第21章

"Theworkingpeopleherehavehadahardtimeduringthelastyear,"shewenton."Someofthemillshadtobeshutdown,youknow.Ithastroubledme.Indeed,ithastroubledallofus.Andwhathasmadeitmoredifficult,morepainfulisthatmanyofthemseemactuallytodislikeus.Theythinkit\'sfather\'sfault,andthathecouldrunallthemillsifhewantedto.I\'vebeenaroundalittlewithmotherandsometimesthewomenwouldn\'tacceptanyhelpfromus;theysaidthey\'dratherstarvethantakecharity,thattheyhadtherighttowork.Butfathercouldn\'trunthemillsataloss——couldhe?"

"Certainlynot,"Ireplied.

"Andthenthere\'sMr.Krebs,ofwhomwewerespeakingatsupper,andwhoputsallkindsofqueernotionsintotheirheads.Fathersayshe\'sananarchist.IheardfathersayatsupperthathewasatHarvardwithyou.

Didyoulikehim?"

"Well,"Iansweredhesitatingly,"Ididn\'tknowhimverywell."

"Ofcoursenot,"sheputin."Isupposeyoucouldn\'thave."

"He\'sgotthesenotions,"Iexplained,"thataremischievousandcrazy——

butIdon\'tdislikehim."

"I\'mgladtohearyousaythat!"sheansweredquietly."Ilikehim,too——

heseemssokind,sounderstanding."

"Doyouknowhim?"

"Well,——"shehesitated——"IfeelasthoughIdo.I\'veonlymethimonce,andthatwasbyaccident.Itwasthedaythebigstrikebegan,lastspring,andIhadbeenshopping,andstartedforthemillstogetfathertowalkhomewithme,asIusedtodo.Isawthecrowdsblockingthestreetsaroundthecanal.AtfirstIpaidnoattentiontothem,butafterawhileIbegantobealittleuneasy,therewereplaceswhereI

hadtosqueezethrough,andIcouldn\'thelpseeingthatsomethingwaswrong,andthatthepeoplewereangry.Menandwomenweretalkinginloudvoices.Onewomanstaredatme,andcalledmyname,andsaidsomethingthatfrightenedmeterribly.Iwentintoadoorway——andthenI

sawMr.Krebs.Ididn\'tknowwhohewas.Hejustsaid,`You\'dbettercomewithme,MissHutchins,\'andIwentwithhim.Ithoughtafterwardsthatitwasaverycourageousthingforhimtodo,becausehewassopopularwiththemillpeople,andtheyhadsuchafeelingagainstus.

Yettheydidn\'tseemtoresentit,andmadewayforus,andMr.Krebsspoketomanyofthemaswepassed.AfterwegottoStateStreet,I

askedhimhisname,andwhenhetoldmeIwasspeechless.Hetookoffhishatandwentaway.Hehadsuchaniceface——notatalluglywhenyoulookatittwice——andkindeyes,thatIjustcouldn\'tbelievehimtobeasbadasfatherandGeorgethinkheis.Ofcourseheismistaken,"sheaddedhastily,"butIamsureheissincere,andhonestlythinkshecanhelpthosepeoplebytellingthemwhathedoes."

Thequestionshotatmeduringthemeetingrankledstill;IwantedtobelievethatKrebshadinspiredit,andherchampionshipofhimgavemeatwingeofjealousy,——theslightesttwinge,tobesure,yetaperceptibleone.Atthesametime,theunaccountablelikingIhadforthemanstirredtolife.Theactshedescribedhadbeensocharacteristic.

"He\'soneofthebornrebelsagainstsociety,"Isaidglibly."YetIdothinkhe\'ssincere."

Maudewasgrave."Ishouldbesorrytothinkhewasn\'t,"shereplied.

AfterIhadbiddenhergoodnightatthefootofthestairs,andgonetomyroom,IreflectedhowabsurditwastobejealousofKrebs.WhatwasMaudeHutchinstome?Andevenifshehadbeensomethingtome,shenevercouldbeanythingtoKrebs.Alltheforcesofourcivilizationstoodbetweenthetwo;norwassheofanaturetotakeplungesofthatsort.Thenextday,asIlaybackinmyseatintheparlour-carandgazedattheautumnlandscape,Iindulgedinaluxuriouscontemplationofthepictureshehadmadeasshestoodonthelawnunderthetreesintheearlymorninglight,whenmycarriagehaddrivenaway;andIhadturned,toperceivethathereyeshadfollowedme.Iwasnotinlovewithher,ofcourse.IdidnotwishtoreturnatoncetoElkington,butIdweltwithapleasantanticipationuponmyvisit,whenthecampaignshouldbeover,withGeorge.

XIII.

"ThegoodolddaysoftheWatlingcampaign,"asColonelPaulVarneyiswonttocallthem,aregoneforever.AndtheColonelhimself,whostucktohisgods,hasbeenthroughtheburning,fieryfurnaceofInvestigation,andhascomeoutunscathedandunrepentant.Theflamesofinvestigation,asamatteroffact,passedoverhisheadintheirvainattempttoreachthe"manhigherup,"whosefeettheylicked;buthimtheydidnotdevour,either.Aveteraninretirement,theColonelislivingunderhisvineandfigtreeonthelakeatRossiter;thevinebearsCatawbagrapes,ofwhichheispassionatelyfond;thefigtree,theBartlettpearshegivestohisfriends.Hehassavedsomethingfromthespoilsofwar,butotherveteransIcouldmentionarenotsofortunate.

Theoldwarriorshaveretired,andmanyaredead;thegoodoldmethodsarebecomingobsolete.Weneverbotheredaboutthosemischievousthingscalledprimaries.Ourcountycommittees,ourstatecommitteeschosethecandidatesfortheconventions,whichturnedaroundandchosethecommittees.Boththecommitteesandtheconventions——underadvice——chosethecandidates.Why,pray,shouldthepeoplecomplain,whentheyhadeverythingdoneforthem?Thebenevolentparties,bothDemocraticandRepublican,evenundertooktheexpenseofprintingtheballots!Andgenerousballotstheywere(twentyincheslongandfivewide!),distributedbeforeelection,inorderthatthevotersmighthavetheopportunityofstudyingandpreparingthem:inorderthatDemocratsofdelicatefeelingsmighttakethepainstoscratchoutalltheDemocraticcandidates,andwriteinthenamesoftheRepublicancandidates.

Patriotismcouldgonofartherthanthis

Ispenttheweekbeforeelectioninthecity,whereIhadtheopportunityofobservingwhatmaybecalledthecharitablesideofpolitics.Forawholemonth,ormore,theburdenofexistencehadbeenliftedfromtheshouldersofthehomeless.Nochurchororganization,lookedoutforthesefrowsy,blear-eyedandraggedwandererswhohadfailedtofindaplaceinthescaleofefficiency.Forawholemonth,Isay,Mr.JuddJasonandhislieutenantsmadethemtheirespecialcare;supportedtheminlodging-houses,inducedthenightclerkstogivethemattention;tookthegreatestpainstoensurethemthebirth-rightwhich,asAmericancitizens,wastheirs,——thatofvoting.Theywerenotonlygivenhomesforaperiod,buttheywereregistered;andintheabundanceofgoodfeelingthatreignedduringthistimeofcheer,eventheforeignerswereregistered!Onelectiondaytheyweredriven,likevisitingnotables,incarryallsandcarriagestothepolls!Someofthem,asthoughincompensationforillsenduredbetweenelections,vote