IS HE RICH?

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VII, Issue 10, 7 March 1891, Page 7

IS HE RICH?

A STRANGER comes into the town and takes up his residence.

Naturally enough people talk over the circumstance, and inquire concerning the personal attributes of the young man. Is he rich ? This is the all-important question. 11 is a chance if anybody inquires concerning his character. Characters belong only to servants or governesses. What does a rich young man want with a character ? Pretty, pure young girls ask the question ; and, when the affirmative response comes, visions of stately mansions, and costly furniture, and gilded carriages flit before their imaginations, not to mention Paris bonnets, and Lyons velvets, and diamonds like the Kohinoor. And these innocent little dai lings are quite ready to sacrifice Charles, or Sam, or Thomas, for the sake of the new-comer, who is rich. Old ladies ask the momentous question, and wipe their spectacles in ecstacy when they learn that he is rich. They glance affectionately at their marriageable daughters, anil at once set themselves to work to get up a party for the young man, ‘ who must feel so lonely among a community of entire strangers. ’ Bless their tender and charitable old hearts ! It is beautiful to think of so much goodness embodied in these female patriarchs, but it seems a little strange that they never get up parties for any of the hundreds of poor young men who wander lonely and forlorn the streets of our great cities. Portly papas ask the question, and twirl their gaudy watch-seals, and ask Brown to indroduce them, because forsooth, young men need encouragement, and ‘ it is deuced unpleasant not to know anybody.’ And, while they look over their bank accounts, they think how convenient would be a rich son-in-law in case of a breaking down of some * corner,’ or a financial crisis. Is he rich J The door of society is flung open at once to him if he is rich. Gold is the ‘ open sesame ’ to the gilded portals, whose curtains never unfold to the man who counts his pounds by the score. The silken robes of wealth do not care to touch the floating rags of poverty. The rich young man is received without question. No matter though his hands be red with the crime of extortion —though he may have taken bread from the mouths of the fatherless, and crushed the heart of the widow in the dust—if he has staked his gold at the gaming- table, blasphemed the name of the God who created him, hardened his brain by the foul stuff called alcohol, and betrayed the woman who loved him, it is no hindrance to his success in what we call society.