Project Gutenberg's Mr. Crewe's Career, Book III., by Winston Churchill

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Title: Mr. Crewe's Career, Book III.

Author: Winston Churchill

Release Date: October 16, 2004 [EBook #3683]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. CREWE'S CAREER, BOOK III. ***

Produced by Pat Castevans and David Widger

MR. CREWE'S CAREER

By Winston Churchill

BOOK 3.

CHAPTER XXI

ST. GILES OF THE BLAMELESS LIFE

The burden of the valley of vision: woe to the Honourable Adam B. Hunt!
Where is he all this time? On the porch of his home in Edmundton, smoking
cigars, little heeding the rising of the waters; receiving visits from
the Honourables Brush Bascom, Nat Billings, and Jacob Botcher, and
signing cheques to the order of these gentlemen for necessary expenses.
Be it known that the Honourable Adam was a man of substance in this
world's goods. To quote from Mr. Crewe's speech at Hull: "The
Northeastern Railroads confer--they do not pay, except in passes. Of late
years their books may be searched in vain for evidence of the use of
political funds. The man upon whom they choose to confer your
governorship is always able to pay the pipers." (Purposely put in the
plural.)

Have the pipers warned the Honourable Adam of the rising tide against
him? Have they asked him to gird up his loins and hire halls and smite
the upstart hip and thigh? They have warned him, yes, that the expenses
may be a little greater than ordinary. But it is not for him to talk, or
to bestir himself in any unseemly manner, for the prize which he was to
have was in the nature of a gift. In vain did Mr. Crewe cry out to him
four times a week for his political beliefs, for a statement of what he
would do if he were elected governor. The Honourable Adam's dignified
answer was that he had always been a good Republican, and would die one.
Following a time-honoured custom, he refused to say anything, but it was
rumoured that he believed in the gold standard.

It is August, and there is rejoicing in--Leith. There is no doubt now
that the campaign of the people progresses; no need any more for the true
accounts of the meetings, in large