The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-01-11
CHAPTER XXX.

And so Bibbs sat In the porch of the
temple with the money changers. But
no One came to scourge him forth, for
this was the temple of Bigness. and
the changing of money was holy wor-
ship and true religion. The priests
wore that "settish' look Bibbs' mother
had seen beginning to develop about
his mouth and eyes-a wary look
which she could not define. but it
comes with service at the temple; and
1t was the more marked upon Bibbs
for his sharp awakening to the neces-
stiles of that service.
He did as little useless" thinking as
possible, giving himself no time for 1t.
He worked continuously, keeping his
thoughts still on his work when he
came home at night, and he talked of
nothing whatever except his work.
But he did not sing at 1t. He was
often in the streets, and people were
not allowed to sing in the streets.
They might make any manner Of hide
Gus uproar-they could shake build
ings; they could outthunder the thun-
der, deafen the deaf. and kill the sick
with noise: or they could walk the
streets or drive through them bawling,
squawking or screeching, as they chose.
if the noise was traceably connected
with business; though street musicians
were not tolerated, being considered n
nuisance and an interference. man
or woman who went singing for pleas
ure through the streets-like a crazy
eapolit3n-would have been stopped.
and belize locked up; for freedom does
not mean that a citizen Is allowed to
do every outrageous thing that comes
into his head. The streets We're dan
gerous enough, in all conscience, with
out any singing! and the Motor fedora
ton issued public warnings declaring
that the pedestrians life was in his
own hands, and giving directions how
to proceed with the least peril. How
ever, Bibbs Sheridan had no desire
to sing in the streets, or anywhere. He
had gone to his work with an energy
that, for the start, at least, was bitter,
and there was no song left in him.
He began to know his active fellow
citizens. Here and there among them
ne louuu Il leISuEeIy, hIhu Soul' II ItllS
OF the old period of neighborliness.
pioneer stock" usually; and there
We're men-partcularly among the
merchants and manufacturers-"so
honest they leaned backward" repu-
tations sometimes attested by stories
of heroic sacrifices to honor; nor were
there lacking some instances of gen
erosity even nobler. Here and there,
too. were bookmen, in their little lei.
sure; and, among the Germans, music
men. And these. with the others, wor-
SHIPPED Bigness and the growth, each
man serving for his own sake and for
what he could get out of it, but ali
united in their faith in the beneticence
and glory of their god.
To almost all alike that service stood
as the most important thing in life, ex-
cept on occasion of some such vital.
brief interregnum as the dangerous i'll
ness of wife or child. In the way of
relaxation some of the servers took
golf: some took fishing: some took
"shows'-a mixture of infantile and
negroid humor. stockings, and tin mu-
sic: some took an occasional debauch; !;
some took trips; some took cards; and
some took nothing. The high priests
were vigilant to watch that no ''relaxa
tion" should affect the service. When
uan attended to anything outside