then　at　the　corner　of　a　small　green　city　square；　for　I　had　now　reached　the　better　part　of　the　city；　and　of　seeing　with　keen　pleasure　the　green　of　the　grass　and　the　bright　colour　of　a　bed　of　flowers；　and　two　or　three　clean　nursemaids　with　clean　baby　cabs；　and　a　flock　of　pigeons　pluming　themselves　near　a　stone　fountain；　and　an　old　tired　horse　sleeping　in　the　sun　with　his　nose　buried　in　a　feed　bag。
  〃Why；〃　I　said；　〃all　this；　too；　is　beautiful！〃　So　I　continued　my　walk　with　quite　a　new　feeling　in　my　heart；　prepared　again　for　any　adventure　life　might　have　to　offer　me。
  I　supposed　I　knew　no　living　soul　in　Kilburn　but　Bill　the　Socialist。　What　was　my　astonishment　and　pleasure；　then　in　one　of　the　business　streets　to　discover　a　familiar　face　and　figure。　A　man　was　just　stepping　from　an　automobile　to　the　sidewalk。　For　an　instant；　in　that　unusual　environment；　I　could　not　place　him；　then　I　stepped　up　quickly　and　said：
  〃Well；　well；　Friend　Vedder。〃
  He　looked　around　with　astonishment　at　the　man　in　the　shabby　clothesbut　it　was　only　for　an　instant。
  〃David　Grayson！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃and　how　did　YOU　get　into　the　city？〃
  〃Walked；〃　I　said。
  〃But　I　thought　you　were　an　incurable　and　irreproachable　countryman！　Why　are　you　here？〃
  〃Love　o'　life；〃　I　said；　〃love　o'　life。〃
  〃Where　are　you　stopping？〃　I　waved　my　hand。
  〃Where　the　road　leaves　me；〃　I　said。　〃Last　night　I　left　my　bag　with　some　good　friends　I　made　in　front　of　a　livery　stable　and　I　spent　the　night　in　the　mill　district　with　a　Socialist　named　Bill　Hahn。〃
  〃Bill　Hahn！〃　The　effect　upon　Mr。　Vedder　was　magical。
  〃Why；　yes；〃　I　said；　〃and　a　remarkable　man　he　is；　too。〃
  I　discovered　immediately　that　my　friend　was　quite　as　much　interested　in　the　strike　as　Bill　Hahn；　but　on　the　other　side。　He　was；　indeed；　one　of　the　directors　of　the　greatest　mill　in　Kilburnthe　very　one　which　I　had　seen　the　night　before　surrounded　by　armed　sentinels。　It　was　thrilling　to　me；　this　knowledge；　for　it　seemed　to　plump　me　down　at　once　in　the　middle　of　thingsand　soon；　indeed；　brought　me　nearer　to　the　brink　of　great　events　than　ever　I　was　before　in　all　my　days。
  I　could　see　that　Mr。　Vedder　considered　Bill　Hahn　as　a　sort　of　devouring　monster；　a　wholly　incendiary　and　dangerous　person。　So　terrible；　indeed；　was　the　warning　he　gave　me　（considering　me；　I　suppose　an　unsophisticated　person）　that　I　couldn't　help　laughing　outright。
  〃I　assure　you〃　he　began；　apparently　much　offended。
  But　I　interrupted　him。
  〃I'm　sorry　I　laughed；〃　I　said；　〃but　as　you　were　talking　about　Bill　Hahn；　I　couldn't　help　thinking　of　him　as　I　first　saw　him。〃　And　I　gave　Mr。　Vedder　as　lively　a　description　as　I　could　of　the　little　man　with　his　bulging　coat　tails；　his　furry　ears；　his　odd　round　spectacles。　He　was　greatly　interested　in　what　I　said　and　began　to　ask　many　questions。　I　told　him　with　all　the　earnestness　I　could　command　of　Bill's　history　and　of　his　conversion　to　his　present　beliefs。　I　found　that　Mr。　Vedder　had　known　Robert　Winter　very　well　indeed；　and　was　amazed　at　the　incident　which　I　narrated　of　Bill　Hahn's　attempt　upon　his　life。
  I　have　always　believed　that　if　men　could　be　made　to　understand　one　another　they　would　necessarily　be　friendly；　so　I　did　my　best　to　explain　Bill　Hahn　to　Mr。　Vedder。
  〃I'm　tremendously　interested　in　what　you　say；〃　he　said；　〃and　we　must　have　more　talk　about　it。〃
  He　told　me　that　he　had　now　to　put　in　an　appearance　at　his　office；　and　wanted　me　to　go　with　him；　but　upon　my　objection　he　pressed　me　to　take　luncheon　with　him　a　little　later；　an　invitation　which　I　accepted　with　real　pleasure。
  〃We　haven't　had　a　word　about　gardens；〃　he　said；　〃and　there　are　no　end　of　things　that　Mrs。　Vedder　and　I　found　that　we　wanted　to　talk　with　you　about　after　you　had　left　us。〃
  〃Well！〃　I　said；　much　delighted；　〃let's　have　a　regular　old…fashioned　country　talk。〃
  So　we　parted　for　the　time　being；　and　I　set　off　in　the　highest　spirits　to　see　something　more　of　Kilburn。
  A　city；　after　all；　is　a　very　wonderful　place。　One　thing；　I　recall；　impressed　me　powerfully　that　morningthe　way　in　which　every　one　was　working；　apparently　without　any　common　agreement　or　any　common　purpose；　and　yet　with　a　high　sort　of　understanding。　The　first　hearing　of　a　difficult　piece　of　music　（to　an　uncultivated　ear　like　mine）　often　yields　nothing　but　a　confused　sense　of　unrelated　motives；　but　later　and　deeper　hearings　reveal　the　harmony　which　ran　so　clear　in　the　master's　soul。
  Something　of　this　sort　happened　to　me　in　looking　out　upon　the　life　of　that　great　city　of　Kilburn。　All　about　on　the　streets；　in　the　buildings；　under　ground　and　above　ground；　men　were　walking；　running；creeping；　crawling；　climbing；　lifting；　digging；　driving；　buying；　selling；　sweating；　swearing；　praying；　loving；　hating；　struggling；　failing；　sinning；　repentingall　working　and　living　according　to　a　vast　harmony；　which　sometimes　we　can　catch　clearly　and　sometimes　miss　entirely。　I　think；　that　morning；　for　a　time；　I　heard　the　true　music　of　the　spheres；　the　stars　singing　together。
  Mr。　Vedder　took　me　to　a　quiet　restaurant　where　we　had　a　snug　alcove　all　to　ourselves。　I　shall　remember　it　always　as　one　of　the　truly　pleasant　experiences　of　my　pilgrimage。
  I　could　see　that　my　friend　was　sorely　troubled；　that　the　strike　rested　heavy　upon　him；　and　so　I　led　the　conversation　to　the　hills　and　the　roads　and　the　fields　we　both　love　so　much。　I　plied　him　with　a　thousand　questions　about　his　garden。　I　told　him　in　the　liveliest　way　of　my　adventures　after　leaving　his　home；　how　I　had　telephoned　him　from　the　hills；　how　I　had　taken　a　swim　in　the　mill…pond；　and　especially　how　I　had　lost　myself　in　the　old　cowpasture；　with　an　account　of　all　my　absurd　and　laughable　adventures　and　emotions。
  Well；　before　we　had　finished　our　luncheon　I　had　every　line　ironed　from　the　brow　of　that　poor　plagued　rich　man；　I　had　brought　jolly　crinkles　to　the　corners　of　his　eyes；　and　once　or　twice　I　had　him　chuckling　down　deep　inside　（Where　chuckles　are　truly　effective）。　Talk　about　cheering　up　the　poor：　I　think　the　rich　are　usually　far　more　in　need　of　it！
  But　I　couldn't　keep　the　conversation　in　these　delightful　channels。　Evidently　the　strike　and　all　that　it　meant　lay　heavy　upon　Mr。　Vedder's　consciousness；　for　he　pushed　back　his　coffee　and　began　talking　about　it；　almost　in　a　tone　of　apology。　He　told　me　how　kind　he　had　tried　to　make　the　mill　management　in　its　dealings　with　its　men。
  〃I　would　not　speak　of　it　save　in　explanation　of　our　true　attitude　of　helpfulness；　but　we　have　really　given　our　men　many　advantages〃and　he　told　me　of　the　reading…room　the　company　had　established；　of　the　visiting　nurse　they　had　employed；　and　of　several　other　excellent　enterprises；　which　gave　only　another　proof　of　what　I　knew　already　of　Mr。　Vedder's　sincere　kindness　of　heart。
  〃But；〃　he　said；　〃we　find　they　don't　appreciate　what　we　try　to　do　for　them。〃
  I　laughed　outright。
  〃Why；〃　I　exclaimed；　〃you　are　having　the　same　trouble　I　have　had！〃
  〃How's　that？〃　he　inquired；　I　thought　a　little　sharply。　Men　don't　like　to　have　their　seriousness　trifled　with。
  〃No　longer　ago　than　this　morning；〃　I　said；　〃I　had　exactly　that　idea　of　giving　them　advantages；　but　I　found　that　the　difficulty　lies　not　with　the　ability　to　give；　but　with　the　inability　or　unwillingness　to　take。　You　see　I　have　a　great　deal　of　surplus　wealth　myself〃
  Mr。　Vedder's　eyes　flickered　up　at　me。
  〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃I've　got　immense　accumulations　of　the　wealth　of　the　agesingots　of　Emerson　and　Whitman；　for　example；　gems　of　Voltaire；　and　I　can't　tell　what　other　superfluous　coinage！〃　（And　I　waved　my　hand　in　the　most　grandiloquent　manner。）　〃I've　also　quite　a　store　of　knowledge　of　corn　and　calves　and　cucumbers；　and　I've　a　boundless　domain　of　exceedingly　valuable　landscapes。　I　am　prepared　to　give　bountifully　of　all　these　varied　riches　（for　I　shall　still　have　plenty　remaining）；　but　the　fact　is　that　this　generation　of　vipers　doesn't　appreciate　what　I　am　trying　to　do　for　them。　I'm　really　getting　frightened；　lest　they　permit　me　to　perish　from　undistributed　riches！〃
  Mr。　Vedder　was　still　smiling。
  〃Oh；〃　I　said；　warming　up　to　my　idea；　〃I'm　a　regular　multimillionaire。　I've　got　so　much　wealth　that　I'm　afraid　I　shall　not　be　as　fortunate　as　jolly　Andy　Carnegie；　for　I　don't　see　how　I　can　possibly　die　poor！〃
  〃Why　not　found　a　university　or　so？〃　asked　Mr。　Vedder。
  〃Well；　I　had　thought　of　that。　It's　a　good　idea。　Let's　join　our　forces　and　establish　a　university　where　truly　serious　people　can　take　courses　in　laughter。〃
  〃Fine　idea！〃　exclaimed　Mr。　Vedder；　〃but　wouldn't　it　require　an　enormous　endowment　to　accommodate　all　the　applicants？　You　must　remember　that　this　is　a　very　benighted　and　illiterate　world；　laughingly　speaking。〃
  〃It　is；　indeed；〃　I　said；　〃but　you　must　remember　that　many　people；　for　a　long　time；　will　be　too　serious　to　apply。　I　wonder　sometimes　if　any　one　ever　learns　to　laugh　really　laugh　much　before　he　is　forty。〃
  〃But；〃　said　Mr。　Vedder　anxiously；　〃do　you　think　such　an　institution　would　be　accepted　by　the　proletariat　of　the　serious…minded？〃
  〃Ah；　that's　the　trouble；〃　said　I；　〃that's　the　trouble。　The　proletariat　doesn't　appreciate　what　we　are　trying　to　do　for　them！　They　don't　want　your　reading…rooms　nor　my　Emerson　and　cucumbers。　The　seat　of　the　difficulty　seems　to　be　that　what　seems　wealth　to　us　isn't