A glance at this brass dial shows at once how far the
needle point has reached. At the present moment, for instance, it is
halfway through the front cover of the 'Journal of John Woolman.' And
while the dial is recording the distance covered on the five-foot shelf,
the blue liquid in this glass tube measures the rising level of culture.
It is a very ingenious application of President Eliot's idea, don't you
think?"
XXVI
THE COMMUTER
Whenever Harrington urges me to go to live in the country, his place is
only forty-three minutes from City Hall. But when he asked me last week
to spend Saturday afternoon with him, he told me that some trains are
slower than others and that I had better allow ten minutes for the
ferry. I have never known a commuter who told the truth about the time
it takes him to cover the distance from his office-door to his front
lawn. If he is exceptionally conscientious he will take into account the
preliminary ride on the Subway and possibly even the walk from his
office to the Subway station. But no commuter ever alludes to the
fifteen minutes' walk at the other end.
Pages:
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197