Hespokefortenminuteswithafluencyandcomprehensivebusiness-
likedirectnessthatsurprisedGrant.Hewasnotthere,hesaid,toglorifywhathadbeendonebyhimself,hisfamily,orhisfriendsinTasajara.Otherswhoweretofollowhimmightdothat,oratleastmightbebetterabletoexplainandexpatiateupontheadvantagesoftheinstitutiontheyhadjustopened,anditssocial,moral,andreligiouseffectuponthecommunity.Hewasthereasabusinessmantodemonstratetothem——ashehadalwaysdoneandalwayshopedtodo——themoneyvalueofimprovement;theprofit——iftheymightchoosetocallit——ofwell-regulatedandproperlycalculatedspeculation.Theplotoflanduponwhichtheystood,ofwhichthebuildingoccupiedonlyoneeighth,wasboughttwoyearsbeforefortenthousanddollars.Whentheplansofthebuildingwerecompletedamonthafterwards,thevalueoftheremainingseveneighthshadrisenenoughtodefraythecostoftheentireconstruction.Hewasinapositiontotellthemthatonlythatmorningtheadjacentproperty,subdividedandlaidoutinstreetsandbuilding-plots,hadbeenadmittedintothecorporatelimitsofthecity;andthatonthenextanniversaryofthebuildingtheywouldapproachitthroughanavenueoffinisheddwellings!Anoutburstofapplausefollowedthespeaker\'spracticalclimax;thefreshyoungfacesofhisauditorsglowedwithinvincibleenthusiasm;theafternoontrade-winds,fresheningoverthelimitlessplainbeyond,tossedthebrightbannersatthewindowsaswithsympatheticrejoicing,andafewodorouspineshavings,overlookedinacornerinthehurryofpreparation,touchedbyaneddyingzephyr,creptoutandrolledinyellowringletsacrossthefloor.
TheReverendDoctorPilsburyaroseinamoredecoroussilence.Hehadlistenedapprovingly,admiringly,hemightsayevenreverently,totheprecedingspeaker.Butalthoughhisdistinguishedfriendhad,withhisusualmodesty,madelightofhisownservicesandthoseofhischarmingfamily,he,thespeaker,hadnotrisentosinghispraises.No;itwasnotinthisHall,projectedbyhisforesightandraisedbyhisliberality;inthistown,calledintoexistencebyhisenergyandstampedbyhisattributes;inthiscounty,developedbyhisgeniusandsustainedbyhiscapital;ay,inthisveryStatewhosegrandeurwasmadepossiblebysuchgiantsashe,——itwasnotinanyoftheseplacesthatitwasnecessarytopraiseDanielHarcourt,orthatapanegyricofhimwouldbemorethanidlerepetition.Norwouldhe,asthatdistinguishedmanhadsuggested,enlargeuponthesocial,moral,andreligiousbenefitsoftheimprovementtheywerenowcelebrating.Itwaswrittenonthehappy,innocentfaces,inthefestivegarb,inthedecorousdemeanor,intheintelligenteyesthatsparkledaroundhim,inthepresenceofthoseofhisparishionerswhomhecouldmeetasfreelyhereto-dayasinhisownchurchonSunday.Whatthencouldhesay?Whatthenwastheretosay?Perhapsheshouldsaynothingifitwerenotforthepresenceoftheyoungbeforehim——HestoppedandfixedhiseyespaternallyontheyouthfulJohnnyBillings,whowithahalfdozenotherSunday-schoolscholarshadbeenmarshaledbeforethereverendspeaker——AndwhatwastobethelessonTHEY
weretolearnfromit?Theyhadheardwhathadbeenachievedbylabor,enterprise,anddiligence.Perhapstheywouldbelieve,andnaturallytoo,thatwhatlabor,enterprise,anddiligencehaddonecouldbedoneagain.Butwasthatall?Wastherenothingbehindthesequalities——which,afterall,werewithinthereachofeveryonehere?Hadtheyeverthoughtthatbackofeverypioneer,everyexplorer,everypathfinder,everyfounderandcreator,therewasstillanother?Therewasnoterraincognitasorareastobeunknowntoone;nowildernesssoremoteastobebeyondagreaterkenthantheirs;nowastesotracklessbutthatonehadalreadypassedthatway!Didtheyeverreflectthatwhenthedullseaebbedandflowedinthetulesovertheveryspotwheretheywerenowstanding,whoitwasthatalsoforesaw,conceived,andordainedthemightychangethatwouldtakeplace;whoevenguidedanddirectedthefeeblemeansemployedtoworkit;whosespiritmoved,asinstillolderdaysofwhichtheyhadread,overthefaceofthestagnantwaters?Perhapstheyhad.WhothenwastherealpioneerofTasajara,——backoftheHarcourts,thePeterses,theBillingses,andWingates?Thereverendgentlemangentlypausedforareply.
Itwasgivenintheclearbutstartledaccentsofthehalffrightened,half-fascinatedJohnnyBillings,inthreewords:——