Page:Gadsby.djvu/116

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GADSBY

cannot fathom it; and it will, in all probability, go on always. So it is improving a child’s mind to visit such displays; for it will start a train of thoughts along a path not commonly sought if such institutions do not stand as attractions. Now, in any community a crank will bob up, who will, with loud acclaim and high-sounding words, avow that it “is a scandalous drain on public funds to put up such a building just to show a lot of rocks, animals’ ribs and birds’ skulls.” But such loud bombasts only show up an “orator’s” brain capacity (or lack of it), and actually bring studious folks to ask for just such data upon things which his ridiculing had run down. It is an old, old story, that if you want a city’s population to go in strongly for anything, and you start a loud, bawling campaign against it, that public will turn to it for information as to its worth. So, just such a loud, bawling moron had to drift into our Hall on its inauguration day, and soon ran smack up against Kathlyn! That worthy girl, allowing him to “blow off” a bit, finally said:—

“I know you. You run a stock farm. All right. You want to know all you can about matching and crossing your stock, don’t you? I thought so. But God did all that, long, oh, so long ago; gradually producing such animals as you own to-

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