ectly barbarous, that would be a crime against
humanity! The people have stuck by us in days of prosperity, and now
when our sales may perhaps," he emphasized the last word, "may perhaps
be diminished, you will stop the wheels and shut down the factory?"

"Look here, my son, I'm not a socialists' meeting. Such sentiments may
sound very nice from the platform, but there's no need of your trying
your speeches on me. The question at issue is, shall we suffer the
consequences or shall they, and I don't mind telling you that I prefer
the latter. Do you suppose that I've worked hard all my life and worn
myself out for the express purpose of turning our factory into a
workingmen's home? No, my boy, I can't support you in your little
hobby."

"But, father, capital and labor----"

"O, cut out those silly phrases," interrupted the old gentleman
irritably, "Karl Marx and Henry George and all your other stand-bys may
be all right in your library, and help to decorate your bookshelves, but
I prefer to settle our practical problems on the basis of my experience
and not of your books. As manager and proprietor of our plant I want to
tell you that when the whistle blows at noon to-day I shall notify our
workingmen that in consequence of the totally unforeseen breaking out of
hostilities--here I shall insert a few words about the sacred duty of
patriotism and of defending one's country--we are unwillingly forced to
dismiss three thousand of our workmen. We'll pay wages for, let's say, a
fortnight longer, but then good-by to the men; we'll shut up shop, and
the thousand men that are left can finish the standing orders and any
new ones that may come in. And if no new ones turn up, then the
remaining workingmen will be dismissed at once. In the meantime I'll
subscribe one hundred thousand dollars to the war-loan, and then engage
passage on a Lloyd steamer, the most expensive cabins with every
possible luxury, for your mother, your two sisters, myself, and I hope
for you, too, and we'll be off to old Europe. Shall we make it the
Riviera? We've been there before, and, besides, it's a little too hot
there now--let's say Norway or Switzerland. In my humble opinion we had
better watch developments from a distance, and, as I said, I earnestly
hope that my only son and heir will join our party, unless he should
prefer to remain here and become a lieutenant in our glorious army and
draw his sword against the enemy? This is my final decision and