"To tell the truth, I was thinking of going to the ball game up at the Polo Grounds," he said promptly; "but I didn't leave the office soon enough. I'm very much interested in this present series."
"You're interested in lots of things, I should say," his companion commented. "Fire insurance and New York I have found out already. And here is something else. Are you really interested in baseball?"
"I certainly am," said Smith; "and I think every one else ought to be, if he or she has any interest in this country of ours."
Helen glanced at him in surprise.
"What possible connection can those two things have?" she asked.
"Oh, it's not a thing you can understand unless you've seen it. From the way you speak, I presume you've never seen a game of professional baseball."
"No," Miss Maitland replied with docility, "I'm afraid I never have. I've been to a few college games—Harvard mostly—but I've never seen a professional game. Is it very different?"
"Absolutely. You ought to go to one. You can't really understand the
United States of America until you do."
"Are you serious? I'm afraid you're just joking with me."
"Not at all. Why, do you know that baseball is the most American thing in America? And it's about the only wholly American thing, as we like to think of America. There is only one other place besides the ball ground where the spirit of genuine democracy shows itself, and that is in politics. There you will find the high and low together—the judge putting off his ermine and getting down from the bench elbow to elbow with Tom Radigan, the East Side barkeep, when the Patrick J. O'Dowd Association of the Eighty-eighth Assembly District gives its annual outing or its ball. But that's not true democracy because it's very largely selfish—inspired by the desire of votes. Now baseball—that's different. Inspired by no desire but to see a good game—and for the home team to win. Nowhere else in the world can you see democracy in its fine flower—at its best. There you can see them all—judges and dock rats, brokers and bricklayers, cotillion leaders and truck drivers, historians and elevator starters, lawyers and the men they keep out of jail, college boys, grocers, retired capitalists, and the lady friends of the whole collection. You'll find them all there. Oh, you ought to go to a game yourself. Then you'd understand."