It might with some justice be urged that, thus far in his life, Mr.
Rawn has shown little to distinguish him from his fellow-men; that
indeed his career has been commonplace almost to the point of lack of
interest to others. There are many of us who have been born in this or
that small community, who have lived somewhat humdrum lives, have
married in a somewhat humdrum way, and who have, in like unspectacular
fashion, failed to achieve any distinguished success in affairs. Yet,
did we restrict ourselves to this point of view, we must fail of our
purpose herein, just as Mr. Rawn himself would have failed had he
allowed himself no imagination in his view of himself. For the man who
is commonplace and who is aware of the fact, the future is apt to have
but little hope, nor is his story apt to hold any interest. In the
case of Mr. Rawn the reverse of this was true. He did not rate himself
as commonplace. Always he pictured himself as central figure in some
large scene presently to be staged. His life was much like ours, and
ours are for the most part of small concern to others. But John Rawn
heard Voices. They spoke of himself. He saw a Vision. It was of
himself. The trouble with us others is that we bashfully still the
voices and timidly wipe the image from our mirrors. Let us pass all
these matters with reference to them as small as was Rawn's own.
John Rawn, then, married Laura Johnson, and they lived unhappily ever
after. That is to say, she did. As for her lord, he did not notice
his wife to any great extent after once they had settled down together,
but came to regard her as one of those incidents of life which classify
with food, clothing, the need of sleep. He looked upon his wife much
as he did upon the weather. Both happened, and both for the most part
were to be condemned. Still, he took no active measures for the
abolishment of either.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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