a far country-第62节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


our　sooty　skies。　　Even　the　church　was　prosperous；　the　Rev。　Carey　Heddon；
our　new　minister；　was　well　abreast　of　the　times；　typical　of　the　new　and
efficient　Christianity　that　has　finally　buried　the　hatchet　with
enlightened　self…interest。　　He　looked　like　a　young　and　prosperous　man　of
business；　and　indeed　he　was　one。

The　fame　of　our　city　spread　even　across　the　Atlantic；　reaching　obscure
hamlets　in　Europe；　where　villagers　gathered　up　their　lares　and　penates；
mortgaged　their　homes；　and　bought　steamship　tickets　from
philanthropists；philanthropists　in　diamonds。　　Our　Huns　began　to　arrive；
their　Attilas　unrecognized　among　them：　to　drive　our　honest　Americans　and
Irish　and　Germans　out　of　the　mills　by　〃lowering　the　standard　of　living。〃
Stillaccording　to　the　learned　economists　in　our　universities；
enlightened　self…interest　triumphed。　　Had　not　the　honest　Americans　and
Germans　become　foremen　and　even　presidents　of　corporations？　　What　greater
vindication　for　their　philosophy　could　be　desired？

The　very　aspect　of　the　city　changed　like　magic。　　New　buildings　sprang
high　in　the　air；　the　Reliance　Trust　（Mr。　Grierson's）；　the　Scherer
Building；　the　Hambleton　Building；　a　stew　hotel；　the　Ashuela；　took　proper
care　of　our　visitors　from　the　East；a　massive；　grey　stone；　thousand…
awninged　affair　on　Boyne　Street；　with　a　grill　where　it　became　the　fashion
to　go　for　supper　after　the　play；　and　a　head　waiter　who　knew　in　a　few
weeks　everyone　worth　knowing。

To　return　for　a　moment　to　the　Huns。　　Maude　had　expressed　a　desire　to　see
a　mill；　and　we　went；　one　afternoon；　in　Mr。　Scherer's　carriage　to
Steelville；　with　Mr。　Scherer　himself；a　bewildering；　educative；　almost
terrifying　experience　amidst　fumes　and　flames；　gigantic　forces　and
titanic　weights。　　It　seemed　a　marvel　that　we　escaped　being　crushed　or
burned　alive　in　those　huge　steel　buildings　reverberating　with　sound。
They　appeared　a　very　bedlam　of　chaos；　instead　of　the　triumph　of　order；
organization　and　human　skill。　　Mr。　Scherer　was　very　proud　of　it　all；　and
ours　was　a　sort　of　triumphal　procession；　accompanied　by　superintendents；
managers　and　other　factotums。　　I　thought　of　my　childhood　image　of
Shadrach；　Meshach　and　Abednego；　and　our　progress　through　the　flames
seemed　no　less　remarkable　and　miraculous。

Maude；　with　alarm　in　her　eyes；　kept　very　close　to　me；　as　I　supplemented
the　explanations　they　gave　her。　　I　had　been　there　many　times　before。

〃Why；　Hugh；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃you　seem　to　know　a　lot　about　it！〃

Mr。　Scherer　laughed。

〃He's　had　to　talk　about　it　once　or　twice　in　courteh；　Hugh？　　You　didn't
realize　how　clever　your　husband　was　did　you；　Mrs。　Paret？〃

〃But　this　is　so　complicated；〃　she　replied。　　〃It　is　overwhelming。〃

〃When　I　found　out　how　much　trouble　he　had　taken　to　learn　about　my
business；〃　added　Mr。　Scherer；　〃there　was　only　one　thing　to　do。　　Make　him
my　lawyer。　　Hugh；　you　have　the　floor；　and　explain　the　open…hearth
process。〃

I　had　almost　forgotten　the　Huns。　　I　saw　Maude　gazing　at　them　with　a　new
kind　of　terror。　　And　when　we　sat　at　home　that　evening　they　still　haunted
her。

〃Somehow；　I　can't　bear　to　think　about　them；〃　she　said。　　〃I'm　sure　we'll
have　to　pay　for　it；　some　day。〃

〃Pay　for　what？〃　I　asked。

〃For　making　them　work　that　way。　　And　twelve　hours！　　It　can't　be　right；
while　we　have　so　much；　and　are　so　comfortable。〃

〃Don't　be　foolish；〃　I　exclaimed。　　〃They're　used　to　it。　　They　think
themselves　lucky　to　get　the　workand　they　are。　　Besides；　you　give　them
credit　for　a　sensitiveness　that　they　don't　possess。　　They　wouldn't　know
what　to　do　with　such　a　house　as　this　if　they　had　it。〃

〃I　never　realized　before　that　our　happiness　and　comfort　were　built　on
such　foundations；〃　she　said；　ignoring　my　remark。

〃You　must　have　seen　your　father's　operatives；　in　Elkington；　many　times　a
week。〃

〃I　suppose　I　was　too　young　to　think　about　such　things；〃　she　reflected。
〃Besides；　I　used　to　be　sorry　for　them；　sometimes。　　But　these　men　at　the
steel　millsI　can't　tell　you　what　I　feel　about　them。　　The　sight　of　their
great　bodies　and　their　red；　sullen　faces　brought　home　to　me　the　cruelty
of　life。　　Did　you　notice　how　some　of　them　stared　at　us；　as　though　they
were　but　half　awake　in　the　heat；　with　that　glow　on　their　faces？　　It　made
me　afraidafraid　that　they'll　wake　up　some　day；　and　then　they　will　be
terrible。　　I　thought　of　the　children。　　It　seems　not　only　wicked；　but　mad
to　bring　ignorant　foreigners　over　here　and　make　them　slaves　like　that；
and　so　many　of　them　are　hurt　and　maimed。　　I　can't　forget　them。〃

〃You're　talking　Socialism；〃　I　said　crossly；　wondering　whether　Lucia　had
taken　it　up　as　her　latest　fad。

〃Oh；　no；　I'm　not；〃　said　Maude；　〃I　don't　know　what　Socialism　is。　　I'm
talking　about　something　that　anyone　who　is　not　dazzled　by　all　this　luxury
we　are　living　in　might　be　able　to　see；　about　something　which；　when　it
comes；　we　shan't　be　able　to　help。〃

I　ridiculed　this。　　The　prophecy　itself　did　not　disturb　me　half　as　much　as
the　fact　that　she　had　made　it；　as　this　new　evidence　that　she　was
beginning　to　think　for　herself；　and　along　lines　so　different　from　my　own
development。

While　it　lasted；　before　novelists；　playwrights；　professors　and　ministers
of　the　Gospel　abandoned　their　proper　sphere　to　destroy　it；　that　Golden
Age　was　heaven；　the　New　Jerusalemin　which　we　had　ceased　to　believe
would　have　been　in　the　nature　of　an　anticlimax　to　any　of　our　archangels
of　finance　who　might　have　attained　it。　　The　streets　of　our　own　city
turned　out　to　be　gold；　gold　likewise　the　acres　of　unused；　scrubby　land　on
our　outskirts；　as　the　incident　of　the　Riverside　Franchisewhich　I　am
about　to　relateamply　proved。

That　scheme　originated　in　the　alert　mind　of　Mr。　Frederick　Grierson；　and
in　spite　of　the　fact　that　it　has　since　become　notorious　in　the　eyes　of　a
virtue…stricken　public；　it　was　entered　into　with　all　innocence　at　the
time：　most　of　the　men　who　were　present　at　the　〃magnate's〃　table　at　the
Boyne　Club　the　day　Mr。　Grierson　broached　it　will　vouch　for　this。　　He
casually　asked　Mr。　Dickinson　if　he　had　ever　noticed　a　tract　lying　on　the
river　about　two　miles　beyond　the　Heights；　opposite　what　used　to　be　in　the
old　days　a　road　house。

〃This　city　is　growing　so　fast；　Leonard；〃　said　Grierson；　lighting　a
special　cigar　the　Club　kept　for　him；　〃that　it　might　pay　a　few　of　us　to
get　together　and　buy　that　tract；　have　the　city　put　in　streets　and　sewers
and　sell　it　in　building　lots。　　I　think　I　can　get　most　of　it　at　less　than
three　hundred　dollars　an　acre。〃

Mr。　Dickinson　was　interested。　　So　were　Mr。　Ogilvy　and　Ralph　Hambleton；
and　Mr。　Scherer；　who　chanced　to　be　there。　　Anything　Fred　Grierson　had　to
say　on　the　question　of　real　estate　was　always　interesting。　　He　went　on　to
describe　the　tract；　its　size　and　location。

〃That's　all　very　well；　Fred；〃　Dickinson　objected　presently；　〃but　how　are
your　prospective　householders　going　to　get　out　there？〃

〃Just　what　I　was　coming　to；〃　cried　Grierson；　triumphantly；　〃we'll　get　a
franchise；　and　build　a　street…railroad　out　Maplewood　Avenue；　an　extension
of　the　Park　Street　line。　　We　can　get　the　franchise　for　next　to　nothing；
if　we　work　it　right。〃　　（Mr。　Grierson's　eye　fell　on　me）；　〃and　sell　it　out
to　the　public；　if　you　underwrite　it；　for　two　million　or　so。〃

〃Well；　you've　got　your　nerve　with　you；　Fred；　as　usual；〃　said　Dickinson。
But　he　rolled　his　cigar　in　his　mouth；　an　indication；　to　those　who　knew
him　well；　that　he　was　considering　the　matter。　　When　Leonard　Dickinson
didn't　say　〃no〃　at　once；　there　was　hope。　　〃What　do　you　think　the　property
holders　on　Maplewood　Avenue　would　say？　　Wasn't　it　understood；　when　that
avenue　was　laid　out；　that　it　was　to　form　part　of　the　system　of
boulevards？〃

〃What　difference　does　it　make　what　they　say？〃　Ralph　interposed。

Dickinson　smiled。　　He；　too；　had　an　exaggerated　respect　for　Ralph。　　We　all
thought　the　proposal　daring；　but　in　no　way　amazing；　the　public　existed　to
be　sold　things　to；　and　what　did　it　matter　if　the　Maplewood　residents；　as
Ralph　said；　and　the　City　Improvement　League　protested？

Perry　Blackwood　was　the　Secretary　of　the　City　Improvement　League；　the
object　of　which　was　to　beautify　the　city　by　laying　out　a　system　of
parkways。

The　next　day　some　of　us　gathered　in　Dickinson's　office　and　decided　that
Grierson　should　go　ahead　and　get　the　options。　　This　was　done；　not；　of
course；　in　Grierson's　name。　　The　next　move；　before　the　formation　of　the
Riverside　Company；　was　to　〃see〃　Mr。　Judd　Jason。　　The　success　or　failure
of　the　enterprise　was　in　his　hands。　　Mahomet　must　go　to　the　mountain；　and
I　went　to　Monahan's　saloon；　first　having　made　an　appointment。　　It　was　not
the　first　time　I　had　been　there　since　I　had　made　that　first　memorable
visit；　but　I　never　quite　got　over　the　feeling　of　a　neophyte　before
Buddha；　though　I　did　not　go　so　far　as　to　analyze　the　reason；that　in　Mr。
Jason　I　was　brought　face　to　face　with　the　concrete　embodiment　of　the
philosophy　I　had　adopted；　the　logical　consequence　of　enlightened　self…
interest。　　If　he　had　ever　heard　of　it；　he　would　have　made　no　pretence　of
being　anything　else。　　Greatness；　declares　some　modern　philosopher；　has　no
connection　with　virtue；　it　is　the　continued；　strong　and　logical
expression　of　some　instinct；　in　Mr。　Jason's　case；　the　predatory　in