Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-09-07

"a Mans Got to Do Mans Work"
lily, when the anguish had somewhat
abated, what do you want to doT
Taken by surprise, Bibbs stammered
| "What-What do-I-what-"
IF I'd let you do exactly what you
had the whim for, what would you
| dO?
Bibbs looked startled; then timidity
| overwhelmed hlm-a profound shy
ness. He bent his head and fixed his
| lowered eyes upon the toe of his shoe
which he moved to and fro upon the
rug, like a culprit called to the desk IN
school
'What would you do? LoafT'
''No, sir" Bibbs' voice was almost
| inaudibIe, and what little sound 1t
made was unquestionably a guilty
sound. Il suppose ibid try to-to
| write
Write what?"
Nothing important-just poems and
essays, perhaps"
st see," said his father, breathing
| quickly with the restraint he was put
| ting upon himself. THAT is, you want
to write, but you don't want to write
anything of any account"
"YOu think"
Sheridan got up again. 81 take my
| hat off to the man that can write a
| good ad," he said, emphatically. 1.-The
| best writin' talent in this country Is
You buy a magazine for good writin'-
look on the back of it! Let me tell
you 1 pay money for that kind O.
writin'. Maybe you think it's easy.
Just try it! I've tried it, and l can't
do it. l tell you an ads got to be writ
ten so it makes people do the hardest
thing in this world to get 'em to do: it's
got to make 'em give up their money.
You talk about poems and essays
l tell you when 1t comes to the actual
skill O putin 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,
indistinctIy, the last word smothered in
s. cough.
"Of course I'm right! And if 1t amt
just like you to want to take up with
the most QUITO date kind O. Writin'
there is! Poems and essays! My
Lord, Bibbs, that's women's work!
Why, look at Edith! / 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! And Edith's
a smart girl; she's got more energy In
her little finger than you ever give me
chance to see in your whole body,
Bibbs. I'm not sayin' a word against
poetry. l wouldn't take ten thousand
dollars right now for that poem of
Edith's; and poetry's all right enough
in it's p1ace-but you leave it to the
girls. A mans got to do a mans work
in this world
He seated himself In a chair at his
sons side and, leaning over, tapped
Bibbs confdentially 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 ft-a
mighty fair share. l love this town. I
love it like 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 putin 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, l
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've
been a builder and a maker; and two
blades of grass have grown where one
grew before, whenever I laid my hand
on the ground and willed 'em to grow.
I've built big, and | want the buildtn'
to go on. And when my last hour
comes | want to know that my boys
are ready TO take charge Bibbs, when
I'm up above [ want TO know that the
big share I've made mine, here below,
is CROWN bigger and bigger In the
charge of my boys"
He leaned back, deeply moved.
''Therew he said, huskily. 1--WE never
spoken more what was in my heart in
my life. [ do IL because | want you
to UNDERSTANDABLE not think me q
mean father. / never had to talk that
way to Jim and Roscoe. They under
stood without any talk, Bibbs."
81 see," said Bibbs cat least 1
think l do. But"
wait a minuter Sheridan raised
his hand. IF you see the least bit In
the world, then you understand what
it meant to start one O. my boys and
have him come back on me the way
you did, and have ID be sent to SAM
tarium because he couldn't stand work.
Now. let's get right down to 1t, Bibbs.
I've had a whole lot O. talk with ole
Doc Quincy about you, one time and
another. and I reckon I understand