‘Had I the height to reach the pole
Or meet the ocean with my span,
I would be measured by my soul—
The mind’s the standard of the man.’
“There, gentlemen of the jury; if that be true, I opine that the tallest man in the crowd is now addressing you. But, I forget. I am a Pawnee.
“Brothers: The tall grass of the prairies is swept by the fire, while the flint endureth the hot flames of the stake. The loftiest trees of the forest snap like a reed in the whirlwind, and the bird that builds there leaves her eggs unhatched. The highest peak of the mountain is always the bleakest and barest—in the valley are the sweet waters and the pleasant. Damn it,” said he, speaking in his proper person, for he began to forget his personation, “why do we value the gem—
‘Ask why God made the gem so small,
And why so huge the granite?
Because he meant mankind should set
The higher value on it.’