taxes is needed to pay the interest on the new bonds, needed for many
more things than it will supply."

For a half moment she looked around the room, then again turned to the
men immediately in front, and her hands made a swift, appealing gesture.

"Gentlemen, you have done so splendidly. For so long there was so little
to do with. For many years the struggle for life and honor gave your
fathers no time for thought of other things, but they held their heads
up through it all, and you--you are your fathers' sons! In the years I
have been away I never saw anything beautiful or useful or splendid,
never saw good streets, schools, libraries, churches, parks,
playgrounds, galleries, museums, baths, kindergartens, never saw a good
idea in operation, or anything that made life nicer and better that I
didn't wish Yorkburg had it. I was always wishing it could be the
cleanest, prettiest, happiest of all places on this earth to live in,
and when I came back and saw what you had done, saw there was good
water, good sewerage, good lights, a few good streets, I was as proud
and pleased as if--as if I'd been your mother!"

She joined in the laugh that followed, then shook her head. "But,
gentlemen, people who don't do anything keep at it. A big idea means
big things, and if everybody pulls together we can do lots for Yorkburg.
And you don't really love what you don't work for, don't deny yourself
a little bit for, don't take some risk with. Some say there's risk in
marriage, but people get married. They want to. We can do anything for
Yorkburg we want to if we just want hard enough. Everybody agrees that
we need a high-school and a new grammar school. We've needed them for
years, and there were few people who pay taxes who didn't sign this
petition readily. Nearly everybody wants children to have a chance."