sunshine sketches of a little town-第16部分

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with　their　invading　clubs。　It　was　a　pity　that　it　was　such　a　bad
night；　snowing　hard；　and　a　curling　match　on；　or　they　would　have　made
a　lot　of　money　out　of　the　lecture。　As　it　was　the　loss；　apart　from　the
breaking　of　the　lantern；　which　was　unavoidable；　was　quite　trifling。

I　can　hardly　remember　all　the　things　that　there　were　after　that。　I
recollect　that　it　was　always　Mullins　who　arranged　about　renting　the
hall　and　printing　the　tickets　and　all　that　sort　of　thing。　His　father；
you　remember；　had　been　at　the　Anglican　college　with　Dean　Drone；　and
though　the　rector　was　thirty…seven　years　older　than　Mullins；　he
leaned　upon　him；　in　matters　of　business；　as　upon　a　staff；　and　though
Mullins　was　thirty…seven　years　younger　than　the　Dean；　he　leaned
against　him；　in　matters　of　doctrine；　as　against　a　rock。

At　one　time　they　got　the　idea　that　what　the　public　wanted　was　not
anything　instructive　but　something　light　and　amusing。　Mullins　said
that　people　loved　to　laugh。　He　said　that　if　you　get　a　lot　of　people
all　together　and　get　them　laughing　you　can　do　anything　you　like　with
them。　Once　they　start　to　laugh　they　are　lost。　So　they　got　Mr。　Dreery；
the　English　Literature　teacher　at　the　high　school；　to　give　an　evening
of　readings　from　the　Great　Humorists　from　Chaucer　to　Adam　Smith。　They
came　mighty　near　to　making　a　barrel　of　money　out　of　that。　If　the
people　had　once　started　laughing　it　would　have　been　all　over　with
them。　As　it　was　I　heard　a　lot　of　them　say　that　they　simply　wanted　to
scream　with　laughter：　they　said　they　just　felt　like　bursting　into
peals　of　laughter　all　the　time。　Even　when；　in　the　more　subtle　parts；
they　didn't　feel　like　bursting　out　laughing；　they　said　they　had　all
they　could　do　to　keep　from　smiling。　They　said　they　never　had　such　a
hard　struggle　in　their　lives　not　to　smile。

In　fact　the　chairman　said　when　he　put　the　vote　of　thanks　that　he　was
sure　if　people　had　known　what　the　lecture　was　to　be　like　there　would
have　been　a　much　better　〃turn…out。〃　But　you　see　all　that　the　people
had　to　go　on　was　just　the　announcement　of　the　name　of　the　lecturer；
Mr。　Dreery；　and　that　he　would　lecture　on　English　Humour　All　Seats
Twenty…five　Cents。　As　the　chairman　expressed　it　himself；　if　the
people　had　had　any　idea；　any　idea　at　all；　of　what　the　lecture　would
be　like　they　would　have　been　there　in　hundreds。　But　how　could　they
get　an　idea　that　it　would　be　so　amusing　with　practically　nothing　to
go　upon？

After　that　attempt　things　seemed　to　go　from　bad　to　worse。　Nearly
everybody　was　disheartened　about　it。　What　would　have　happened　to　the
debt；　or　whether　they　would　have　ever　paid　it　off；　is　more　than　I　can
say；　if　it　hadn't　occurred　that　light　broke　in　on　Mullins　in　the
strangest　and　most　surprising　way　you　can　imagine。　It　happened　that
he　went　away　for　his　bank　holidays；　and　while　he　was　away　he　happened
to　be　present　in　one　of　the　big　cities　and　saw　how　they　went　at　it
there　to　raise　money。　He　came　home　in　such　a　state　of　excitement　that
he　went　straight　up　from　the　Mariposa　station　to　the　rectory；　valise
and　all；　and　he　burst　in　one　April　evening　to　where　the　Rural　Dean
was　sitting　with　the　three　girls　beside　the　lamp　in　the　front　room；
and　he　cried　out：

〃Mr。　Drone；　I've　got　it；I've　got　a　way　that　will　clear　the　debt
before　you're　a　fortnight　older。　We'll　have　a　Whirlwind　Campaign　in
Mariposa！〃

But　stay！　The　change　from　the　depth　of　depression　to　the　pinnacle　of
hope　is　too　abrupt。　I　must　pause　and　tell　you　in　another　chapter　of
the　Whirlwind　Campaign　in　Mariposa。



FIVE

The　Whirlwind　Campaign　in　Mariposa

It　was　Mullins；　the　banker；　who　told　Mariposa　all　about　the　plan　of　a
Whirlwind　Campaign　and　explained　how　it　was　to　be　done。　He'd　happened
to　be　in　one　of　the　big　cities　when　they　were　raising　money　by　a
Whirlwind　Campaign　for　one　of　the　universities；　and　he　saw　it　all。

He　said　he　would　never　forget　the　scene　on　the　last　day　of　it；　when
the　announcement　was　made　that　the　total　of　the　money　raised　was　even
more　than　what　was　needed。　It　was　a　splendid　sight；the　business　men
of　the　town　all　cheering　and　laughing　and　shaking　hands；　and　the
professors　with　the　tears　streaming　down　their　faces；　and　the　Deans
of　the　Faculties；　who　had　given　money　themselves；　sobbing　aloud。

He　said　it　was　the　most　moving　thing　he　ever　saw。

So；　as　I　said；　Henry　Mullins；　who　had　seen　it；　explained　to　the
others　how　it　was　done。　He　said　that　first　of　all　a　few　of　the
business　men　got　together　quietly；very　quietly；　indeed　the　more
quietly　the　better；and　talked　things　over。　Perhaps　one　of　them
would　dine；just　quietly；with　another　one　and　discuss　the
situation。　Then　these　two　would　invite　a　third　man；possibly　even　a
fourth；to　have　lunch　with　them　and　talk　in　a　general　way；even
talk　of　other　things　part　of　the　time。　And　so　on　in　this　way　things
would　be　discussed　and　looked　at　in　different　lights　and　viewed　from
different　angles　and　then　when　everything　was　ready　they　would　go　at
things　with　a　rush。　A　central　committee　would　be　formed　and
sub…committees；　with　captains　of　each　group　and　recorders　and
secretaries；　and　on　a　stated　day　the　Whirlwind　Campaign　would　begin。

Each　day　the　crowd　would　all　agree　to　meet　at　some　stated　place　and
each　lunch　together；say　at　a　restaurant　or　at　a　club　or　at　some
eating　place。　This　would　go　on　every　day　with　the　interest　getting
keener　and　keener；　and　everybody　getting　more　and　more　excited；　till
presently　the　chairman　would　announce　that　the　campaign　had　succeeded
and　there　would　be　the　kind　of　scene　that　Mullins　had　described。

So　that　was　the　plan　that　they　set　in　motion　in　Mariposa。

I　don't　wish　to　say　too　much　about　the　Whirlwind　Campaign　itself。　I
don't　mean　to　say　that　it　was　a　failure。　On　the　contrary；　in　many
ways　it　couldn't　have　been　a　greater　success；　and　yet　somehow　it
didn't　seem　to　work　out　just　as　Henry　Mullins　had　said　it　would。　It
may　be　that　there　are　differences　between　Mariposa　and　the　larger
cities　that　one　doesn't　appreciate　at　first　sight。　Perhaps　it　would
have　been　better　to　try　some　other　plan。

Yet　they　followed　along　the　usual　line　of　things　closely　enough。　They
began　with　the　regular　system　of　some　of　the　business　men　getting
together　in　a　quiet　way。

First　of　all；　for　example；　Henry　Mullins　came　over　quietly　to　Duff's
rooms；　over　the　Commercial　Bank；　with　a　bottle　of　rye　whiskey；　and
they　talked　things　over。　And　the　night　after　that　George　Duff　came
over　quietly　to　Mullins's　rooms；　over　the　Exchange　Bank；　with　a
bottle　of　Scotch　whiskey。　A　few　evenings　after　that　Mullins　and　Duff
went　together；　in　a　very　unostentatious　way；　with　perhaps　a　couple　of
bottles　of　rye；　to　Pete　Glover's　room　over　the　hardware　store。　And
then　all　three　of　them　went　up　one　night　with　Ed　Moore；　the
photographer；　to　Judge　Pepperleigh's　house　under　pretence　of　having　a
game　of　poker。　The　very　day　after　that；　Mullins　and　Duff　and　Ed
Moore；　and　Pete　Glover　and　the　judge　got　Will　Harrison；　the　harness
maker；　to　go　out　without　any　formality　on　the　lake　on　the　pretext　of
fishing。　And　the　next　night　after　that　Duff　and　Mullins　and　Ed　Moore
and　Pete　Glover　and　Pepperleigh　and　Will　Harrison　got　Alf　Trelawney；
the　postmaster；　to　come　over；　just　in　a　casual　way；　to　the　Mariposa
House；　after　the　night　mail；　and　the　next　day　Mullins　and　Duff　and

But；　pshaw！　you　see　at　once　how　the　thing　is　worked。　There's　no　need
to　follow　that　part　of　the　Whirlwind　Campaign　further。　But　it　just
shows　the　power　of　organization。

And　all　this　time；　mind　you；　they　were　talking　things　over；　and
looking　at　things　first　in　one　light　and　then　in　another　light；in
fact；　just　doing　as　the　big　city　men　do　when　there's　an　important
thing　like　this　under　way。

So　after　things　had　been　got　pretty　well　into　shape　in　this　way；　Duff
asked　Mullins　one　night；　straight　out；　if　he　would　be　chairman　of　the
Central　Committee。　He　sprung　it　on　him　and　Mullins　had　no　time　to
refuse；　but　he　put　it　to　Duff　straight　whether　he　would　be　treasurer。
And　Duff　had　no　time　to　refuse。

That　gave　things　a　start；　and　within　a　week　they　had　the　whole
organization　on　foot。　There　was　the　Grand　Central　Committee　and　six
groups　or　sub…committees　of　twenty　men　each；　and　a　captain　for　every
group。　They　had　it　all　arranged　on　the　lines　most　likely　to　be
effective。

In　one　group　there　were　all　the　bankers；　Mullins　and　Duff　and　Pupkin
（with　the　cameo　pin）；　and　about　four　others。　They　had　their
photographs　taken　at　Ed　Moore's　studio；　taken　in　a　line　with　a
background　of　icebergsa　winter　sceneand　a　pretty　penetrating
crowd　they　looked；　I　can　tell　you。　After　all；　you　know；　if　you　get　a
crowd　of　representative　bank　men　together　in　any　financial　deal；
you've　got　a　pretty　considerable　leverage　right　away。

In　the　second　group　were　the　lawyers；　Nivens　and　Macartney　and　the
restabout　as　level…headed　a　lot　as　you'd　see　anywhere。　Get　the
lawyers　of　a　town　with　you　on　a　thing　like　this　and　you'll　find
you've　got　a　sort　of　brain　power　with　you　that　you'd　never　get
without　them。

Then　there　were　the　business　menthere　was　a　solid　crowd　for
you；Harrison；　the　harness　maker；　and　Glover；　the　hardware　man；　and
all　that　gang；　not　talkers；　perhaps；　but　solid　men　who　can　tell　you
to　a　nicety　how　many　cents　there　are　in　a　dollar。　It's　all　right　to
talk　about　education　and　that　sort　of　thing；　but　if　you　want　driving
power　and　efficiency；　get　business　men。　They're　seeing　it　every　day
in　the　city；　and　it's　just　the　same　in　Mariposa。　Why；　in　the　big
concerns　in　the　city；　if　they　found　out　a　man　was　educated；　they
wouldn't　have　him；wouldn't　keep　him　there　a　minute。　That's　why　the
business　men　have　to　conceal　it　so　much。

Then　in　the　other　teams　there　were　the　doctors　and　the　newspaper　men
and　the　professional　men　like　Judge　Pepperleigh　and　Yodel　the
auctioneer。

It　was　all　organized　so　that　every　team　had　its　headquarters；　two　of
them　in　each　of　the　three　hotelsone　upstairs　and　one　down。　And　it
was　arranged　that　there　would　be　a　big　lunch　every　day；　to　be　held　in
Smith's　caff；　round　the　corner　of　Smith's　Northern　Health　Resort　and
Home　of　the　Wissanotti　Angler；you　know　the　place。　The　lunch　was
divided　up　into　tables；　with　a　captain　for　each　table　to　see　about
things　to　drink；