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Give me of thy sweat that I may sweat more！
Give me Bigness to get more Bigness to myself；
O Bigness； for Thine is the Power and the Glory！
And there is no end but Bigness； ever and for ever！
The Sheridan Building was the biggest skyscraper； the Sheridan Trust Company
was the biggest of its kind； and Sheridan himself had been the biggest builder
and breaker and truster and buster under the smoke。 He had come from a
country cross…roads； at the beginning of the growth； and he had gone up and
down in the booms and relapses of that period； but each time he went down he
rebounded a little higher； until finally； after a year of overwork and
anxietythe latter not decreased by a chance； remote but possible； of
recuperation from the former in the penitentiaryhe found himself on top；
with solid substance under his feet； and thereafter 〃played it safe。〃 But his
hunger to get was unabated； for it was in the very bones of him and grew
fiercer。
He was the city incarnate。 He loved it； calling it God's country； as he
called the smoke Prosperity； breathing the dingy cloud with relish。 And when
soot fell upon his cuff he chuckled； he could have kissed it。 〃It's good！ It's
good！〃 he said； and smacked his lips in gusto。 〃Good； clean soot； it's our
life…blood； God bless it！〃 The smoke was one of his great enthusiasms； he
laughed at a committee of plaintive housewives who called to beg his aid
against it。 〃Smoke's what brings your husbands' money home on Saturday night；
〃he told them； jovially。 〃Smoke may hurt your little shrubberies in the front
yard some； but it's the catarrhal climate and the adenoids that starts your
chuldern coughing。 Smoke makes the climate better。 Smoke means good health：
it makes the people wash more。 They have to wash so much they wash off the
microbes。 You go home and ask your husbands what smoke puts in their pockets
out o' the pay…rolland you'll come around next time to get me to turn out
more smoke instead o' chokin' it off！〃
It was Narcissism in him to love the city so well； he saw his reflection in
it； and； like it； he was grimy； big； careless； rich； strong； and unquenchably
optimistic。 From the deepest of his inside all the way out he believed it was
the finest city in the world。 〃Finest〃 was his word。 He thought of it as his
city as he thought of his family as his family； and just as profoundly
believed his city to be the finest city in the world； so did he believe his
family to bein spite of his son Bibbsthe finest family in the world。 As a
matter of fact； he knew nothing worth knowing about either。
Bibbs Sheridan was a musing sort of boy； poor in health； and considered the
failurethe 〃odd one〃of the family。 Born during that most dangerous and
anxious of the early years； when the mother fretted and the father took his
chance； he was an ill…nourished baby； and grew meagerly； only lengthwise；
through a feeble childhood。 At his christening he was committed for life to
〃Bibbs〃 mainly through lack of imagination on his mother's part； for though it
was her maiden name； she had no strong affection for it； but it was 〃her turn〃
to name the baby； and； as she explained later； she 〃couldn't think of anything
else she liked AT ALL！〃 She offered this explanation one day when the sickly
boy was nine and after a long fit of brooding had demanded some reason for his
name's being Bibbs。 He requested then with unwonted vehemence to be allowed
to exchange names with his older brother； Roscoe Conkling Sheridan； or with
the oldest； James Sheridan； Junior； and upon being refused went down into the
cellar and remained there the rest of that day。 And the cook； descending
toward dusk； reported that he had vanished； but a search revealed that he was
in the coal…pile； completely covered and still burrowing。 Removed by force and
carried upstairs； he maintained a cryptic demeanor； refusing to utter a
syllable of explanation； even under the lash。 This obvious thing was wholly a
mystery to both parents； the mother was nonplussed； failed to trace and
connect； and the father regarded his son as a stubborn and mysterious fool； an
impression not effaced as the years went by。
At twenty…two； Bibbs was physically no more than the outer scaffolding of a
man； waiting for the building to begin insidea long…shanked； long…faced；
rickety youth； sallow and hollow and haggard； dark…haired and dark…eyed； with
a peculiar expression of countenance； indeed； at first sight of Bibbs Sheridan
a stranger might well be solicitous； for he seemed upon the point of tears。
But to a slightly longer gaze； not grief； but mirth； was revealed as his
emotion； while a more searching scrutiny was proportionately more puzzlinghe
seemed about to burst out crying or to burst out laughing； one or the other；
inevitably； but it was impossible to decide which。 And Bibbs never； on any
occassion of his life； either laughed aloud or wept。
He was a 〃disappointment〃 to his father。 At least that was the parent's word
a confirmed and established word after his first attempt to make a 〃business
man〃 of the boy。 He sent Bibbs to 〃begin at the bottom and learn from the
ground up〃 in the machine…shop of the Sheridan Automatic Pump Works； and at
the end of six months the family physician sent Bibbs to begin at the bottom
and learn from the ground up in a sanitarium。
〃You needn't worry； mamma；〃 Sheridan told his wife。 〃There's nothin' the
matter with Bibbs except he hates work so much it makes him sick。 I put him
in the machine…shop； and I guess I know what I'm doin' about as well as the
next man。 Ole Doc Gurney always was one o' them nutty alarmists。 Does he
think I'd do anything 'd be bad for my own flesh and blood？ He makes me
tired！〃
Anything except perfectly definite health or perfectly definite disease was
incomprehensible to Sheridan。 He had a genuine conviction that lack of
physical persistence in any task involving money must be due to some subtle
weakness of character itself； to some profound shiftlessness or slyness。 He
understood typhoid fever； pheumonia； and appendicitisone had them； and
either died or got over them and went back to workbut when the word
〃nervous〃 appeared in a diagnosis he became honestly suspicious： he had the
feeling that there was something contemptible about it； that there was a
nigger in the wood…pile somewhere。
〃Look at me；〃 he said。 〃Look at what I did at his age！ Why； when I was
twenty years old； wasn't I up every morning at four o'clock choppin' wood
yes！ and out in the dark and the snowto build a fire in a country grocery
store？ And here Bibbs has to go and have a DOCTOR because he can'tPho！ it
makes me tired！ If he'd gone at it like a man he wouldn't be sick。〃
He paced the bedroomthe usual setting for such parental discussionsin his
nightgown； shaking his big； grizzled head and gesticulating to his bedded
spouse。 〃My Lord！〃 he said。 〃If a little； teeny bit o' work like th