An American Politician

at John turned and looked into her face. The magic of moonlight softens the hardest features, makes interest look lik

g," John answered presentl

ttle regretfull

ay and less hopeful at some times than at others

ne is enjoying one's self to any extent. But I should not have

nce between people who live to work and

o you

e ideas and great movements, need to be more or less monotonous. The men who succeed a

amuse and be amused must hav

are their playthings, and so soon as they have spoiled one toy they must have another. T

d that sort of peo

n who amuses others may often be a worker himself. He raises a laugh or excites a momentary interest by getting r

a bad theory

re. We Americans, who are ill when we are idle, are content to surround ourselves with the paraphernalia of pleasure when office hours are over; but we make very little use of our opportunities for amusement, being tired out at the end of t

hard on us,"

versation and intercourse are to be considered. The majority of you, of polite European society, are not troubled with any very large ideas, but you have an imm

cally, growing intereste

ir own efforts. The result is, that European society is amusing and agreeable; whereas Americans of the same class are more interesting, less polished, better acquainted with the general laws that govern the development

hat, Mis

y talk better than En

mass of Europeans," John objected. "The Eng

think?" sug

less cold than we are;

Joe. "I like people to f

hey feel anything, or be cold when they do not?" "I think when you know some on

e glinting black surface. They were quite alone, only in the distance they could hear the long-drawn clang and ring of the other skaters, echoing all along the lake w

ughed a

deed, I am the most en

may be all comedy, you know. Orators always study their speeche

I make a speech like that of the other evening, but I often insert a great deal on t

y other time

do not feel other things

oe, "it is just as I said;

ince you will not allow the occasio

nd moved her skates slowly on t

y, so as to see what you can do with them. You only care for things on a tremendously big scale, so that you may try t

am not bored at pr

. Most men in your place would be talking

uld it please you? I dare say you have seen elephants stand upon their hind legs and their

us," said Joe, w

. You may teach me all sorts of tricks

you are," said Joe quietly. "But

question of

is it

ess," sa

happy, you only care to

ngs. Some of the people who listen to me would be

y. "Of course you must think of everything in a la

xtent of the results he could produce on any given occasion, but his enthusiastic belief in his ideas could see no limit to the multiplication of those results. His strong will and natural modesty about himself constantly repressed any desire he might have to speak over-confidently of ultimate success, so that the prediction of ultimate success by some one else was doubly sweet to him. We Americans have said of ourselves that we are the only nation who accomp

Thorn's speech, for he sa

he said, "for the sake o

by common consent skated slowly out

be happy if you think of noth

ell, one must think of not

e. "Look at Mr. Gladstone; he has an immense private correspondence about t

s pursuit. He must form no ties, he must have no interests, that do not conduce to his success. I think a man who enters on a political career must devote himself to it as exclusively as a missi

stood the mistake John made. "I cannot agree with you. You are mixing up political activity, whic

ed John, in s

man a man must be human, and the imaginary po

be that imaginary p

m quite sure people must be like other people–I mean in good ways–or other people will not believe in them, you know. You are not vexed, are yo

xed? But perhaps some day you

. "You will never persuade me that people are meant to shut the

ay that you thought I might attai

will change your mind about a

n ever. Slowly the pair glided over the polished black ice, now marked here and there with clean white cu