36 Red Room and Other Chat 



must buy ! Besides, it pleases the Myopian to see 

 the nimble sixpence " get a move on," to use a race- 

 track phrase. Myopians are all altruistic, and though 

 their contributions to the general good are filtered 

 through selfishness, they regard their sporting outgo 

 from an altruistic standpoint. 



There is no living Myopian example of the high- 

 est altruistic flights who prefers to peddle out his 

 fortune little by little at a loss in order to look his 

 fellow^ man in the face and call him " Brother " ! 

 Born in thrifty New England, it is bred into the 

 very bones of Myopians to transact affairs for Gain. 

 They recognize no benevolence in trade ; and so ro- 

 bust is their conviction that many generations must 

 pass before their consciences become so sick that they 

 will spend all that they have, even for Sport, to attain 

 altruistic bliss. 



The Myopians of 1882, intent on their sport, had 

 no idea that their presence would have any effect on 

 the village of Hamilton, which has improved so 

 much in general appearance as to call out the com- 

 ment of people who knew it then ; and as to feeling 

 they would be factors in influencing in any way such 

 stupendous problems as Real Estate and Taxes, — it 

 was farthest from their thoughts. The Village Im- 

 provement Society goes on with the good work. 



The Press has exhausted its joke and satire, some- 

 times amusing and sometimes rather bitter ; and it 



