the iron puddler-第3章

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you；　Jimmy。〃

I　raced　home　and　climbed　into　the　attic　of　our　little　four…　dollar…a…month　cottage；　and　in　the　stifling　heat　under　the　low　roof　I　changed　my　clothes。　Then　I　proudly　climbed　down　to　show　my　blue　suit　to　my　mother。　〃Where　did　you　get　those　clothes；　James？〃　she　asked　gravely。

I　told　her　about　Miss　Foraker。

〃Did　you　work　for　them？〃

〃No；　everything　is　free；〃　I　said。

Mother　told　me　to　take　the　suit　off。　I　went　to　the　attic；　blinking　a　tear　out　of　my　eyes；　and　changed　into　my　old　rags　again。　Then　mother　took　the　blue　suit；　wrapped　it　up　carefully　and　putting　it　in　my　hands　told　me　to　take　it　back　to　Miss　Foraker。

〃You　don't　understand；　James；〃　she　said。　〃But　these　clothes　are　not　for　people　like　us。　These　are　to　be　given　to　the　poor。〃

I　have　often　smiled　as　I　looked　back　on　it。　I'll　bet　there　wasn't　a　dime　in　the　house。　The　patches　on　my　best　pants　were　three　deep　and　if　laid　side　by　side　would　have　covered　more　territory　than　the　new　blue　suit。　To　take　those　clothes　back　was　the　bitterest　sacrifice　my　heart　has　ever　known。

A　few　days　later　there　was　a　fire　sale　by　one　of　the　merchants；　and　I　got　the　job　of　ringing　the　auction　bell。　Late　in　the　afternoon　the　auctioneer　held　up　a　brown　overcoat。　〃Here　is　a　fine　piece　of　goods；　only　slightly　damaged；〃　he　said。　He　showed　the　back　of　the　coat　where　a　hole　was　burned　in　it。　〃How　much　am　I　offered？〃

I　knew　that　I　would　get　fifty　cents　for　my　day's　work；　so　I　bid　ten　centsall　that　I　could　spare。

〃Sold；〃　said　the　auctioneer；　〃for　ten　cents　to　the　kid　who　rang　the　bell　all　day。〃

I　took　the　garment　home　and　told　my　mother　how　I　had　bought　it　for　cash　in　open　competition　with　all　the　world。　My　mother　and　my　aunt　set　to　work　with　shears　and　needles　and　built　me　a　suit　of　clothes　out　of　the　brown　overcoat。　It　took　a　lot　of　ingenuity　to　make　the　pieces　come　out　right。　The　trousers　were　neither　long　nor　short。　They　dwindled　down　and　stopped　at　my　calves；　half…way　above　my　ankles。　What　I　hated　most　was　that　the　seams　were　not　in　the　right　places。　It　was　a　patchwork；　and　there　were　seams　down　the　front　of　the　legs　where　the　crease　ought　to　be。　I　didn't　want　to　wear　the　suit；　but　mother　said　it　looked　fine　on　me；　and　if　she　said　so　I　knew　it　must　be　true。　I　wore　it　all　fall　and　half　the　winter。

The　first　time　I　went　to　Sunday…school；　I　met　Babe　Durgon。　He　set　up　the　cry：


　　　　　〃Little　boy；　little　boy；

　Does　your　mother　know　you're　out；

With　your　breeches　put　on　backward；

　　And　the　seams　all　inside　out！〃


This　was　the　first　time　that　my　spirit　had　been　hurt。　His　words　were　a　torment　that　left　a　scar　upon　my　very　soul。　Even　to　this　day　when　I　awake　from　some　bad　dream；　it　is　a　dream　that　I　am　wearing　crazy　breeches　and　all　the　world　is　jeering　at　me。　It　has　made　me　tender　toward　poor　children　who　have　to　wear　hand…me…　downs。

To…day　psychologists　talk　much　of　the　〃inferiority　complex〃　which　spurs　a　man　forward　to　outdo　himself。　But　Babe　Durgon　and　I　didn't　go　into　these　matters　as　we　trudged　along　through　the　dark　on　our　way　to　do　battle　〃over　the　line。〃　At　the　foot　of　the　hill；　Babe　exclaimed：

〃What's　the　use　of　going　any　farther？　Let's　fight　here。〃　It　was　in　front　of　a　new　buildinga　church…school　half　completed。　We　took　off　our　coats　and　made　belts　of　our　suspenders。　Then　we　squared　off　and　the　fight　began。　Babe　rushed　me　like　a　wild　boar　and　tried　to　thrust　his　deadly　thumb　into　my　eye。　I　threw　up　my　head　and　his　thumb　gashed　my　lips　and　went　into　my　mouth。　The　impact　almost　knocked　me　over；　but　my　teeth　had　closed　on　his　thumb　and　when　he　jerked　back　he　put　me　on　my　balance　again。　I　clouted　him　on　the　jaw　and　knocked　him　down。　He　landed　in　the　lime　box。　The　school　had　not　yet　been　plastered；　and　the　quicklime　was　in　an　open　pit。　I　started　in　after　the　bully；　but　stopped　to　save　my　pants　from　the　lime。　There　was　a　hose　near　by；　and　I　turned　the　water　on　Babe　in　the　lime　bath。　The　lime　completely　covered　him。　He　was　whipped　and　in　fear　of　his　life。　Choking　and　weeping　he　hollered；　〃Nuff。〃　We　got　him　out；　too　weak　to　stand；　and　gently　leaned　him　up　in　a　corner　of　the　school　building。　There　we　left　the　crushed　bully　and　returned　to　town。　But　before　I　went　I　gave　him　this　parting　shot：

〃Do　you　know　why　I　licked　you；　Babe？　It　wasn't　what　you　said　in　the　tavern　that　made　me　mad。　I　didn't　want　a　glass　of　beer；　and　you　were　right　in　saying　I　was　a　minor。　Where　you　made　your　mistake　was　when　you　made　fun　of　my　breeches；　seven　years　ago。　And　do　you　remember　that　blue　suit　you　had　on　at　the　time？　I　know　where　you　got　that　blue　suit　of　clothes；　and　I　know　who　had　it　before　you　got　it。　If　you　still　think　that　a　bully　in　charity　clothes　can　make　fun　of　a　boy　in　clothes　that　he　earned　with　his　own　labor；　just　say　so；　and　I'll　give　you　another　clout　that　will　finish　you。〃

All　bullies；　whether　nations；　parties　or　individuals；　get　licked　in　the　same　way。　They　outrage　some　one's　self…respect；　and　then　the　old　primordial　cyclone　hits　them。



CHAPTER　II

A　TRAIT　OF　THE　WELSH　PEOPLE


My　family　is　Welsh；　and　I　was　born　in　Tredegar；　Wales。　David　and　Davies　are　favorite　names　among　the　Welsh；　probably　because　David　whipped　Goliath；　and　mothers　named　their　babies　after　the　champion。　The　Welsh　are　a　small　nation　that　has　always　had　to　fight　against　a　big　nation。　The　idea　that　David　stopped　Goliath　seemed　to　reflect　their　own　national　glory。　The　ancient　invasions　that　poured　across　Britain　were　stopped　in　Wales；　and　they　never　could　push　the　Welshmen　into　the　sea。

The　Welsh　pride　themselves　on　hanging　on。　They　are　a　nation　that　has　never　been　whipped。　Every　people　has　its　characteristics。　〃You　can't　beat　the　Irish〃　is　one　slogan；　〃You　can't　kill　a　Swede〃　is　another；　and　〃You　can't　crowd　out　a　Welshman〃　is　a　motto　among　the　mill　people。

I　didn't　want　to　leave　Wales　when　my　parents　were　emigrating。　Though　I　was　not　quite　eight　years　old　I　decided　I　would　let　them　go　without　me。　The　last　act　of　my　mother　was　to　reach　under　the　bed；　take　hold　of　my　heels　and　drag　me　out　of　the　house　feet　first。　I　tried　to　hang　on　to　the　cracks　in　the　floor；　and　tore　off　a　few　splinters　to　remember　the　old　homestead　by。　I　never　was　quite　satisfied　with　that　leave…taking；　and　nearly　forty　years　later　when　I　had　car　fare；　I　went　back　to　that　town。　I　never　like　to　go　out　of　a　place　feet　first；　and　I　cleared　my　record　this　time　by　walking　out　of　my　native　village；　head　up　and　of　my　own　free　will。

On　that　trip　I　paid　a　visit　to　the　home　of　Lloyd　George　in　Cricuth。　Joseph　Davies；　one　of　the　war　secretaries　to　the　prime　minister；　invited　me　to　dinner　and　we　talked　of　the　American　form　of　government。　（Note　the　spelling　of　Davies。　It　is　the　Welsh　spelling。　When　my　father　signed　his　American　naturalization　papers　he　made　his　mark；　for　he　could　not　read　nor　write。　The　official　wrote　in　his　name；　spelling　it　Davis　and　so　it　has　remained。）　〃You　have　this　advantage；〃　said　Mr。　Davies。　〃Your　president　is　secure　in　office　for　four　years　and　can　put　his　policies　through。　Our　prime　minister　has　no　fixed　term　and　may　have　to　step　out　at　any　minute。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　replied　jokingly；　〃but　your　prime　minister　this　time　is　a　Welshman。〃

Since　then　four　years　have　passed　and　our　president　is　out。　But　Lloyd　George　is　still　there　（1922）。　And　he'll　still　be　there；　for　all　I　know；　until　he　is　carried　out　feet　first。　The　instinct　of　a　Welshman　is　to　hang　on。

These　things　teach　us　that　racial　characteristics　do　not　change。　In　letting　immigrants　into　this　country　we　must　remember　this。　Races　that　have　good　traits　built　up　good　countries　there　abroad　and　they　will　in　the　same　way　build　up　the　country　here。　Tribes　that　have　swinish　traits　were　destroyers　there　and　will　be　destroyers　here。　This　has　been　common　knowledge　so　long　that　it　has　become　a　proverb：　〃You　can't　make　a　silk　purse　out　of　a　sow's　ear。〃

Proverbs　are　the　condensed　wisdom　of　the　ages。　Life　has　taught　me　that　the　wisdom　of　the　ages　is　the　truth。　The　Proverbs　and　the　Ten　Commandments　answer　all　our　problems。　My　mother　taught　them　to　me　when　I　was　a　child　in　Wales。　I　have　gone　out　and　tasted　life；　and　found　her　words　true。　Starting　at　forge　and　furnace　in　the　roaring　mills；　facing　facts　instead　of　books；　I　have　been　schooled　i