Union Square Jim 79 



or ugly or cross. I 'm no moralizer, and I do n't 

 know any too much about religion ; but I know 

 facts when I see them, and I know that no man or 

 woman who 's ever been around this theatre has ever 

 been so good as poor Jim. I do n't say it 's morality : 

 I do n't call it character, but I do know it's goodness. 

 It makes no difference how it got there, it 's there ; 

 and if one-half the men and women were anywhere 

 near as good as Jim, this would be a pretty good 

 world. Poor Jim ! I know I 'm a good deal better 

 man for his influence. I ain't ashamed to own that 

 his life has been a good example for me. Many 's 

 the time I 've been tempted to swear, and Jim's 

 innocent blue eyes would come up before me and 

 choke the words on my lips. One day I remember 

 a drunken stage hand did something that made me 

 mad. I raised a monkey-wrench I happened to have 

 in my hand, and I believe I should have struck him 

 over the head ; but just then I saw Jim sitting over 

 in the corner, and looking at me so gently and 

 reproachfully that my hand just fell at my side. Oh, 

 there 's many things Jim has done for me, and 

 there 's lots of things he 's done for other folks around 



