“It is practical, Mr. Baxter. It’s the most practical idea you ever had. He belongs in here because he thinks he has ideas. He belongs in here until he proves himself or fails and… then… someone else belongs in here until he proves himself or fails and somebody else after that and somebody else after him and so on and so on for always. Oh… I don’t know how to… put it into words like Jimmy could, but… all he wanted, all any of them want is a – is a chance to show – to find out what got while they’re still young and burning like a short cut or a stepping stone. Oh, I know they’re not gonna succeed, at least most of them won’t, they’ll all be like Mr. Waterbury soon enough, most of them, anyway. But they won’t mind it. They’ll find something else, and they’ll be happy, because they had their chance. Because it’s one thing to muff a chance once you’ve had it… it’s another thing never to have had a chance. His name’s already on the door.”

— Christmas in July