The Courage of the Commonplace Book PDF Download

n ought to be gentle–if his mother had been alive–but then he was glad she wasn’t. With that a sob shook him–startled him. Angrily he stood up and glared about the place. This wouldn’t do; he must pull himself together. He walked up and down the little living room, bright with boys’ belongings, with fraternity shields and flags and fencing foils and paddles and pictures; he walked up and down and he whistled “Dunderbeck,” which somehow was in his head. Then he was singing it:

“Oh Dunderbeck, Oh Dunderbeck, how could you be so mean As even to have thought of such a terrible machine! For bob-tailed rats and pussy-cats shall never more be seen; They’ll all be ground to sausage-meat in Dunderbeck’s machine.”

There are times when Camembert cheese is a steadying thing to think of–or golf balls. “Dunderbeck” answered for John McLean. It appeared difficult to sing, however–he harked back to whistling. Then the clear piping broke suddenly. He bit his lower lip and went and sat down before the desk a