CORELLI OH THE MILLIONAIRE

Colonist, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11552, 13 February 1906, Page 4

CORELLI OH THE MILLIONAIRE

Miss Marie Corelli says of the millionaire, his riches are as "an impregnable wall," shutting him out from tbe best forms of happiness. Always on guard against; fraud, ho is being constantly victimised. He cannot rely on friendship, for time-servers and "sponges" surround him. "Swarming around him they stop at nothing. Buzzing like wasps on ripe fruit, they invent any scandalous report, any infamous lie against the one person they fear might gain influence with him whom, because he is rich, they look upon as their lawful prey-" This ia d a fair example of the writing in Miss Uorelli's article. She goes on to point out— apparently as if it were a new idea— that "the delights of desire are infinitely greater than the gaiety of possession," and that consequently the millionaires money does not do him much good. The millionaire can buy - anything he wants, but he gets almost no pleasure out of it, because he has no one whom he can trnst to share it with. Nearly always love is denied him.for he is afraid of wotnenI Too often he reaches the end of his I career a physical wreck, with not a * soul to care how soon he dies. If he tries to do good with his money he is at once accused of self-advertise-ment. Who, she asks, would not i pity the millionaire? "His life is a I mere rush through the shows of the 1 world's* Vanity Fair'— and in gatberi ing up the gold, he misses all the v flowers. " Yet we seem to have heard / of millionaires who enjoyed life in a i rational way. Sensible people will, ''•■ we think, know what value to place j upon tnis characteristic tirade. Sir Marcus Samuel, a wealthy London 1 merchant, puts tho case against the ' article briefly when he says that Miss Corelli "has taken the distorted view of a jaundiced disposition, by looking on the evil side of life alone. " Sir Marcus says bluutly that he is sorry for Miss Oorelli's sxperience.