SPEEDS UP TRANSPORT, AND SEES A DOCTOR
Greatly cheered by his success at the Peace meeting, Mr.Lavender searched his papers next morning to find a new field for his activities;nor had he to read far before he came on this paragraph:
"Everything is dependent on transport, and we cannot sufficiently urge that this should be speeded up by every means in our power.""How true!" he thought.And, finishing his breakfast hastily, he went out with Blink to think over what he could do to help."I can exhort,"he mused, "anyone engaged in transport who is not exerting himself to the utmost.It will not be pleasant to do so, for it will certainly provoke much ill-feeling.I must not, however, be deterred by that, for it is the daily concomitant of public life, and hard words break no bones, as they say, but rather serve to thicken the skins and sharpen the tongues of us public men, so that, we are able to meet our opponents with their own weapons.I perceive before me, indeed, a liberal education in just those public qualities wherein I am conscious of being as yet deficient.
"And his heart sank within him, thinking of the carts on the hills of Hampstead and the boys who drove them."What is lacking to them," he mused, "is the power of seeing this problem steadily and seeing it whole.
Let me endeavour to impart this habit to all who have any connection with transport."He had just completed this reflection when, turning a corner, he came on a large van standing stockstill at the top of an incline.The driver was leaning idly against the hind wheel filling a pipe.Mr.Lavender glanced at the near horse, and seeing that he was not distressed, he thus addressed the man:
"Do you not know, my friend, that every minute is of importance in this national crisis? If I could get you to see the question of transport steadily, and to see it whole, I feel convinced that you would not be standing there lighting your pipe when perhaps this half-hour's delay in the delivery of your goods may mean the death of one of your comrades at the front."The man, who was wizened, weathered, and old, with but few teeth, looked up at him from above the curved hands with which he was coaxing the flame of a match into the bowl of his pipe.His brow was wrinkled, and moisture stood at the comers of his eyes.
"I assure you," went on Mr.Lavender, "that we have none of us the right in these days to delay for a single minute the delivery of anything--not even of speeches.When I am tempted to do so, I think of our sons and brothers in the trenches, and how every shell and every word saves their lives, and I deliver----"The old man, who had finished lighting his pipe, took a long pull at it, and said hoarsely:
"Go on!"
"I will," said Mr.Lavender, "for I perceive that I can effect a revolution in your outlook, so that instead of wasting the country's time by leaning against that wheel you will drive on zealously and help to win the war."The old man looked at him, and one side of his face became drawn up in a smile, which seemed to Mr.Lavender so horrible that he said: "Why do you look at me like that?""Cawn't 'elp it," said the man.
"What makes you," continued Mr.Lavender, "pause here with your job half finished? It is not the hill which keeps you back, for you are at the top, and your horses seem rested.""Yes," said the old man, with another contortion of his face, "they're rested--leastways, one of 'em.""Then what delays you--if not that British sluggishness which we in public life find such a terrible handicap to our efforts in conducting the war?""Ah!" said the old man."But out of one you don't make two, guv'nor.
Git on the offside and you'll see it a bit steadier and a bit 'oler than you 'ave 'itherto."Struck by his words, which were accompanied by a painful puckering of the checks, Mr.Lavender moved round the van looking for some defect in its machinery, and suddenly became aware that the off horse was lying on the ground, with the traces cut.It lay on its side, and did not move.
"Oh!" cried Mr.Lavender; "oh!" And going up to the horse's head he knelt down.The animal's eye was glazing.
"Oh!" he cried again, "poor horse! Don't die!" And tears dropped out of his eyes on to the horse's cheek.The eye seemed to give him a look, and became quite glazed.
