Evening times-Republican., 1916-05-27

4
perceived before, the shadowing OF
something enormous and ind0mftable
----and lawless; not to be daunted by
The Will Of natures very self; laughing
nt, the lightning and at wounds and
mntilation; conquering, Irresistible
and blindly noble. For the first time
in his life Bibbs began to understand
the meaning Of being truly this mans
son. t-E ~ b.
He would be the more truly his son
henceforth, though, as Sheridan said.
Ribbs had not come downtown, with
him meanly or half He had
given his word because he had wanted
the money, simply, for Mary Vertrees
in her need. And he shivered with
horror Of himself, thinking how he had
gone to her to offer it, asking her to
marry him-with his head on his
breast in shameful feaH that she would
accept him! He had not known her;
the knowing had lost her to him. and
this had been his real awakening; for
he knew now how deep had been that
slumber wherein he dreamily celebrat-
ed the superiority of "friendship!' The
sieep-waiker had wakened to bitter.
knowledge of love and life, finding
himself failure in both. He had
made a burnt Offering Of his drea ms,
and the sacrifice had been an unforgiv-
able hurt to Mary. All that was left
FOR him was the work he had chosen,
bat at least he would not fail in that,
though 1t was indeed no more than
dust In his mouth" If there had been
anything ito work for" - . Il
He went to the window. raised It,
and let in the uproar Of the streets be-
low. He looked down at the blurred.
harrying swarms and he looked
across, over the roofs with their pant
ing Jets of vapor, into the vast. foggy
heart Of the smoke. Dizzy traceries Of
steel were rising dimly against 1t, chat
tering with steel on steel. and screech-
ing In steam, while tiny figures Of men
walked on threads in the dull sky.
Buildings would overtop the Sheridan.
Bigness was being served. =
But what fort The old question
came to Bibbs with a new despair.
Here, where his eye fell, had once been
green fields and running brooks. and
how had the-kind earth been despoiled
and dishgured! The pioneers had be-
gnn the work, but in their old age their
orators had said. for them that they
bad toiled and risked and SACRIFICED
that their posterity might live in peace
and wisdom, enjoying the fruits OF the
earth. Well, their posterity was here
and there was only turmoil Where
was the promised land? It had been
promised BY the soldiers Of all the
wars; It had been promised to this gen.
GRAFTON by the pioneers; but here was
the very posterity to whom it had been
promised, toiling and risking and sac
rifcing In turn-for what7 ~' i
The harsh roar Of the city came in
through the open window, continuously
beating upon Bibbs' ear until he began
tn distinguish 4 pulsation In it-a bro
ken and irregular cadence. It seemed
to himsthat It was like a titanic voice,
dtscorslant, hoarse. rustily metallic
the voice Of the god. Bigness. And the
voice summoned Bibbs as it summoned
al its servants. Isl
Come and work r. It seemed to call
"Come and work for Me, all men! By
your youth and your hope I summon
you! BY your age and your despair
I. summon you to work for Me yet a
little, with what strength you have.
BY your love Of home summon you!
BY your love Of woman I summon you.
BY your hope of children I summon
you! s.. Il. 8. o., 49,. .
y. "You shall be blind slaves of Mine.
blind TO every thing but Me, your Mas
ter and Driver! For~your reward you
shall gaze only upon my ugllness. You
shall give your toll and your lives, you
shall go mad for love and worship OF
my ugliness! You shall perish astill
worshiping Ne, and your children shall
perish 'snowing no other godg
And then. as Bibbs closed the win
dow down tight, he heard his fathers
voice booming In the next room; he
could not distinguish, the words, but
the tone was exultant and there came
the thump! thump! Of the maimed
hand. Btbbs guessed that Sheridan
was Dragging ofs the4city and Of the
Bigness 70 some visitor from out Of
tewn.
And he thought how truly Sheridan
was the high priest Of tBigness. But
With the old, old thought again. What
for?' Bibbs caught a glimmer Of far,
faint light He. saw that Sheridan had
all his hfa struggled and CONQUERED.
and must all his life 60 on struggling
and inevitably conquering, as part Of
4 vast impulse not his own. Sheridan
served blindly--but was the impulse
blind? Bibbs asked himself II It was
not he who had been in the greater
hurry, after all. The kiln must he
fred before the vase is glazed. and the
Acropolis was not crowned with
marble In day.
Then the voice came to him again.
but there was strain In 1t as OF some
huge music struggling to be born Of
the turmoil. '.Ugly 4 am" It seemed
70 say to him. "but never forget that
am god r And the voice grew In
sonorousness and In dignity. The
highest should serve, but so long 40
you worship me for my own sake I
will not serve you. It Is man who
makes me ugly, by his worship OF me.
] liz man would let me serve him, !
should be beautifulg, 81
Looking once more from the WIN
dow. Bibbs sculptureds for himself