When I left Mr. Forest after our last conversation I was convinced,
partly by his arguments, partly by my own observations, that communism
had not established the millennium, as I had first supposed, after
the lectures of Dr. Leete; but that it had degraded humanity in every
respect.
I felt that I must speak frankly to Dr. Leete about the change in my
convictions, resign my position as professor of Shawmut College, and
that this would give my life in the society of the twentieth century a
new and unpleasant direction.
Dr. Leete had treated me with the utmost kindness, and if I, from the
commencement of our relations, had refused to become enthusiastic
over communism, my amiable host, I think, would have not only
tolerated my views but would have continued his friendship for me,
provided I did not join the active opposition to the administration.
He might even have consented to my marriage with Edith. But now the
circumstances were such, that my change of mind involved the most
unpleasant consequences for Dr. Leete. He had recommended me as a
man especially qualified above others to become the successor of Mr.
Forest as professor of the history of the nineteenth century. I owed my
appointment solely to his influence, and there could be no doubt that
my apostacy from communism would seriously injure the respect in which
Dr. Leete’s advice had been held heretofore. My host would feel this
keenly. The rather sudden change in my opinions, the consequence of my
very limited knowledge of national economy, could have no other effect
upon Dr. Leete’s family, than to destroy their good opinion of me. They
would be forced to believe me a shallow, superficial and ungrateful
man, who had changed from an enthusiastic advocate of communism to
such a decided opponent of this theory that I would resign a position
granted to me through Dr. Leete’s efforts, and thus place my kind host
in an embarrassing position.
And how would Edith regard my resignation of the professorship? She
was attached to her father by a well founded affection and esteem.
Would her love for me prove strong enough to overcome the shock my step
involved? My blind enthusiasm for the present order of things had been
heralded all over the country by the administration organs; they had
pointed to the fact that I, a living witness of the civilization of the
nineteenth century, had become an almost fanatic advocate of communism.
The fact that I had changed my mind after becoming familiar with the
facts and circumstances, would compel the administration to treat me as
a deceitful, unprincipled demagogue, if not as a scoundrel. There was
very little doubt that I would be assigned to the most objectionable
work, even if I was spared a term in an insane asylum. And how could I
ask Edith Leete, blooming like a beautiful flower in a well protected
garden, the house of her highly esteemed father, to join her lot to a
man who would be regarded by most of the people either as a superficial
babbler or as an unmasked hypocrite, deserving his fate to be degraded
to class B of the third grade.
The fear of losing the love of Edith overshadowed for a while all
other considerations, for I loved in Edith Leete Edith Bartlett! And
the reflection that my resignation would cause the loss of Edith to me
weighed upon my mind like a nightmare. Never in my life had I felt so
distressed and miserable as on my way to Dr. Leete’s house after my
last conversation with Mr. Forest.
For a moment I harbored the idea of ending my misery by my own hand,
but I resolved to be a man and face my fate. So I walked to Dr. Leete’s
house determined not to deceive my friends nor to shrink from my duty
as a man of honor.
I found Dr. Leete, who generally appeared so gentle and composed, in a
rather excited mood. He looked both careworn and threatening. Before I
could address him he stepped in front of me and said:
“I have positive information that our mutual friend Mr. Fest, is
plotting to incite a rebellion of the Radicals. Frequent secret
meetings have taken place during the last few days, and I learn that
Fest intends to start the rebellion here in Boston”.
“What means will you employ to prevent it?” I asked. “Will you call
out the citizens and arrest the conspirators? I am at your service”, I
added, very glad to demonstrate my readiness to serve my host at least
against the Radicals whose abominable theories I hated--not to mention
my dislike for their leader.
“I doubt very much whether it would be good policy to appeal to the
people”, replied the doctor. “Such a step would attach too much
importance to the conspiracy. I wish I had placed that man Fest under
medical care, when he left our house. He is the real danger of the
hour. His followers do not amount to much, but under a leader like
Fest, who combines a certain rude eloquence with reckless audacity and
physical power, a rebellion may become a dangerous movement. To prevent
this I have given orders to arrest the archconspirator and to put him
in a safe place under medical treatment”.
I could not indorse this step although it would, perhaps, prove
successful. I suppressed my objections, however, and asked Dr. Leete
if he could give a few minutes attention to my own affairs, for I
considered it my duty not to keep secret my convictions any longer from
Edith’s father.
With his usual kindness Dr. Leete turned to me and requested me to
defer the conversation until next morning if the delay would not be
very disagreeable to me.
I consented.
We took our places at the table in the dining room. Mrs. Leete had
sent for a light supper to the common eating house, but none of us did
justice to the meal. We all felt apprehensive.
Dr. Leete looked at his watch.
“By this time Fest ought to be in the care of the officers and
physicians”, he said. “I expect a report”.
After a few uneasy minutes we heard a noise in the street, as if a
great number of people were coming up to the house.
The housedoor was opened, and a brawling crowd entered the hall and
pressed forward into the dining room. The mob was led by Fest, who,
evidently, had just been through a hot fight. His woolen shirt was
torn, and he swung a heavy butcher’s axe stained with blood.
“Here I am again, Dr. Leete”, he cried in his stentorian voice. “I gave
you fair warning that I would not enter your house again as a friend.
And since, you damned old hypocritical tyrant, you have given orders
to imprison me in a mad-house, I have resolved that you shall die this
evening. The people of Boston shall be relieved from your tyranny”.
I seized a knife and stepping to the side of Dr. Leete, I stood ready
to cover his body with my own.
But at this moment the mob’s attention was distracted by the sudden
appearance in the room of Forest, who jumped on the dining table and
addressed the crowd without losing a second.
“I suppose you know who I am”, he said “I am an enemy of this man”, and
he pointed to Dr. Leete. “Because I would not defend this miserable
administration I was removed from my place as professor of Shawmut
College, and it was Dr. Leete who assigned me to the position of
janitor”.
“That’s just like the miserable old tyrant”, shouted a dirty looking
fellow.
“Therefore, I say: Down with an administration that strangled free
speech” continued Mr. Forest. “Down with tyranny! But let us not
butcher this miserable old fellow. It is not worthy of young and
vigorous men like us to kill an unarmed old creature. Let us place him
in an insane asylum, where he intended to imprison our friend Fest”.
“Yes, yes, put him in a madhouse”, the mob yelled.
It was evident that Forest was trying to save Dr. Leete’s life. My eye
wandered to Edith. She was very pale but composed. She had put her
left arm around her father and she met my look with an expression of
sympathy. Unfortunately, Fest noticed that expression in Edith’s eyes,
and his jealousy broke forth with increased force.
“You damned fools”, he cried in a hoarse voice, “don’t you see that
this man Forest is trying to save the life of that tricky and dangerous
old tyrant? But I demand my share of the booty: the life of Leete and
his daughter”.
“Do as you please, Bob”! the mob yelled.
“Leave this room, Forest”, commanded Robert Fest. “I have no grudge
against you; but if you stand in my way you will have to suffer the
consequences”.
“So long as I live you shall not commit murder in this house”, Mr.
Forest replied. “You ought to be ashamed, Fest, of a conduct so
unworthy of a gentleman”.
“Shut up, you fool”, Fest screamed with rage. “That hypocritical
scoundrel, Leete, has bulldozed the people long enough. He must die,
and if you don’t get out of our way, you will die with him”.
A rage I had never felt before carried me away. “What has this old
gentleman done to challenge your thirst for his blood, you mean, cruel
coward?” I cried, and jumped at Fest, trying to put my knife into
his heart. But a dozen fists disarmed me, while Fest commanded: “Put
that old Bostonian in a bag and dump him in the harbor. Although not
a gentleman in the eyes of the professor I am a man of my word, and I
have promised that resurrected spectre, I would drown him like a puppy
when ever again he crossed my path”.
He lifted his axe and advanced towards Dr. Leete who remained silent,
with his gray eyes fixed upon his brutal enemy.
Once more Forest tried to save the life of the leader of the
administration, but in vain. A dirty looking ruffian buried a knife
in Forest’s true and fearless breast and with the words: “We are
even, Leete”, he sank to the floor. Edith struggled with two men who
had seized her arms and were trying to lead her away when Fest’s axe
descended on Dr. Leete’s gray head. Without a murmur he fell to the
ground, while Edith with a loud cry fainted. Fest seized her around her
waist.
“She refused to be my wife” he said with a satanic grin, “now she
will be mine without the ridiculous ceremony of marriage”, and while
stepping to the door with Edith’s lifeless body clasped by his left arm
he said: “Kill every friend of the administration, boys. I will meet
you at the city hall in an hour or so”.
I made a tremendous, desperate effort to shake off the men who kept me
back; I uttered a despairing cry and--awoke in my bed, May 31, 1887. At
my bedside a physician, and my servant Sawyer had been busy for some
time awakening me from my deep mesmeric slumber. They had labored very
hard until they succeeded, but more than an hour passed before I had
regained my ability of reasoning, and then I felt greatly relieved.
With the swiftness of lightning all the details of my interesting but
terrible dream passed through my mind. I weighed all the arguments
of Dr. Leete and Mr. Forest carefully again, and felt delighted that
I was living in the nineteenth century instead of in the communistic
state that appeared to me now like a large penitentiary on the eve of a
rebellion of the convicts.
“I would rather work harder at liberty than remain idle for a number of
hours every day in a prison-like life”, I said reflectively, “for work
is not an evil. And I would rather work a few years longer and miss
some commodities of life than submit to communistic slavery. Most of
the luxuries for which we are struggling appear most desirable so long
as we do not possess them, and we do not care much for them when they
are ours”.
I resolved to use hereafter my best ability for the advancement of
all desirable reforms for the benefit of mankind, and to preach
contentment, the only solid basis of happiness. Felicity is so
independent of wealth, in fact glory and opulence are almost stumbling
blocks in the way of happiness. Happiness depends largely on our
acceptance of our lot. In Victor Von Scheffel’s famous poem “The
Trumpeter of Säckingen” young Werner when he parts from his beloved
Margaret, as he supposes forever, sings:
To life belongs this most unpleasant feature:
That not a rose without sharp thorns does grow.
Though love eternal stirs our human nature
Through pangs of parting we at last must go.
But Margaret is at last reunited to young Werner, she becomes his wife,
and it would have been much more in consonance with the final result,
if young Werner, when departing from Margaret, had sung thus:
To life belongs this very pleasant feature
That next to thorns the blooming roses bend,
And love eternal conquers human nature
In joy uniting lovers in the end.
Transcriber’s Note:
The table of contents at the beginning of the book was added by the
transcriber.
Attempts have been made to standardise punctuation in accordance with
the style used in the original publication, but inconsistent placement
of ending punctuation in relation to closing quotation marks and
single/double quotation marks nested within a quotation have been
retained as published. Hyphenation has also been retained as appears
in the original.
Changes have been made as follows:
Page vi
uncertainty of subsistance and the _changed to_
uncertainty of subsistence and the
Page 11
was therefore the great-granddaugher _changed to_
was therefore the great-granddaughter
Page 20
have a as matter of course _changed to_
have as a matter of course
Page 29
an accurate discription _changed to_
an accurate description
Page 31
and creatiug a diversity _changed to_
and creating a diversity
that disimilarity of men _changed to_
that dissimilarity of men
Page 33
admirer of the civilzation _changed to_
admirer of the civilization
Page 35
able to acumulate fortunes _changed to_
able to accumulate fortunes
Page 41
years by the president _changed to_
years by the President
Page 46
women with clean aud easy _changed to_
women with clean and easy
Page 50
am refering to _changed to_
am referring to
Page 60
fight for the maintainance of _changed to_
fight for the maintenance of
Page 69
posession of me _changed to_
possession of me
Page 113
and they became successfull _changed to_
and they became successful
Page 121
tried to safe the life _changed to_
tried to save the life
End of Project Gutenberg's Looking Further Forward, by Richard Michaelis