"
Jonas put his head in at the door, but Enoch turned on to the middle of
the book.
"Dec. 1.--They won't let me keep it up long, Lucy, but Lord, Lord,
hasn't the going been good, my dear, while it lasted! I've twisted
Tammany's tail till its head's dropped off! I've 'got long poles and
poked out the nests and blocked up the holes. I shall consult with the
carpenters and builders and leave in our town not even a trace of the
rats.' I've routed out hereditary grafters and looters. I've run down
wealthy gunmen and I've turned men's fame to a notoriety that carried a
stench. But they'll get me, Lucy! They'll either kill me or send me
back to Congress."
Enoch turned more pages.
"Nov. 1.--Congress again, eh, Lucy? And you care for Washington as
little as I! Dear, this has been a hard day. I've been saying good-by
to the force! By the eternal, but they are men! And now all that
wonderful machine, built up, really, by the men themselves, must fall
apart! What a waste of human energy! Yet, I've come to the conclusion
that the man who devotes himself to public service loses much of his
usefulness if he allows himself to grow pessimistic about human nature.
If there were not more good than bad in the world, we'd still be
monkeys! I have ceased to search for some great single ideal for which
I can fight.
Pages:
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129