n' 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!"

"You--you 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 income--thirty 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 place--but 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 it--a 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 it--nor any gold or silver nor buildings nor
bonds--away 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'