99       99       99  ,how long
 afterward conscious life returned to   
him he did not know4 ,the blank might   
have been an hour or a century4 ,he knew
 only that something had happened in the
 interval4 ,what it was he could not    
tell4 ,he found great difficulty in     
catching the thread of his identity     
again4 ,he felt that he was himself2 but
 the trouble was to make his            
connections1 to verify and place        
himself1 to know who and where he was4  
,at last it grew clear4 ,john ,weightman
 was sitting on a stone1 not far from a 
road in a strange land4  ,the road was  

not a formal highway1 fenced and graded4
 ,it was more like a great travel-trace1
 worn by thousands of feet passing      
across the open country in the same     
direction4 ,down in the valley1 into    
which he could look1 the road seemed to 
form itself gradually out of many minor 
paths2 little footways coming across the
 meadows1 winding tracks following along
 beside the streams1 faintly marked     
trails emerging from the woodlands4 ,but
 on the hillside the threads were more  
firmly woven into one clear band of     
travel1 though there were still a few   
dim paths joining it here and there1 as 
if persons had been climbing up the hill
 by other ways and had turned at last to
 seek the road4  ,from the edge of the  
hill1 where ,john ,weightman sat1 he    
could see the travelers1 in little      
groups or larger companies1 gathering   
from time to time by the different      
paths1 and making the ascent4 ,they were
 all clothed in white1 and the form of  
their garments was strange to him2 it   

was like some old picture4 ,they passed 
him1 group after group1 talking quietly 
together or singing2 not moving in      
haste1 but with a certain air of        
eagerness and joy as if they were glad  
to be on their way to an appointed      
place4 ,they did not stay to speak to   
him1 but they looked at him often and   
spoke to one another as they looked2 and
 now and then one of them would smile   
and beckon him a friendly greeting1 so  
that he felt they would like him to be  
with them4  ,there was quite an interval
 between the groups2 and he followed    
each of them with his eyes after it had 
passed1 blanching the long ribbon of the
 road for a little transient space1     
rising and receding across the wide1    
billowy upland1 among the rounded       
hillocks of aerial green and gold and   
lilac1 until it came to the high        
horizon1 and stood outlined for a       
moment1 a tiny cloud of whiteness       
against the tender blue1 before it      
vanished over the hill4  ,for a long    

time he sat there watching and          
wondering4 ,it was a very different     
world from that in which his mansion on 
the ,avenue was built2 and it looked    
strange to him1 but most real--as real  
as anything he had ever seen4 ,presently
 he felt a strong desire to know what   
country it was and where the people were
 going4 ,he had a faint premonition of  
what it must be1 but he wished to be    
sure4 ,so he rose from the stone where  
he was sitting1 and came down through   
the short grass and the lavender        
flowers1 toward a passing group of      
people4 ,one of them turned to meet him1
 and held out his hand4 ,it was an old  
man1 under whose white beard and brows  
,john ,weightman thought he saw a       
suggestion of the face of the village   
doctor who had cared for him years ago1 
when he was a boy in the country4       
,illustration3 ,welcome6 ,will you come 
with us8  ,welcome1 said the old man4   
,will you come with us8  ,where are you 
going8  ,to the heavenly city1 to see   

our mansions there4  ,and who are these 
with you8  ,strangers to me1 until a    
little while ago2 ,i know them better   
now4 ,but you ,i have known for a long  
time1 ,john ,weightman4 ,don't you      
remember your old doctor8  ,yes1 he     
cried--yes2 your voice has not changed  
at all4 ,i'm glad indeed to see you1    
,doctor ,mc,lean1 especially now4 ,all  
this seems very strange to me1 almost   
oppressive4 ,i wonder if--but may ,i go 
with you1 do you suppose8  ,surely1     
answered the doctor1 with his familiar  
smile2 it will do you good4 ,and you    
also must have a mansion in the city    
waiting for you--a fine one1 too--are   
you not looking forward to it8  ,yes1   
replied the other1 hesitating a moment2 
yes--,i believe it must be so1 although 
,i had not expected to see it so soon4  
,but ,i will go with you1 and we can    
talk by the way4  ,the two men quickly  
caught up with the other people1 and all
 went forward together along the road4  
,the doctor had little to tell of his   

experience1 for it had been a plain1    
hard life1 uneventfully spent for       
others1 and the story of the village was
 very simple4 ,john ,weightman's        
adventures and triumphs would have made 
a far richer1 more imposing history1    
full of contacts with the great events  
and personages of the time4 ,but somehow
 or other he did not care to speak much 
about it1 walking on that wide heavenly 
moorland1 under that tranquil1 sunless  
arch of blue1 in that free air of       
perfect peace1 where the light was      
diffused without a shadow1 as if the    
spirit of life in all things were       
luminous4  ,there was only one person   
besides the doctor in that little       
company whom ,john ,weightman had known 
before--an old bookkeeper who had spent 
his life over a desk1 carefully keeping 
accounts--a rusty1 dull little man1     
patient and narrow1 whose wife had been 
in the insane asylum for twenty years   
and whose only child was a crippled     
daughter1 for whose comfort and         

happiness he had toiled and sacrificed  
himself without stint4 ,it was a        
surprise to find him here1 as care-free 
and joyful as the rest4  ,illustration3 
,that free air of ,perfect ,peace  ,the 
lives of others in the company were     
revealed in brief glimpses as they      
talked together--a mother1 early        
widowed1 who had kept her little flock  
of children together and labored through
 hard and heavy years to bring them up  
in purity and knowledge--a ,sister of   
,charity who had devoted herself to the 
nursing of poor folk who were being     
eaten to death by cancer--a schoolmaster
 whose heart and life had been poured   
into his quiet work of training boys for
 a clean and thoughtful manhood--a      
medical missionary who had given up a   
brilliant career in science to take the 
charge of a hospital in darkest         
,africa--a beautiful woman with silver  
hair who had resigned her dreams of love
 and marriage to care for an invalid    
father1 and after his death had made her

 life a long1 steady search for ways of 
doing kindnesses to others--a poet who  
had walked among the crowded tenements  
of the great city1 bringing cheer and   
comfort not only by his songs1 but by   
his wise and patient works of practical 
aid--a paralyzed woman who had lain for 
thirty years upon her bed1 helpless but 
not hopeless1 succeeding by a miracle of
 courage in her single aim1 never to    
complain1 but always to impart a bit of 
her joy and peace to every one who came 
near her4 ,all these1 and other persons 
like them1 people of little             
consideration in the world1 but now     
seemingly all full of great contentment 
and an inward gladness that made their  
steps light1 were in the company that   
passed along the road1 talking together 
of things past and things to come1 and  
singing now and then with clear voices  
from which the veil of age and sorrow   
was lifted4  ,john ,weightman joined in 
some of the songs--which were familiar  
to him from their use in the church--at 

first with a touch of hesitation1 and   
then more confidently4 ,for as they went
 on his sense of strangeness and fear at
 his new experience diminished1 and his 
thoughts began to take on their habitual
 assurance and complacency4 ,were not   
these people going to the ,celestial    
,city8 ,and was not he in his right     
place among them8 ,he had always looked 
forward to this journey4 ,if they were  
sure1 each one1 of finding a mansion    
there1 could not he be far more sure8   
,his life had been more fruitful than   
theirs4 ,he had been a leader1 a founder
 of new enterprises1 a pillar of ,church
 and ,state1 a prince of the ,house of  
,israel4 ,ten talents had been given    
him1 and he had made them twenty4 ,his  
reward would be proportionate4 ,he was  
glad that his companions were going to  
find fit dwellings prepared for them2   
but he thought also with a certain      
pleasure of the surprise that some of   
them would feel when they saw his       
appointed mansion4  ,so they came to the

 summit of the moorland and looked over 
into the world beyond4 ,it was a vast1  
green plain1 softly rounded like a      
shallow vase1 and circled with hills of 
amethyst4 ,a broad1 shining river flowed
 through it1 and many silver threads of 
water were woven across the green2 and  
there were borders of tall trees on the 
banks of the river1 and orchards full of
 roses abloom along the little streams1 
and in the midst of all stood the city1 
white and wonderful and radiant4  ,when 
the travelers saw it they were filled   
with awe and joy4 ,they passed over the 
little streams and among the orchards   
quickly and silently1 as if they feared 
to speak lest the city should vanish4   
,the wall of the city was very low1 a   
child could see over it1 for it was made
 only of precious stones1 which are     
never large4 ,the gate of the city was  
not like a gate at all1 for it was not  
barred with iron or wood1 but only a    
single pearl1 softly gleaming1 marked   
the place where the wall ended and the  

entrance lay open4  ,a person stood     
there whose face was bright and grave1  
and whose robe was like the flower of   
the lily1 not a woven fabric1 but a     
living texture4 ,come in1 he said to the
 company of travelers2 you are at your  
journey's end1 and your mansions are    
ready for you4  ,john ,weightman        
hesitated1 for he was troubled by a     
doubt4 ,suppose that he was not really1 
like his companions1 at his journey's   
end1 but only transported for a little  
while out of the regular course of his  
life into this mysterious experience8   
,suppose that1 after all1 he had not    
really passed through the door of death1
 like these others1 but only through the
 door of dreams1 and was walking in a   
vision1 a living man among the blessed  
dead4 ,would it be right for him to go  
with them into the heavenly city8 ,would
 it not be a deception1 a desecration1 a
 deep and unforgivable offense8 ,the    
strange1 confusing question had no      
reason in it1 as he very well knew2 for 

if he was dreaming1 then it was all a   
dream2 but if his companions were real1 
then he also was with them in reality1  
and if they had died then he must have  
died too4 ,yet he could not rid his mind
 of the sense that there was a          
difference between them and him1 and it 
made him afraid to go on4 ,but1 as he   
paused and turned1 the ,keeper of the   
,gate looked straight and deep into his 
eyes1 and beckoned to him4 ,then he knew
 that it was not only right but         
necessary that he should enter4  ,they  
passed from street to street among fair 
and spacious dwellings1 set in          
amaranthine gardens1 and adorned with an
 infinitely varied beauty of divine     
simplicity4 ,the mansions differed in   
size1 in shape1 in charm3 each one      
seemed to have its own personal look of 
loveliness2 yet all were alike in       
fitness to their place1 in harmony with 
one another1 in the addition which each 
made to the singular and tranquil       
splendor of the city4  ,as the little   

company came1 one by one1 to the        
mansions which were prepared for them1  
and their ,guide beckoned to the happy  
inhabitant to enter in and take         
possession1 there was a soft murmur of  
joy1 half wonder and half recognition2  
as if the new and immortal dwelling were
 crowned with the beauty of surprise1   
lovelier and nobler than all the dreams 
of it had been2 and yet also as if it   
were touched with the beauty of the     
familiar1 the remembered1 the           
long-loved4 ,one after another the      
travelers were led to their own         
mansions1 and went in gladly2 and from  
within1 through the open doorways1 came 
sweet voices of welcome1 and low        
laughter1 and song4  ,at last there was 
no one left with the ,guide but the two 
old friends1 ,doctor ,mc,lean and ,john 
,weightman4 ,they were standing in front
 of one of the largest and fairest of   
the houses1 whose garden glowed softly  
with radiant flowers4 ,the ,guide laid  
his hand upon the doctor's shoulder4    

,this is for you1 he said4 ,go in2 there
 is no more pain here1 no more death1   
nor sorrow1 nor tears2 for your old     
enemies are all conquered4 ,but all the 
good that you have done for others1 all 
the help that you have given1 all the   
comfort that you have brought1 all the  
strength and love that you have bestowed
 upon the suffering1 are here2 for we   
have built them all into this mansion   
for you4  ,the good man's face was      
lighted with a still joy4 ,he clasped   
his old friend's hand closely1 and      
whispered3 ,how wonderful it is6 ,go on1
 you will come to your mansion next1 it 
is not far away1 and we shall see each  
other again soon1 very soon4  ,so he    
went through the garden1 and into the   
music within4 ,the ,keeper of the ,gate 
turned to ,john ,weightman with level1  
quiet1 searching eyes4 ,then he asked1  
gravely3  ,where do you wish me to lead 
you now8  ,to see my own mansion1       
answered the man1 with half-concealed   
excitement4 ,is there not one here for  

me8 ,you may not let me enter it yet1   
perhaps1 for ,i must confess to you that
 ,i am only--  ,i know1 said the ,keeper
 of the ,gate--,i know it all4 ,you are 
,john ,weightman4  ,yes1 said the man1  
more firmly than he had spoken at first1
 for it gratified him that his name was 
known4 ,yes1 ,i am ,john ,weightman1    
,senior ,warden of ,st4 ,petronius'     
,church4 ,i wish very much to see my    
mansion here1 if only for a moment4 ,i  
believe that you have one for me4 ,will 
you take me to it8  ,the ,keeper of the 
,gate drew a little book from the breast
 of his robe and turned over the pages4 
,certainly1 he said1 with a curious look
 at the man1 your name is here2 and you 
shall see your mansion if you will      
follow me4  ,it seemed as if they must  
have walked miles and miles1 through the
 vast city1 passing street after street 
of houses larger and smaller1 of gardens
 richer and poorer1 but all full of     
beauty and delight4 ,they came into a   
kind of suburb1 where there were many   

small cottages1 with plots of flowers1  
very lowly1 but bright and fragrant4    
,finally they reached an open field1    
bare and lonely-looking4 ,there were two
 or three little bushes in it1 without  
flowers1 and the grass was sparse and   
thin4 ,in the center of the field was a 
tiny hut1 hardly big enough for a       
shepherd's shelter4 ,it looked as if it 
had been built of discarded things1     
scraps and fragments of other buildings1
 put together with care and pains1 by   
some one who had tried to make the most 
of cast-off material4 ,there was        
something pitiful and shamefaced about  
the hut4 ,it shrank and drooped and     
faded in its barren field1 and seemed to
 cling only by sufferance to the edge of
 the splendid city4  ,this1 said the    
,keeper of the ,gate1 standing still and
 speaking with a low1 distinct          
voice--this is your mansion1 ,john      
,weightman4  ,an almost intolerable     
shock of grieved wonder and indignation 
choked the man for a moment so that he  

could not say a word4 ,then he turned   
his face away from the poor little hut  
and began to remonstrate eagerly with   
his companion4  ,surely1 sir1 he        
stammered1 you must be in error about   
this4 ,there is something wrong--some   
other ,john ,weightman--a confusion of  
names--the book must be mistaken4       
,there is no mistake1 said the ,keeper  
of the ,gate1 very calmly2 here is your 
name1 the record of your title and your 
possessions in this place4  ,but how    
could such a house be prepared for me1  
cried the man1 with a resentful tremor  
in his voice--for me1 after my long and 
faithful service8 ,is this a suitable   
mansion for one so well known and       
devoted8 ,why is it so pitifully small  
and mean8 ,why have you not built it    
large and fair1 like the others8  ,that 
is all the material you sent us4  ,what6
  ,we have used all the material that   
you sent us1 repeated the ,keeper of the
 ,gate4  ,now ,i know that you are      
mistaken1 cried the man1 with growing   

earnestness1 for all my life long ,i    
have been doing things that must have   
supplied you with material4 ,have you   
not heard that ,i have built a          
school-house2 the wing of a hospital2   
two--yes1 three--small churches1 and the
 greater part of a large one1 the spire 
of ,st4 ,petro--  ,the ,keeper of the   
,gate lifted his hand4  ,wait1 he said2 
we know all these things4 ,they were not
 ill done4 ,but they were all marked and
 used as foundation for the name and    
mansion of ,john ,weightman in the      
world4 ,did you not plan them for that8 
,yes1 answered the man1 confused and    
taken aback1 ,i confess that ,i thought 
often of them in that way4 ,perhaps my  
heart was set upon that too much4 ,but  
there are other things--my endowment for
 the college--my steady and liberal     
contributions to all the established    
charities--my support of every          
respectable--  ,wait1 said the ,keeper  
of the ,gate again4 ,were not all these 
carefully recorded on earth where they  

would add to your credit8 ,they were not
 foolishly done4 ,verily1 you have had  
your reward for them4 ,would you be paid
 twice8  ,no1 cried the man1 with       
deepening dismay1 ,i dare not claim     
that4 ,i acknowledge that ,i considered 
my own interest too much4 ,but surely   
not altogether4 ,you have said that     
these things were not foolishly done4   
,they accomplished some good in the     
world4 ,does not that count for         
something8  ,yes1 answered the ,keeper  
of the ,gate1 it counts in the          
world--where you counted it4 ,but it    
does not belong to you here4 ,we have   
saved and used everything that you sent 
us4 ,this is the mansion prepared for   
you4  ,as he spoke1 his look grew deeper
 and more searching1 like a flame of    
fire4 ,john ,weightman could not endure 
it4 ,it seemed to strip him naked and   
wither him4 ,he sank to the ground under
 a crushing weight of shame1 covering   
his eyes with his hands and cowering    
face downward upon the stones4 ,dimly   

through the trouble of his mind he felt 
their hardness and coldness4  ,tell me1 
then1 he cried1 brokenly1 since my life 
has been so little worth1 how came ,i   
here at all8  ,through the mercy of the 
,king--the answer was like the soft     
tolling of a bell4  ,and how have ,i    
earned it8 he murmured4  ,it is never   
earned2 it is only given1 came the      
clear1 low reply4  ,but how have ,i     
failed so wretchedly1 he asked1 in all  
the purpose of my life8 ,what could ,i  
have done better8 ,what is it that      
counts here8  ,only that which is truly 
given1 answered the bell-like voice4    
,only that good which is done for the   
love of doing it4 ,only those plans in  
which the welfare of others is the      
master thought4 ,only those labors in   
which the sacrifice is greater than the 
reward4 ,only those gifts in which the  
giver forgets himself4  ,the man lay    
silent4 ,a great weakness1 an           
unspeakable despondency and humiliation 
were upon him4 ,but the face of the     

,keeper of the ,gate was infinitely     
tender as he bent over him4  ,think     
again1 ,john ,weightman4 ,has there been
 nothing like that in your life8        
,nothing1 he sighed4 ,if there ever were
 such things1 it must have been long    
ago--they were all crowded out--,i have 
forgotten them4  ,there was an ineffable
 smile on the face of the ,keeper of the
 ,gate1 and his hand made the sign of   
the cross over the bowed head as he     
spoke gently3  ,these are the things    
that the ,king never forgets2 and       
because there were a few of them in your
 life1 you have a little place here4    
99       99       99       99       99  
,the sense of coldness and hardness     
under ,john ,weightman's hands grew     
sharper and more distinct4 ,the feeling 
of bodily weariness and lassitude       
weighed upon him1 but there was a calm1 
almost a lightness1 in his heart as he  
listened to the fading vibrations of the
 silvery bell-tones4 ,the chimney clock 
on the mantel had just ended the last   

stroke of seven as he lifted his head   
from the table4 ,thin1 pale strips of   
the city morning were falling into the  
room through the narrow partings of the 
heavy curtains4  ,what was it that had  
happened to him8 ,had he been ill8 ,had 
he died and come to life again8 ,or had 
he only slept1 and had his soul gone    
visiting in dreams8 ,he sat for some    
time1 motionless1 not lost1 but finding 
himself in thought4 ,then he took a     
narrow book from the table drawer1 wrote
 a check1 and tore it out4  ,he went    
slowly up the stairs1 knocked very      
softly at his son's door1 and1 hearing  
no answer1 entered without noise4       
,harold was asleep1 his bare arm thrown 
above his head1 and his eager face      
relaxed in peace4 ,his father looked at 
him a moment with strangely shining     
eyes1 and then tiptoed quietly to the   
writing-desk1 found a pencil and a sheet
 of paper1 and wrote rapidly3  ,my dear 
boy1 here is what you asked me for2 do  
what you like with it1 and ask for more 

if you need it4 ,if you are still       
thinking of that work with ,grenfell1   
we'll talk it over to-day after church4 
,i want to know your heart better2 and  
if ,i have made mistakes--              
,illustration3 ,god give us a good      
,christmas together  ,a slight noise    
made him turn his head4 ,harold was     
sitting up in bed with wide-open eyes4  
,father6 he cried1 is that you8  ,yes1  
my son1 answered ,john ,weightman2 ,i've
 come back--,i mean ,i've come up--no1  
,i mean come in--well1 here ,i am1 and  
,god give us a good ,christmas together4
   ,,the ,,end