\"Granted;buthedidn\'tmakeafortune。Hetookafortunethatothersmade。AtCambridgetheytaughtmethathisprofitsweretherewardofabstinence——theabstinencewhichenabledhimtosave。ThatquietedmyconscienceuntilIbegantowonderwhyonemanshouldmakeanotherpayhimforexercisingoneofthevirtues。Thencamethequestion:whatdidmyfatherabstainfrom？
Theworkmenabstainedfrommeat,drink,freshair,goodclothes,decentlodging,holidays,money,thesocietyoftheirfamilies,andprettynearlyeverythingthatmakeslifeworthliving,whichwasperhapsthereasonwhytheyusuallydiedtwentyyearsorsosoonerthanpeopleinourcircumstances。Yetnoonerewardedthemfortheirabstinence。Therewardcametomyfather,whoabstainedfromnoneofthesethings,butindulgedinthemalltohisheart\'scontent。Besides,ifthemoneywastherewardofabstinence,itseemedlogicaltoinferthathemustabstaintentimesasmuchwhenhebadfiftythousandayearaswhenhehadonlyfivethousand。Herewasaproblemformyyoungmind。
Required,somethingfromwhichmyfatherabstainedandinwhichhisworkmenexceeded,andwhichheabstainedfrommoreandmoreashegrewricherandricher。Theonlythingthatansweredthisdescriptionwashardwork,andasInevermetasanemanwillingtopayanotherforidling,Ibegantoseethattheseprodigiouspaymentstomyfatherwereextortedbyforce。Todohimjustice,heneverboastedofabstinence。Heconsideredhimselfahard—workedman,andclaimedhisfortuneastherewardofhisrisks,hiscalculations,hisanxieties,andthejourneyshehadtomakeatallseasonsandatallhours。Thiscomfortedmesomewhatuntilitoccurredtomethatifhehadlivedacenturyearlier,investedhismoneyinahorseandapairofpistols,andtakentotheroad,hisobject——thatofwrestingfromothersthefruitsoftheirlaborwithoutrenderingthemanequivalent——wouldhavebeenexactlythesame,andhisriskfargreater,foritwouldhaveincludedriskofthegallows。Constanttravellingwiththeconstableathisheels,andcalculationsofthechancesofrobbingtheDovermail,wouldhavegivenhimhisfillofactivityandanxiety。Onthewhole,ifJesseTrefusis,M。P。,whodiedamillionaireinhispalaceatKensington,hadbeenahighwayman,I
couldnotmoreheartilyloathethesocialarrangementsthatrenderedsuchacareerashisnotonlypossible,buteminentlycreditabletohimselfintheeyesofhisfellows。Mostmenmakeittheirbusinesstoimitatehim,hopingtobecomerichandidleonthesameterms。ThereforeIturnmybackonthem。Icannotsitattheirfeastsknowinghowmuchtheycostinhumanmisery,andseeinghowlittletheyproduceofhumanhappiness。Whatisyouropinion,mytreasure？\"
Henriettaseemedalittletroubled。Shesmiledfaintly,andsaidcaressingly,\"Itwasnotyourfault,Sidney。_I_don\'tblameyou。\"