Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-10-05

big enough to play the hand I deal you.
I'm startin' you with pretty big one,
my boyr'
But l DON'T don't-I don't want
| itr' Bibbs stammered.
Sheridan looked perplexed. '*What's
the matter with you? Didn't you IN
derstand what I was tellfn' your"
Il know, know! But I can't take
| it,
whats the matter with your" Sher-
| idan was half amazed, half suspicious.
''Your head feel funny?"
1--WE never been quite SO sane in my
| life" said Bibbs, "as l have lately.
And I've got just what I want I'm
living exactly the right life. I'm earn
| ing my daily bread, and I'm happy in
| doing it. My wages are enough. I
don't want any more money, and I
don't deserve any
| 'Damnati0nn' Sheridan sprang up.
you've turned Socialist You been
| listening to those fellows down there,
and you"
mo, sir. I think there's a great deal
in what they say, but that isn't it. 4"
Sheridan tried to restrain his grow
ing fury, and succeeded partially.
''Then what is it? What's the mat
teri"
Nothing" his son returned, nerv-
| ously. "Nothing-except that I'm con-
tent I don't want to change any
| thing"
"Why not?'
Bibbs had the incredible folly to try
to explain. I'll tell you, father, if I
can. know it may be hard to under
| stand"
yes, I think it may be-" said Sherf-
dan, grimly. what you say usually
is little that way. Go on!'
Perturbed and distressed, Bibbs rose
| instinctively; he felt himself at every
possible disadvantage. He was a
| sleeper clinging to a dream-a rough
| hand stretched to shake him and wax
| en- him. He went to table and made
vague drawings upon it with a finger,
and as he spoke he kept bis eyes low
cred. you weren't altogether right
| about the shop-that is, in one way
you weren't, father" He glanced up
| apprehensively. Sheridan stood facing
| him, eXpressiCnless, and made no at
| tempt to interrupt. Chats difficult to
explain" Bibbs continued, lowering
! his eyes again, to follow the tracings
of his finger. II believe the shop
might have done for me this time if
[ hadn't-if something hadn't helped
| me tO-Oh, not only to bear it, but to
be happy in it. Well, I am happy in
! it. l want to go on just as / am. And
| of all things on earth that don't want,
I don't want to live a business life
| l don't want to be drawn into it. I
| don't think it is iying-and now [ am
| living. I have the healthfuI toil-and
l can think. In business as important
| as yours l couldn't think anything but
| business. I don't--t don't think MAX
! ing money is worth While.''
go on" said Sheridan, CURLY, as
Bibbs paused timidly.
II hasn't seemed TO get anywhere,
that [ can see," said Bibbs. ''You think
| this city is rich and powerful-but
what's the use of its being rich and
| powerful? They don't teach the chill
| dren any more in the schools because
| the city is rich and powerful They
| teach them more than they used to be-
cause some people-not rich and pow
| erful people - have thought the
! thoughts to teach the children. And
| yet when you've been reading the pa
per I've heard you objecting to the
children being taught anything except
what would help them to make money.
| You said it was wasting the taxes.
You want them taught to make a liv-
ing, but not to live. When 1 was a
| little boy this wasn't an ugly town;
now it's hideOus. What's the use Of
being big just to be hideous? 1 mean
| l don't think all this has meant really
going ahead-it's just been getting
bigger and dirtier and nOisier Wasn't
| the whole country happier and in many
ways wiser when it was smaller and
cleaner and Quieter and kinder? /
| know you think I'm an utter fool, IA.
| Their, but, after all, though, aren't bust,
ness and politics just the housekeeping
! part Of life? And wouldn't you despise
a woman that not only made her
housekeeping her ambition, but did it
so noisily and dirtily that the whole
neighborhood was in a continual tur-
MOL over it? And suppose she talked
and thought about her housekeeping
| all the time, and was always having
! additions built to her house when she