Everyone  in  the  nation  knows  in  his  heart
individually  that  the  transaction  was  not
just  what  it  should  have  been,  and  a  large
number  would  admit  that  it  was  wrong.  But


122  MUSTARD     SEED

let  any  one  use  in  public  a  phrase  which  could
remotely  suggest  that  the  nation  could  inti
mate:  "You  were  right,"  and  immediately
there  is  an  upheaval  and  explosion  of  ink
and  paper,  with  deafening  detonations  of
flamboyant  oratory  all  over  the  country.
The  Prodigal  confessed  he  was  wrong.
Peter  cried,  "You  were  right!"  Judas  did
not  get  so  far.  He  said,  "I  was  wrong,"
but  shrank  from  admitting  the  fact  to
another.  A  modern  poet  has  described  hell
as  a  sad  realization  of  the  lost  days  and  lost
opportunities  of  life.  One  after  another  these
days  point  accusing  fingers  at  the  doomed
man.  They  are  his  murdered  selves,  but  he,
the  murderer,  is  left  looking  at  his  victim
forever.  "And  thou  thyself  for  all  eternity."
This  is  everlasting  torment:  to  be  forced  to
say,  when  to  say  it  is  fruitless:  "You  were
right."


STARTING    A
CONVERSATION


STARTING    A
CONVERSATION

^ — II — yHIS  is  a  work  that  has  to  be  done
so  often  that  it  is  surprising  no  one
it  has  made  a  thorough  study  of  the
subject  and  reduced  it  to  rule.  The  vari
ous  chess-openings  have  been  systematized
and  named.  There  is  hardly  any  trade  or
sport  in  which  the  opening  attack  has  not
been  carefully  considered.  The  college  grad
uate  knows  what  to  do  if  he  wins  the  toss
in  football  or  debate.  What  will  he  do  if
he  has  the  first  inning  in  a  conversation?
He  can  not  tell  you.  He  looks  over  his  list
of  electives  and  does  not  find  conversation
among  them.
