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are doin' in this town!〃  He swung about; coming to the  mahogany desk in the

middle of the room。  〃Look at what I was doin' at  your age!  Look at what

your own brothers are doin'!  Look at Roscoe!   Yes; and look at Jim!  I made

Jim president o' the Sheridan Realty  Company last New…Year's; with charge of

every inch o' ground and every  brick and every shingle and stick o' wood we

own; and it's an example to  any young manor ole man; eitherthe way he

took ahold of it。  Last  July we found out we wanted two more big warehouses

at the Pump Works wanted 'em quick。  Contractors said it couldn't be done;

said nine or  ten months at the soonest; couldn't see it any other way。  What

'd Jim do?   Took the contract himself; found a fellow with a new cement and

concrete  process; kept men on the job night and day; and stayed on it night

and  day himselfand; by George! we begin to USE them warehouses next  week!

Four months and a half; and every inch fireproof!  I tell you  Jim's one o'

these fellers that make miracles happen!  Now; I don't say  every young man

can be like Jim; because there's mighty few got his  ability; but every young

man can go in and do his share。  This town is  God's own country; and there's

opportunity for anybody with a pound of  energy and an ounce o' gumption。  I

tell you these young business men I  watch just do my heart good!  THEY don't

set around on the back fence no; sir!  They take enough exercise to keep

their health; and they go to  a baseball game once or twice a week in summmer;

maybe; and they're  raisin' nice families; with sons to take their places

sometime and carry  on the workbecause the work's got to go ON!  They're

puttin' their  life…blood into it; I tell you; and that's why we're gettin'

bigger every  minute; and why THEY'RE gettin' bigger; and why it's all goin'

to keep ON  gettin' bigger!〃



He slapped the desk resoundingly with his open palm; and then; observing  that

Bibbs remained in the same impassive attitude; with his eyes still  fixed upon

the ceiling in a contemplation somewhat plaintive; Sheridan was  impelled to

groan。  〃Oh; Lord!〃 he said。  〃This is the way you always were。 I don't

believe you understood a darn word I been sayin'!  You don't LOOK  as if you

did。  By George! it's discouraging!〃



〃I don't understand about gettingabout getting bigger;〃 said Bibbs;

bringing his gaze down to look at his father placatively。  〃I don't see  just

why〃



〃WHAT?〃  Sheridan leaned forward; resting his hands upon the desk and  staring

across it incredulously at his son。



〃I don't understandexactlywhat you want it all bigger for?〃



〃Great God!〃 shouted Sheridan; and struck the desk a blow with his  clenched

fist。  〃A son of mine asks me that!  You go out and ask the  poorest

day…laborer you can find!  Ask him that question〃



〃I did once;〃 Bibbs interrupted; 〃when I was in the machine…shop。  I〃



〃Wha'd he say?〃



〃He said; 'Oh; hell!'〃 answered Bibbs; mildly。



〃Yes; I reckon he would!〃 Sheridan swung away from the desk。  〃I reckon  he

certainly would!  And I got plenty sympathy with him right now; myself!〃



〃It's the same answer; then?〃  Bibbs's voice was serious; almost tremulous。



〃Damnation!〃 Sheridan roared。  〃Did you ever hear the word Prosperity;  you

ninny?  Did you ever hear the word Ambition?  Did you ever hear the  word

PROGRESS?〃



He flung himself into a chair after the outburst; his big chest surging;  his

throat tumultuous with gutteral incoherences。  〃Now then;〃 he said;  huskily;

when the anguish had somewhat abated; 〃what do you want to do?〃



〃Sir?〃



〃What do you WANT to do; I said。〃



Taken by surprise; Bibbs stammered。  〃Whatwhat doIwhat〃



〃If I'd let you do exactly what you had the whim for; what would you do?〃



Bibbs looked startled; then timidity overwhelmed hima profound  shyness。  He

bent his head and fixed his lowered eyes upon the toe of his  shoe; which he

moved to and fro upon the rug; like a culprit called to  the desk in school。



〃What would you do?  Loaf?〃



〃No; sir。〃  Bibbs's voice was almost inaudible; and what little sound it  made

was unquestionably a guilty sound。  〃I suppose I'dI'd〃



〃Well?〃



〃I suppose I'd try toto write。〃



〃Write what?〃



〃Nothing importantjust poems and essays; perhaps。〃



〃That all?〃



〃Yes; sir。〃



〃I see;〃 said his father; breathing quickly with the restraint he was  putting

upon himself。  〃That is; you want to write; but you don't want to  write

anything of any account。〃



〃You think〃



Sheridan got up again。  〃I take my hat off to the man that can write a  good

ad;〃 he said; emphatically。  〃The best writin' talent in this  country is

right spang in the ad business to…day。  You buy a magazine for  good

writin'look on the back of it!  Let me tell you I pay money for  that kind

o' writin'。  Maybe you think it's easy。  Just try it!  I've  tried it; and I

can't do it。  I tell you an ad's got to be written so it  makes people do the

hardest thing in this world to GET 'em to do: it's  got to make 'em give up

their MONEY!  You talk about 'poems and essays。'   I tell you when it comes to

the actual skill o' puttin' words together so  as to make things HAPPEN; R。 T。

Bloss; right here in this city; knows  more in a minute than George Waldo

Emerson ever knew in his whole life!〃



〃Youyou may be〃 Bibbs said; indistinctly; the last word smothered  in a

cough。



〃Of COURSE I'm right!  And if it ain't just like you to want to take up  with

the most out…o'…date kind o' writin' there is! 'Poems and essays'!   My Lord;

Bibbs; that's WOMEN'S work!  You can't pick up a newspaper  without havin' to

see where Mrs。 Rumskididle read a paper on 'Jane Eyre;'  or 'East Lynne;' at

the God…Knows…What Club。  And 'poetry'!  Why; look at  Edith!  I expect that

poem o' hers would set a pretty high…water mark for  you; young man; and it's

the only one she's ever managed to write in her  whole LIFE!  When I wanted

her to go on and write some more she said it  took too much time。  Said it

took months and months。  And Edith's a smart  girl; she's got more energy in

her little finger than you ever give me a  chance to see in your whole body;

Bibbs。  Now look at the facts: say she  could turn out four or five poems a

year and you could turn out maybe  two。  That medal she got was worth about

fifteen dollars; so there's your  incomethirty dollars a year!  That's a

fine success to make of your  life!  I'm not sayin' a word against poetry。  I

wouldn't take ten  thousand dollars right now for that poem of Edith's; and

poetry's all  right enough in its placebut you leave it to the girls。  A

man's got  to do a man's work in this world!〃



He seated himself in a chair at his son's side and; leaning over; tapped

Bibbs confidentially on the knee。  〃This city's got the greatest future  in

America; and if my sons behave right by me and by themselves they're  goin' to

have a mighty fair share of ita mighty fair share。  I love  this town。  It's

God's own footstool; and it's made money for me every  day right along; I

don't know how many years。  I love it like I do my own  business; and I'd

fight for it as quick as I'd fight for my own family。   It's a beautiful town。

Look at our wholesale district; look at any  district you want to; look at the

park system we're puttin' through; and  the boulevards and the public

statuary。  And she grows。  God! how she  grows!〃  He had become intensely

grave; he spoke with solemnity。  〃Now;  Bibbs;  I can't take any of itnor

any gold or silver nor buildings  nor bondsaway with me in my shroud when I

have to go。  But I want to  leave my share  in it to my boys。  I've worked for

it; I've been a  builder and a maker; and two blades of grass have grown where

one grew  before; whenever I laid my hand on the ground and willed 'em to

grow。   I've built big; and I want the buildin' to go on。  And when my last

hour  comes I want to know that my boys are ready to take charge; that they're

fit to take charge and go ON with it。  Bibbs; when that hour comes I  want to

know that my boys are big men; ready and fit to hold of big  things。  Bibbs;

when I'm up above I want to know that the big share I've  made mine; here

below; is growin' bigger and bigger in the charge of my  boys。〃



He leaned back; deeply moved。  〃There!〃 he said; huskily。  〃I've never  spoken

more what was in my heart in my life。  I do it because I want you  to

understandand not think me a mean father。  I never had to talk  that way to

Jim and Roscoe。  They understood without any talk; Bibbs。〃



〃I see;〃 said Bibbs。  〃At least I think I do。  But〃



〃Wait a minute!〃  Sheridan raised his hand。  〃If you see the least bit in  the

world; then you understand how it feels to me to have my son set here  and

talk about 'poems and essays' and such…like fooleries。  And you must

understand; too; what it meant to start one o' my boys and have him com

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