Mountain people -- North Carolina -- Fiction; North Carolina -- Fiction
I went out again and walked about, but I did not venture far beyond the
shadow of the Rookery, for I knew that should I get turned round I would
be ashamed to inquire the way back. I saw a man standing on a box
selling pens. He had a most fluent use of words, though I could see
that he was not educated. He interested his hearers with humorous
stories, as if his business were first to entertain the public and then
to pick up a living, and for the first time it struck me that
book-knowledge did not embrace everything, that people who simply read
get but a second-hand experience. We must observe form and recognize the
rules which good taste has drawn, but after all the finest form and the
most nearly perfect rule is an inborn judgment. The merest accident may
thrill a dull man with genius. I knew a young man who was commonplace
until he was taken down with a fever, and when he got up his business
sense was gone, but he wrote a parody that made this country shout with
laughter. Thus I mused as I looked at that fellow selling pens. He was a
rascal, no doubt, but I was forced to admire his vivid fancy, his
genius.
When I returned to the Rookery I found Ging waiting for me. "Now," said
he, "we'll go out for a while and then eat dinner. Would you mind going
out about twelve miles? Train every few minutes. I've got some real
estate that I'd like to show you--might cut an important figure in our
transaction."
"I don't want it to cut any figure in our transaction," I replied. "I
want to sell the mine for money."
"Yes, of course, but you might double your money on the real estate."
"That may be true, but I am not a speculator; and if you are not
prepared to pay money, why, it is useless to waste further time."
"Of course. No time has been wasted and none shall be. You may trust me
when it comes to the question of wasting time. I didn't know but you
might like a home out at Sweet Myrtle. Beautiful place--gas, water,
side-walks, sewers. But if you don't want to go, it's all right. Let me
tell you right now that we are prepared to pay cash for your mine. We
represent millions in the East. Well, we'll go."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account