按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
he reviewed； word by word； act by act； that almost incomprehensible
revolt of hers which had followed so swiftlya final； vindictive blow of
fateon that other revolt of the workers。 At moments he became
confused； unable to separate the two。 He saw her fire in that other。。。。
Her sister； she had said； had been disgraced； she had defied him to marry
her in the face of that degradationand this suddenly had sickened him。
He had let her go。 What a fool he had been to let her go！ Had she
herself been！ He did not finish this thought。 Throughout the long
night he had known； for a certainty； that this woman was a vital part of
him； flame of his flame。 Had he never seen her he would have fought
these strikers to their knees； but now the force of this incentive was
doubled。 He would never yield until he had crushed them； until he had
reconquered her。
He was approaching one of the groups of strikers； and unconsciously he
slowed his steps。 The whites of his eyes reddened。 The great coat of
golden fur he wore gave to his aspect an added quality of formidableness。
There were some who scattered as he drew near； and of the less timorous
spirits that remained only a few raised dark； sullen glances to encounter
his； which was unflinching； passionately contemptuous。 Throughout the
countless generations that lay behind them the instinct of submission had
played its dominant； phylogenetic role。 He was the Master。 The journey
across the seas had not changed that。 A few shiverednot alone because
they were thinly clad。 He walked on； slowly； past other groups； turned
the corner of West Street； where the groups were more numerous； while the
number of those running the gantlet had increased。 And he heard； twice
or thrice； the word 〃Scab！〃 cried out menacingly。 His eyes grew redder
still as he spied a policeman standing idly in a doorway。
〃Why in hell don't you do your duty？〃 he demanded。 〃What do you mean by
letting them interfere with these workers？〃
The man flinched。 He was apologetic。 〃So long as they're peaceable； Mr。
Ditmarthose are my orders。 I do try to keep 'em movin'。〃
〃Your orders？ You're a lot of damned cowards；〃 Ditmar replied； and went
on。 There were mutterings here； herded together； these slaves were
bolder； and hunger and cold； discouragement at not being able to stop the
flow toward the mills were having their effect。 By the frozen canal； the
scene of the onslaught of yesterday； the crowd had grown comparatively
thick； and at the corner of the lodginghouse row Ditmar halted a moment；
unnoticed save by a few who nudged one another and murmured。 He gave
them no attention； he was trying to form an estimate of the effect of the
picketing on his own operatives。 Some came with timid steps； others；
mostly women； fairly ran； still others were self…possessed； almost
defiantand such he marked。 There were those who； when the picketers
held them by the sleeve； broke precipitately from their annoyers； and
those who hesitated； listening with troubled faces； with feelings torn
between dread of hunger for themselves and their children and sympathy
with the revolt。 A small number joined the ranks of the picketers。
Ditmar towered above these foreigners； who were mostly undersized： a
student of human nature and civilization； free from industrial complexes；
would from that point of vantage have had much to gather from the
expressions coming within his view； but to Ditmar humanity was a means to
an end。 Suddenly； from the cupolas above the battlement of the mill； the
bells shattered the early morning air； the remnant of the workers
hastened across the canal and through the guarded gates； which were
instantly closed。 Ditmar was left alone among the strikers。 As he moved
toward the bridge they made a lane for him to pass； one or two he thrust
out of his way。 But there were mutterings； and from the sidewalk he
heard a man curse him。
Perhaps we shall understand some day that the social body； also； is
subject to the operation of cause and effect。 It was not what an
ingenuous orthodoxy； keeping alive the fate of the ancient city from
which Lot fled； would call the wrath of heaven that visited Hampton；
although a sermon on these lines was delivered from more than one of her
pulpits on the following Sunday。 Let us surmise； rather； that a decrepit
social system in a moment of lowered vitality becomes an easy prey to
certain diseases which respectable communities are not supposed to have。
The germ of a philosophy evolved in decadent Europe flies across the sea
to prey upon a youthful and vigorous America； lodging as host wherever
industrial strife has made congenial soil。 In four and twenty hours
Hampton had 〃caught〃 Syndicalism。 All day Tuesday； before the true
nature of the affection was developed； prominent citizens were outraged
and appalled by the supineness of their municipal phagocytes。 Property；
that sacred fabric of government； had been attacked and destroyed； law
had been defied； and yet the City Hall； the sanctuary of American
tradition； was turned over to the alien mob for a continuous series of
mass meetings。 All day long that edifice； hitherto chastely familiar
with American doctrine alone； with patriotic oratory； with perorations
that dwelt upon the wrongs and woes of Irelandpart of our national
propagandaall day long that edifice rang with strange； exotic speech；
sometimes guttural； often musical； but always impassioned； weirdly
cadenced and intoned。 From the raised platform； in place of the shrewd；
matter…of…fact New England politician alive to the votegetting powers
of Fourth of July patriotism； in place of the vehement but fun…loving son
of Erin； men with wild； dark faces； with burning black eyes and unkempt
hair； unshaven； flannel skirtedmade more alien； paradoxically； by their
conventional； ready…made American clothesgave tongue to the
inarticulate aspirations of the peasant drudge of Europe。 From lands
long steeped in blood they came； from low countries by misty northern
seas； from fair and ancient plains of Lombardy； from Guelph and
Ghibelline hamlets in the Apennines； from vine…covered slopes in Sicily
and Greece； from the Balkans； from Caucasus and Carpathia； from the
mountains of Lebanon； whose cedars lined the palaces of kings； and from
villages beside swollen rivers that cross the dreary steppes。 Each
peasant listened to a recital in his own tonguethe tongue in which the
folklore； the cradle sayings of his race had been preservedof the
common wrongs of all； of misery still present； of happiness still
unachieved in this land of liberty and opportunity they had found a
mockery； to appeals to endure and suffer for a common cause。 But who was
to weld together this medley of races and traditions； to give them the
creed for which their passions were prepared； to lead into battle these
ignorant and unskilled from whom organized labour held aloof？ Even as
dusk was falling； even as the Mayor； the Hon。 Michael McGrath； was making
from the platform an eloquent plea for order and peace； promising a
Committee of Arbitration and thinking about soldiers； the leader and the
philosophy were landing in Hampton。
The 〃five o'clock〃 edition of the Banner announced him； Antonio
Antonelli； of the Industrial Workers of the World！ An ominous name； an
ominous title；compared by a wellknown publicist to the sound of a fire…
bell in the night。 The Industrial Workers； not of America； but of the
World！ No wonder it sent shivers down the spine of Hampton！ The writer
of the article in the Banner was unfamiliar with the words 〃syndicalism〃
and 〃sabotage；〃 or the phrase 〃direct action；〃 he was too young to know
the history of the Knights； he had never heard of a philosophy of labour；
or of Sorel or Pouget； but the West he had heard of；the home of
lawlessness； of bloodshed； rape； and murder。 For obvious reasons he did
not betray this opinion； but for him the I。W。W。 was born in the West；
where it had ravaged and wrecked communities。 His article was guardedly
respectful； but he ventured to remind his readers that Mr。 Antonelli had
been a leader in some of these titanic struggles between crude labour and
capitalcatastrophes that hitherto had seemed to the citizens of Hampton
as remote as Kansas cyclones。。。。
Some of the less timorous of the older inhabitants； curious to learn what
doctrine this interloper had to proclaim； thrust their way that evening
into the City Hall； which was crowded； as the papers said； 〃to
suffocation。〃 Not prepossessing； this modern Robespierre； younger than
he looked； for life had put its mark on him； once； in the days of severe
work in the mines； his body had been hard； and now had grown stout。 In
the eyes of a complacent； arm…chair historian he must have appeared one
of the； strange and terrifying creatures which； in times of upheaval； are
thrust from the depths of democracies to the surface； with gifts to voice
the longings and passions of those below。 He did not blink in the light；
he was sure of himself； he had a creed and believed in it； he gazed
around him with the leonine stare of the conqueror； and a hush came over
the hall as he arose。 His speech was taken down ve