Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-11

MARY, I want Ia talk seriously with
you" John Gordon began az Mary com
menced to sing in mockinG tone,
years.
"No! No! Listen 10 me once, just
this once, Mary, with seriousness. You
know we have played together and
lightly treated the world all these
years. But it cannot 30 on forever.
l have come to a place, Mary, where
| must choose between father and you
and the work of my life. 1t is no play
ing matter now"
why. what are you going to do?"
1t was the san question his father
had asked and it presented again the
same mental difficulty to John Cor
don. If his father failed to understand
his sons motives, his sister was, if
anything far less capable Of knowing
what her brother had in mind.
Il am golng-I am going to-God help
ME, do not yet know all-but cannot
live this life any longer. What do we
do. Mary, but make playtime Of life?
And the people are beginning to wake
up from their sleep Of the ages and
stretch their limbs with more and more
console 1sness Of power. We shall be
playthings to them. If we do not love
them and 60 to work. That is all we
shall be At r-playthings-tha is
all we have ever dons-play-and it is
murder to play all the time in a world
like ours"
whats the matter with you. John |?
What makes you act so? You talk
like one Of these socialists, these hor
rid men that are always making SO
much fuss about rich people and-and
all that" Mary spoke with a touch
Of pstulance as near excitement or an
ger as she generally became under
strong TEN pta ton.
II am one, Mary" replied John Cor
don quietly.
what! A socialist! You! John
Gordon" The girl spoke in genuine
astonishment. And with a gesture Of
real fear she moved away and stood
looking at him as if seeing something
new and strange in him.
You don't need to be afraid OF me-
Mary" John said with a slight smile
Il can't explain it all to you. But all
my views have changed within the last
few months. 1t is rot possible for me
to continue the business that father
has built up. He has been so deeply
set upon it that | know my refusal TO
make his plans my own has angered
him beyond forgiveness. You know
father we'll enough to know that can.
not expect anything from him in the
way OF encoura cement in the career
have planned"
"Why, you have not told me at all
what you plan to do.' exclaimed his
sister hopelessly
Il am going to work for the people
l am going to-
John Gordon paused as vision OF
his future. nistlike, but in rugged ont
line. grew on the screen of his ina gina
ton. THE people, There it was;
ignorant, some OF it. hut hourly rising
into desperate intelligence, which,
undirccted, would prove its own and
the citys destruction. The people"
toiling. sweating. acting figures in the
great human drama that were neither
supcrnunerares nor leading parts, but
SO vital to the whole movement OF the
tragedy that it all was destined to
sweep on to its final act. with them as
resultant cause. The people," SasuS,
but certain. full of unwritten histories.
but making all history possible, and
bearing in fare and attitude the veal
or woe of republics, The people
driven in herds one day, leading the
masses the next, while all problems Of
life sursed up and down the throng-
ing highways, entanglements caused
by rHurdsrous greed by inherited Gus
toms by the physical passions that
know no eslcStion Of refinement due 10
civilization. The people" horn of tho
soil, but nodded by the city some Ct
il to starve and riot and drink and
grow Indifferent to the very wrongs
that made it what it was. and he, John
Gordon, the son of Rufus Gordon, the
great tinanccr, the man of deals and
combines" and Operations and he,
John Gordon, was roin. TO deV ote his
young manhood to the people," 10
the training and directing of this mis-
directed giant, because Che smiled at
its strange possibility, because he had
grown TO love it, love taught him by
personal religious experience. so real,
so profound, that lie l.new it dug a gulf
as deep as space between his father
and his sister and himself. Nothing
but similar experience on their Fart
could ever I'll the gulf, nothing but
similar miracle Of regeneration could
ever make him understood by them.
Mary had gone over TO the piano and
was humming the tune she had been
singing when she interrupted the talk
between father and brother After
moment John Gordon went over ard
put his hand or his sisters shoulder
AN through" she said, turning
about from the piano.
There were tears in John Gordon's
eve, as he looked down at her. When
he spoke, it was very gently.
1T all means, OF course, that am
going away. Do you understand that,
Mary? This will not be my home any
more. 1t will not be possible for me
TO live here and do
ITS all very strange to me, John"
said his sister. You have every
chance in the world and you prefer 10
throw ii away tor-for a lot OF people