The Greatest Works of Emerson Hough – 19 Books in One Volume (Illustrated Edition). Emerson Hough
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we could see in great abundance at the bottom of the river.
“‘This day I completed my thirty first year, and conceived that I had in all human probability now existed about half the period which I am to remain in this Sublunary world. I reflected that I had as yet done but little, very little, indeed, to further the hapiness of the human race, or to advance the information of the succeeding generation. I viewed with regret the many hours I have spent in indolence, and now soarly feel the want of that information which those hours would have given me had they been judiciously expended. but since they are past and cannot be recalled, I dash from me the gloomy thought, and resolved in future, to redouble my exertions and at least indeavour to promote those two primary objects of human existence, by giving them the aid of that portion of talents which nature and fortune have bestoed on me; or in future, to live for mankind, as I have heretofore lived for myself.’
“So there you are, young men,” concluded Uncle Dick, rising and reaching for his hat as the train began to near the environs of the busy city. “If you must think of something striking, something worth remembering, out of all the pleasant memories you hold from our little journey this year — you Young Alaskans, now beginning to explore the history of your own wonderful country — set down this picture of Captain Meriwether Lewis, thirty-one years old, with more responsibilities, more of consequences, more future, on his shoulders right then than any other officer of our army ever had, sitting there by his little fire writing in his notebook the same as you, Rob, and you, Jesse, and you, John, have written in yours — and after that, remember what he wrote. Not so very conceited, was he?
“There were two men who were not thinking of politics nor of personal profit in any way. They did not hunt for advancement, they let that hunt them. They were not working for money; they never had much money, either one of them. They were not working for glory; they never had much glory, either of them; they always lacked the recognition they ought to have had, and they are almost forgotten to-day, as they ought not to be. They did their work because it was there to do, out of a sense of duty; they were content with that.
“So now out of all our travels up to this date, I don’t know that there is any experience we’ve had that will bring us a much bigger lesson than this one. Write it in your notebooks — what Meriwether Lewis wrote in his notebook, that day in the mountains. When you are thirty-one, check back in your notebooks and see if you can write what he could.
“Yes, I hope that you may resolve in future to ‘redouble your exertions.’ I hope you may give a ‘portion of the talents which nature and fortune have bestowed on you,’ for the sake of mankind — for the sake of your country, young gentlemen, and not wholly for the sake of yourselves.”
The train rolled into the great railway station. Wondering onlookers stopped for a moment and turned as they saw three lean, sunbrowned boys stand at attention and give the Scout salute to the older man who turned to them and, smiling, snapped his hand into the regulation salute of the Army.
And so, as Jesse smilingly said, the Company of Volunteers for Northwestern Discovery disbanded for that year.
THE END
Other Novels
The Girl at the Halfway House
CHAPTER II. THE PLAYERS OF THE GAME
BOOK II: THE DAY OF THE BUFFALO
CHAPTER IV. BATTERSLEIGH OF THE RILE IRISH
CHAPTER V. THE TURNING OF THE ROAD
CHAPTER VI. EDWARD FRANKLIN, LAWYER
CHAPTER XII. WHAT THE HAND HAD TO DO
CHAPTER XIV. THE FIRST BALL AT ELLISVILLE
BOOK III: THE DAY OF THE CATTLE
CHAPTER XVII. ELLISVILLE THE RED
CHAPTER XIX. THAT WHICH HE WOULD
CHAPTER XXI. THE ADVICE OF AUNT LUCY
CHAPTER XXIV. THE WAY OF A MAID
CHAPTER XXVII. THE BODY OF THE CRIME