Атлант расправил плечи
The Sign of the Dollar
Helosthistasteforanypleasure,hehatedtosmokeanickel’sworthoftobaccoorchewastickofgum,worryingwhethersomebodyhadmoreneedforthatnickel.Hefeltashamedofeverymouthfuloffoodheswallowed,wonderingwhosewearynightsofovertimehadpaidforit,knowingthathisfoodwasnothisbyright,miserablywishingtobecheatedratherthantocheat,tobeasucker,butnotablood-sucker.
Hewouldn’tmarry,hewouldn’thelphisfolksbackhome,hewouldn’tputanextraburdenon‘thefamily.’Besides,ifhestillhadsomesortofsenseofresponsibility,hecouldn’tmarryorbringchildrenintotheworld,whenhecouldplannothing,promisenothing,countonnothing.
Buttheshiftlessandtheirresponsiblehadafielddayofit.Theybredbabies,theygotgirlsintotrouble,theydraggedineveryworthlessrelativetheyhadfromalloverthecountry,everyunmarriedpregnantsister,foranextra‘disabilityallowance,’theygotmoresicknessesthananydoctorcoulddisprove,theyruinedtheirclothing,theirfurniture,theirhomes—whatthehell,‘thefamily’waspayingforit!Theyfoundmorewaysofgettingin‘need’thantherestofuscouldeverimagine—theydevelopedaspecialskillforit,whichwastheonlyabilitytheyshowed.
"Godhelpus,ma’am!Doyouseewhatwesaw?Wesawthatwe’dbeengivenalawtoliveby,amorallaw,theycalledit,whichpunishedthosewhoobservedit—forobservingit.
