"But," said Dan, in a puzzled way, turning once more to the monument,
"this inscription--" he read again the sentence from the statesman's
speech on the forgotten issue of his passing day.
The Doctor said nothing.
Then gazing up at the cast-iron figure posed stiffly with outstretched
arm in the attitude of a public speaker, Dan asked: "Is that like him?"
"Like him! It's like nothing but the people who conceived it," growled
the Doctor indignantly. "If that man were living he would not be always
talking about issues that have no meaning at this day. He would be giving
himself to the problems that trouble us now. This thing," he rapped the
monument with his stick until it gave forth a dull, hollow sound, "this
thing is not a memorial to the life and character of my friend. It
memorializes the dead issue to which he gave himself at one passing
moment of his life, and which, had he lived, he would have forgotten, as
the changing times brought new issues to be met as he met this old one.
He was too great, too brave, to ever stand still and let the world go by.
He was always on the firing line. This thing--" he rapped the hollow iron
shaft again contemptuously, and the hollow sound seemed to add emphasis
to his words--"this is a dead monument to a dead issue. Instead of
speaking of his life, it cries aloud in hideous emphasis that he is
dead."
They stood silently for a moment then Dan said, quietly: "After all,
Doctor, they meant well.
Pages:
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64