Reading What People Actually Want
Style, Not Service
Tom joins the Cadets of Temperance for the red sash and the parade at a judge's funeral. He quits when the judge gets well; the judge dies that night. Freedom to swear returns the desire; measles and a revival make him the only sinner left in town until everyone relapses.
Key Insight
People sign up for the uniform, not the vow. Tom wanted a stage, not temperance. When the town briefly wants salvation, he reads who still has permission to be a boy.
