"I suppose," said Norris slowly, for Dick was silent, "circumstances
bring out abilities. That's the law that operated in the case of the
older generation, and we'll have to trust to it in ours."
"That's true. But I sometimes wonder if, after all, we are helping you
to the best preparation. We send you back to get the old education. The
tendency of old communities is to rehash the traditions until they
become authority. New communities have to face problems for themselves
and solve them by new ways. The first kind of training makes scholars.
The second brings out genius. The old makes men think over the thoughts
of others. Heaven knows we need men who will think for themselves!"
"Well, 'old and young are fellows'," said Dick. "To-day grows out of
yesterday."
"Yes, if it grows. The growing is the point. It mustn't molder on
yesterday. You must have enough books to get your thinkers going, but
not more. You must not feast on libraries until you get intellectual
gout and have to tickle your palate with dainties. A good deal of stuff
that's written nowadays seems to me like literary cocktails,--something
to stir a jaded appetite. That's my friend Early's specialty--to serve
literary cocktails. But the appetite you bolster up isn't the equivalent
of a good healthy hunger after a day out-of-doors."
"When nature wants a genius, I suppose she has to use fresh seed," said
Dick.
"And genius is creative," Mr. Elton went on. "So far, the genius this
country has developed is that which takes the raw material of forest and
river and creates civilization. And let me tell you that's a very
different job from heaping up population."
Silence fell on the little group and they became suddenly aware of
lapping waters and the sleepy twitter of birds, and even of a long
slender thread of pale light that struck across the lake from a
low-lying star. Madeline gave a little sigh and pressed her mother's
hand.
Dick flushed and hesitated in the darkness, with youth's confidence in
its own great purposes and youth's craving for sympathy in its
ambitions. Mr. Elton's combination of kindness and shrewdness seemed to
draw him out.
"It sounds impertinent and conceited for a young fellow like me to talk
about what he means to do."
"Fire away. I knew your father, Dick."
"Then you'll know what I mean when I say that it has always been my
ambition to live up to his traditions--his ideal of a man's public
duties."
Mr. Elton nodded and Dick went on, while Ellery eyed him with some of
the old college respect, and Madeline leaned eagerly forward.
"I don't mean any splurge, you understand, but the same quiet service he
gave. Father left his affairs in such good order that there isn't any
real necessity for me to try to add to my income. Of course, it isn't a
great fortune, but it's more than enough; and my ambitions don't lie
that way. There's a certain amount of business in taking care of it as
it stands. Mother is glad to turn the burden of it over to me. She's
done nobly--dear little woman--but--"