Summary
In the idyllic enclave of Milford, George Woods exists in a state of prelapsarian grace, his life anchored by the domestic tranquility of a devoted wife and a burgeoning daughter. This pastoral equilibrium is shattered when the siren call of the metropolis arrives in the form of Cyrus Morton, a New York plutocrat who enlists George as his personal chauffeur. The transition from the rural quietude to the cacophonous avarice of Manhattan serves as a psychological crucible. George, initially a mere observer of the high-stakes games of the financial elite, finds his moral compass spinning erratically when he discovers Morton’s lost wallet. Choosing the path of the opportunist over the honest servant, he misappropriates the capital to infiltrate the volatile stock market. His initial gambit yields a staggering windfall, catalyzing a metamorphosis from a humble patriarch into a monomaniacal titan of industry. As his coffers swell, his emotional capacity atrophies; the 'Golden God' of Mammon demands the total sacrifice of his familial bonds. The narrative arc traces this descent into a sterile, opulent purgatory where George’s vast accumulation of wealth serves only to highlight his spiritual bankruptcy. It is only through the persistent, restorative efforts of his wife, Mary, that George is forced to confront the vacuity of his material empire, eventually pivoting back toward the profound, unadorned joys of his former existence.
Synopsis
George Woods is leading a happy and contented life with his wife and little daughter in the small town of Milford when millionaire Cyrus Morton from New York offers to make him his chauffeur. George accepts and goes to the city where he finds everyone preoccupied with the pursuit of wealth. The fever enters his blood, and upon finding Morton's lost wallet, George takes the money and plunges into the stock market. His investment is successful, and from then on he becomes obsessed with money, forgetting his wife and child in his vain pursuit. But even with the vast wealth he accumulates, George finds that he is unhappy. Through his wife Mary's efforts, he finally realizes that true happiness cannot be found in the accumulation of riches, but lies in simpler pleasures.
