第2部分(第5/7 頁)

　would　be　called　the　anguish　of　despair；　he　must　have　been　crying　for　a　long　time；　every　muscle　in　his　face　quivered　as　if　under　torture；　his　limbs　shook；　his　eyes；　his　voice；　uttered　such　misery　as　only　the　vilest　criminal　should　be　made　to　suffer。　And　it　was　because　he　had　lost　sixpence！

I　could　have　shed　tears　with　him……tears　of　pity　and　of　rage　at　all　this　spectacle　implied。　On　a　day　of　indescribable　glory；　when　earth　and　heaven　shed　benedictions　upon　the　soul　of　man；　a　child；　whose　nature　would　have　bidden　him　rejoice　as　only　childhood　may；　wept　his　heart　out　because　his　hand　had　dropped　a　sixpenny　piece！　The　loss　was　a　very　serious　one；　and　he　knew　it；　he　was　less　afraid　to　face　his　parents；　than　overe　by　misery　at　the　thought　of　the　harm　he　had　done　them。　Sixpence　dropped　by　the　wayside；　and　a　whole　family　made　wretched！　What　are　the　due　descriptive　terms　for　a　state　of　〃civilization〃　in　which　such　a　thing　as　this　is　possible？

I　put　my　hand　into　my　pocket；　and　wrought　sixpennyworth　of　miracle。

It　took　me　half　an　hour　to　recover　my　quiet　mind。　After　all；　it　is　as　idle　to　rage　against　man's　fatuity　as　to　hope　that　he　will　ever　be　less　a　fool。　For　me；　the　great　thing　was　my　sixpenny　miracle。　Why；　I　have　known　the　day　when　it　would　have　been　beyond　my　power　altogether；　or　else　would　have　cost　me　a　meal。　Wherefore；　let　me　again　be　glad　and　thankful。

IV

There　was　a　time　in　my　life　when；　if　I　had　suddenly　been　set　in　the　position　I　now　enjoy；　conscience　would　have　lain　in　ambush　for　me。　What！　An　ine　sufficient　to　support　three　or　four　working…class　families……a　house　all　to　myself……things　beautiful　wherever　I　turn……　and　absolutely　nothing　to　do　for　it　all！　I　should　have　been　hard　put　to　it　to　defend　myself。　In　those　days　I　was　feelingly