As Gadsby took a long look at Clancy's "dom thing," a vision was
wafting through his mind of a calm, sunny patch of land, way out
in Branton Hills' suburbs, on which day by day, two big blacks and
two big roans could--anyway, taking all things into account, a big
conflagration, with its din, rush and panic, is no spot for such
animals as "Big Four." As for Old Bill's squawk about animals "ruining
our paving," Gadsby thought that was but small talk, for paving,
anyway, can't last for long. But, that _is_ a glorious spot, way out
amongst our hills!
Gadsby took his party to a room in City Hall from which that burning
factory was in plain sight; and as Nancy and Kathlyn stood watching
that awful sight a big wall, crashing down, had a crowd rushing to that
spot.
A man's form was brought out to a patrol wagon; and a boy, rushing
past City Hall, sang out to Gadsby:--
"It's Old Man Donaldson!!"
Tiny Nancy, almost swooning, said:--
"Donaldson? Oh, Kathy! That's Lucy's Dad, of Company Two, you know!"
and Frank and John Smith shot wildly downstairs to find out about it.
In an instant a sobbing girlish form was dashing madly from that Night
School building towards our Municipal Hospital. It was Lucy; bright,
always laughing Lucy; but half an hour ago singing so happily in that
girls' trio.
As that big factory was still blazing furiously, Frank and John, coming
in, said:--
"It was only a scalp wound, and a sprung wrist. Lucy is coming
upstairs, now."
Lucy, coming in, badly blown from running and fright, said:--
"That wall caught Daddy; but it was so old and thin it didn't crush
him. Oh! _How_ I worry if that alarm rings!"
"But," put in Nancy, "it's _man's_ work. Pshaw!! What good am _I_? Why,
I couldn't do a thing around that factory, right now! Look at my arm!
About as big as a ball bat!" and as Frank took that sad, tiny form in
his arms, Gadsby said:--
"All throughout Natural History, Nancy, you will find man built
big and strong, and woman small and frail. That is so that man can
obtain food for his family, and that woman may nourish his offspring.
But today, I am sorry to say, you'll find girls working hard, in
gymnasiums, fondly hoping to attain man's muscular parity. How silly!!
It's going straight against all natural laws. Girls _can_ find a lot of
bodily good in gymnasiums, I'll admit! but _not_ that much. And as for
your 'ball-bat' arm, as you call it, what of it? You'd look grand, now
wouldn't you, with Frank's big oak-branch arms hanging way down to your
shins. But that ball-bat arm can curl around your tiny baby as softly
as a down pillow. Aw, darling! _Don't_ say you can't do anything;
for _I_ know you can. How about our old Organization of Youth days?
You,----"
And Nancy, now laughing, said, gaily:--
"Oho! Our old Organization! What fun it was! But, Daddy, I don't know
of any young crowd following us up."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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