The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-01-17

don. "The peoplew There It was;
ignorant, some Of it, but hourly rising
into n desperate intelligence, which,
undirected, would prove it's own and
the city's destruction. THE people,"
toiling, sweating acting figures in the
great human drama that were neither
supernumeraries nor leading parts, but
so vital TO the whole movement OF the
tragedy that it all was destined to
sweep on to it's final act, with them as
resultant causel "The people," vague,
but certain. full of unwritt6n histories,
but making all history possible, and
bearing in face 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 surged up and down the throng-
ing highways, entanglements caused
hy murderous greed, by inherited Gus
toms. by the physical passions that
know no education of refinement due 10
civilization! "The people" born Of the
soil, but nodded by the city, some of
il to staryc aud riot and drink and
grow Indifferent to the very wrongs
i that made Il what il was, and he, John
Gordon, the son of Rufus Gordon, the
great financicr, the man of deals" and
4 combines" and Operations he,
John Gordon, was going to devote his
4 Young manhood to 'the people," to
+ the training and directing of this. mis-
\ directed giant, because (he smiled at
4 its strange possibility, because he had
81 m 90 4.
personal religious experience, so real,
so profound, that he knew II dug a gulf
as deep as space between his father
and his sister and himself. Nothing
4 but a similar experience on their part
could ever fill the gulf, nothing but a
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 a
4 moment John Gordon went over and
4 put his hand on his sisters shoulder.
AN through2" she said, turning
4 ont from the piano.
There were tears I'm John Gordon's
+ ,yes as he looked down at her, When
.r spoke Il was very gently.
ut all means, of course, that 1 am
olng away. DO you understand that,
N.ary? This viii not be my home any
nore II win not be possible for me
% live here and do
ITS all very strange 90 me, John"
n Paid his sister. You have every
lance in the world and you prefer 10
brow il away for--for a lot Of people |
'ho don't care"
They will care"
What good II they do. JohnW His |
istcr suddenly turned toward him very !
4nuch as his father had, and laid her
hand on his arm. John, the people
will not care What can you do2
Surely we are not TO blame for all the
Wrong in the city, l heard what you
said to father. II is simply absurd TO
fhink that we are responsible for the
way things go. And II is nonsense TO
thnk you can do anything Think how
"a viii look in print! John Gordon, the
ieformcr! John Gordon, the social
Mo-"
fDont, Mary! lt win be hard enough
Without your sncer"
'I did not mean TO sneer." She
seemed honestly grleved. and he in
sinntly leaned over and kissed her
tbcek. But even as be did SO he knew
She had turned away from him little,
and when lac raised his head she did
not look up or return his caress. He
stil stood by her silently, realizing
each moment more keenly the chasm
that stretched between them owing to
bis religious experience.
"Where are you going TO liyef You
aay you cannot live here with us any
Hore?" his sister finally asked.
III don't know"
FWil you live with the peopleY
PIT Is possible"
PIT Is absurd. | don't understand"
'You cannot" He said II with a
sQdness that realized the futility OF
EXPLANATIONS.
rAnd OF course Luella will go with
yopl She Is such lover Of the peo-
plep
"Luella"
"You have forgotten her?'
"NO" And yet he had-at least he
aad absorbed all his thought for the
IIme about his home relations and had
lot reckoned on facing this question
~ the relation which would exist be-
|ween himself and the woman who
Aad promised TO be his wife when he
nd asked her as John Gordon. son OF
sufus Gordon. What would she say
Iow 10 John Gordon. refOrmer?
ne sat down and put his hands over
lia face. while Mary watched him Gu
iously. very much as the father had
lone
"Luella Ia very proud. Still, she
night enjoy living In the sIums and
ltndying problems. She Is full of con-
radlctions."
THAT is true" John Gordon whis.
aefed 70 himself as he lifted up his
'ate
Luella thinks a good deal of you.
an"
/ 4