OPERTY NO ADMITTANCE sign at the entrance. As the cigar-stand philosopher explained Adam Ward did not propose to give anything away.The chief value of his possessions in Adam's thoughts lay in the fact that they were _his_,vans authentic. He always said _My_ house--_my_ grounds--_my_ flowers--_my_ trees--_my_ fountain--_my_ fence. He even extended his ownership and spoke of the very birds who dared to ignore the PRIVATE PROPERTY No ADMITTANCE sign as _my_ birds,vans shoes authentic. So marked indeed was this characteristic habit of his speech that no one in Millsburgh would have been surprised to hear him say _My_ sun--_my_ moonlight,where to buy vans shoes in uk. And never did he so forget himself as to include his wife and children in such an expression as our home. Why indeed should he? His wife and his children were as much _his_ as any of the other items on the long list of the personal possessions which he had so industriously acquired.In perfect harmony with the principles that ordered his life the owner of the castle made great show of hospitality at times. But the recipients of his effusive welcome were invariably those from whom or through whom he had reason to think he might derive a definite material gain in return for his graciousness. The chief entertainment offered these occasional utilitarian guests was a verbal catalogue of the estate with an itemized statement of the cost of everything mentioned. If the architecture of the house was noticed Adam proudly disclaimed any knowledge of architecture but named the architect's fee and gave the building cost in detail from the heating system to the window screens. If one chanced to betray an interest in a flower or shrub or tree he boasted that he could not name a plant on the place and told how many thousands he had paid the landscape architect and what it cost him each year to maintain the lawns and gardens. If the visitor admired the fountain or the statuary he declared--quite unnecessarily--that he knew nothing of art but had paid the various artists represented various definite dollars and cents. And never was there a guest of that house that poor Adam did not seek to discredit to his family and to other guests lest by any chance any one should fail to recognize the host's superiority.In his youth the Mill owner had received from his parents certain exaggerated religious convictions as to the desirability of gaining heaven and escaping hell when one's years of material gains and losses should be forever past. Therefore his spiritual life also was wholly a matter of personal bargain and profit. The church was an insurance corporation of a sort to which he paid his dues as he paid the premiums on his policies in other less pretentious companies. As a matter of additional security--which cost nothing in the way of additional premiums--he never failed to say grace at the table.This matter of grace Adam found was also a character asset of no little value when there were guests whom he for good material reasons wished to impress with the fine combination of business ability and sterling Christian virtue that so distinguishe Related articles:

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