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He desired to give us the best educational opportunities, the best and most expensive masters.
He filled his art gallery with the finest pictures that money could command in the New York of that day. He gave largely to public undertakings, was one of the founders of the New York University, and was one of the foremost promoters of church building in the then distant West.
He demurred only at expenses connected with dress and fashionable entertainment, for he always disliked and distrusted the great world.
My dear eldest brother held many arguments with him on this theme.
He saw, as we did, that our father was disposed to ignore the value of ordinary social intercourse.
On one occasion the dispute between them became quite animated.
‘Sir,’ said my brother, ‘you do not keep in view the importance of the social tie.’
‘The social what?’
asked my father.
‘The social tie, sir.’
‘I make small account of that,’ said the elder gentleman.
‘I will die in defense of it!’
impetuously rejoined the younger.
My father was so much amused at this sally that he spoke of it to an intimate friend: ‘He will die in defense of the social tie, indeed!’
Our way of living was simple.
The table was abundant, but not with the richest food.
For
