to be accommodated outside with loudspeakers and when the
awesome crescendo of horns, drums, and broken crockery rubbed over slate
surfaces announced the climax of the sixth movement, the crowds wept.
Even for Mozart the hall was full, or practically full.

In the lively arts the impact of the Grass was more overt. On the
comicpage, Superman daily pushed it back and there was great regret his
activities were limited to a fourcolor process, while Terry Lee and
Flash Gordon, everinspirited by the sharp outlines of mammaryglands,
also saved the country. Even Lil Abner and Snuffy Smith battled the
vegetation while no one but Jiggs remained absolutely impervious. The
_Greengrass Blues_ was heard on every radio and came from every
adolescent's phonograph until it was succeeded by _Itty Bitty Seed Made
Awfoo Nasty Weed_.

Perhaps the most notable feature of this period was a preoccupation with
permanency. Jerrybuilding, architectural mode since the first falsefront
was erected over the first smalltown store, practically disappeared. The
skyscrapers were no longer steel skeletons with thin facings of stone
hung upon them like a slattern's apron, while the practice of daubing
mud on chickenwire hastily laid over paper was discontinued. Everyone
wanted to build for all time, even though the Grass might seize upon
their effort next week. In New York the Cathedral of St John the Divine
was finally completed and a new one dedicated to St George begun. The
demand for enduring woods replaced the market for green pine and men
planned homes to accommodate their greatgrandchildren and not to attract
prospective buyers before the plaster cracked.

Naturally, forwardlooking men like Stuart Thario and myself, though we
had every respect for culture, were not swamped by this sudden urge to
encourage the effervescent side of life. Our feet were still upon the
ground and though we knew symphonies and novels and cathedrals had their
place, it was important not to lose sight of fundamentals; while we
approved in principle the desire for permanency, we took reality into
account. We had every faith in the future of the country, being certain
a way would be found before long to stop the encroachments of the weed;
nevertheless, as a proper precaution--a safeguarding counterbalance to
our own enthusiastic patriotism--we invested our surplus funds in
Consols and European bonds, while hastening our plans for new factories
on other continents.

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