Fulkersonappearednottobeverystrenuousabouttheattackonthenovelist。\"Say!\"hecalledout,gayly,\"whatshouldyouthinkofapaperdefendingthelatelamentedsystemofslavery\'?\"
\"Whatdoyoumean,Fulkerson?\"askedMarch,withapuzzledsmile。
Fulkersonbracedhiskneesagainsthisdesk,andpushedhimselfback,butkepthisbalancetotheeyebycantinghishatsharplyforward。\"There\'sanoldcockoverthereatthewidow\'sthat\'swrittenabooktoprovethatslaverywasandistheonlysolutionofthelaborproblem。He\'saSoutherner。\"
\"Ishouldimagine,\"Marchassented。
\"He\'sgotitonthebrainthatiftheSouthcouldhavebeenletalonebythecommercialspiritandthepseudophilanthropyoftheNorth,itwouldhaveworkedoutslaveryintoaperfectlyidealconditionforthelaborer,inwhichhewouldhavebeeninsuredagainstwant,andprotectedinallhispersonalrightsbythestate。Hereadtheintroductiontomelastnight。Ididn\'tcatchontoallthepoints——hisdaughter\'sanawfullyprettygirl,andIwascarryingthatfactinmymindallthetime,too,youknow——butthat\'saboutthegistofit。\"
\"Seemstoregarditasalostopportunity?\"saidMarch。
\"Exactly!Whatamightycatchytitle,Neigh?Lookwellonthetitle-
page。\"
\"Wellwritten?\"
\"Ireckonso;Idon\'tknow。TheColonelreaditmightyeloquently。\"
\"Itmightn\'tbesuchbadbusiness,\"saidMarch,inamuse。\"Couldyougetmeasightofitwithoutcommittingyourself?\"
\"IftheColonelhasn\'tsentitofftoanotherpublisherthismorning。Hejustgotitbackwiththanksyesterday。Helikestokeepittravelling。\"
\"Well,tryit。I\'veanotionitmightbeacuriousthing。\"
\"Lookhere,March,\"saidFulkerson,withtheeffectoftakingafreshhold;\"IwishyoucouldletmehaveoneofthoseNewYorkthingsofyoursforthefirstnumber。Afterall,that\'sgoingtobethegreatcard。\"
\"Icouldn\'t,Fulkerson;Icouldn\'t,really。Iwanttophilosophizethematerial,andI\'mtoonewtoitallyet。Idon\'twanttodomerelysuperficialsketches。\"
\"Ofcourse!Ofcourse!Iunderstandthat。Well,Idon\'twanttohurryyou。Seenthatoldfellowofyoursyet?Ithinkweoughttohavethattranslationinthefirstnumber;don\'tyou?Wewanttogive\'emanotionofwhatwe\'regoingtodointhatline。\"
\"Yes,\"saidMarch;\"andIwasgoingouttolookupLindauthismorning。
I\'veinquiredatMaroni\'s,andhehasn\'tbeenthereforseveraldays。
I\'vesomeideaperhapshe\'ssick。Buttheygavemehisaddress,andI\'mgoingtosee。\"
\"Well,that\'sright。Wewantthefirstnumbertobethekeynoteineveryway。\"
Marchshookhishead。\"Youcan\'tmakeitso。Thefirstnumberisboundtobeafailurealways,asfarastherepresentativecharactergoes。
It\'sinvariablythecase。Lookatthefirstnumbersofallthethingsyou\'veseenstarted。They\'reexperimental,almostamateurish,andnecessarilyso,notonlybecausethementhataremakingthemuparecomparativelyinexperiencedlikeourselves,butbecausethematerialsentthemtodealwithismoreorlessconsciouslytentative。Peoplesendtheiradventurousthingstoanewperiodicalbecausethewholethingisanadventure。I\'venoticedthatqualityinallthevolunteercontributions;it\'sinthearticlesthathavebeendonetoordereven。
No;I\'veaboutmadeupmymindthatifwecangetonegoodstrikingpaperintothefirstnumberthatwilltakepeople\'smindsofftheothers,weshallbedoingallwecanpossiblehopefor。Ishouldlike,\"Marchadded,lessseriously,\"tomakeupthreenumbersahead,andpublishthethirdonefirst。\"
Fulkersondroppedforwardandstruckhisfistonthedesk。\"It\'safirst-rateidea。Whynotdoit?\"
Marchlaughed。\"Fulkerson,Idon\'tbelievethere\'sanyquackishthingyouwouldn\'tdointhiscause。FromtimetotimeI\'mthoroughlyashamedofbeingconnectedwithsuchacharlatan。\"
Fulkersonstruckhishatsharplybackward。\"Ah,dadburnit!TogivethatthingtherightkindofstartI\'dwalkupanddownBroadwaybetweentwoboards,withthetitle-pageofEveryOtherWeekfacsimiledononeandmynameandaddressonthe——\"
Hejumpedtohisfeetandshouted,\"March,I\'lldoit!\"
\"What?\"
\"I\'llhirealotoffellowstomakemud-turtlesofthemselves,andI\'llhavealotofbigfacsimilesofthetitle-page,andI\'llpaintthetownred!\"
Marchlookedaghastathim。\"Oh,come,now,Fulkerson!\"
\"Imeanit。IwasinLondonwhenanewmanhadtakenholdoftheoldCornhill,andtheyweretryingtoboomit,andtheyhadaprocessionofthesemudturtlesthatreachedfromCharingCrosstoTempleBar。CornhillMagazine。Sixpence。Notadullpageinit。\'IsaidtomyselfthenthatitwasthelivestthingIeversaw。Irespectedthemanthatdidthatthingfromthebottomofmyheart。IwonderIeverforgotit。Butitshowswhatashakythingthehumanmindisatitsbest。\"
\"Youinfamousmountebank!\",saidMarch,withgreatamusementatFulkerson\'saccess;\"youcallthatcongeriesofadvertisinginstinctofyoursthehumanmindatitsbest?Come,don\'tbesodiffident,Fulkerson。Well,I\'mofftofindLindau,andwhenIcomebackIhopeMr。
Dryfooswillhaveyouundercontrol。Idon\'tsupposeyou\'llbequitesaneagaintillafterthefirstnumberisout。Perhapspublicopinionwillsoberyouthen。\"
\"Confoundit,March!Howdoyouthinktheywilltakeit?IswearI\'mgettingsonervousIdon\'tknowhalfthetimewhichendofmeisup。
Ibelieveifwedon\'tgetthatthingoutbythefirstofFebruaryit\'llbethedeathofme。\"
\"Couldn\'twaittillWashington\'sBirthday?Iwasthinkingitwouldgivethedayakindofdistinction,andstrikethepublicimagination,if——\"
\"No,I\'llbedoggedifIcould!\"Fulkersonlapsedmoreandmoreintotheparlanceofhisearlylifeinthisseasonofstrongexcitement。
\"IbelieveifBeatonlagsanyontheartlegI\'llkillhim。\"
\"Well,Ishouldn\'tmindyourkillingBeaton,\"saidMarch,tranquilly,ashewentout。
HewentovertoThirdAvenueandtooktheElevateddowntoChathamSquare。Hefoundthevarietyofpeopleinthecarasunfailinglyentertainingasever。HeratherpreferredtheEastSidetotheWestSidelines,becausetheyofferedmorenationalities,conditions,andcharacterstohisinspection。Theydrawnotonlyfromtheup-townAmericanregion,butfromallthevasthiveofpopulationsswarmingbetweenthemandtheEastRiver。Hehadfoundthat,accordingtothehour,Americanhusbandsgoingtoandfrombusiness,andAmericanwivesgoingtoandfromshopping,prevailedontheSixthAvenueroad,andthatthemostpicturesqueadmixturetothesefamiliaraspectsofhumannaturewerethebrillianteyesandcomplexionsoftheAmericanHebrews,whootherwisecontributedtotheeffectofwell-cladcomfortandcitizen-
self-satisfactionofthecrowd。NowandthenhehadfoundhimselfinacarmostlyfilledwithNeapolitansfromtheconstructionsfaruptheline,wherehehadreadhowtheyareworkedandfedandhousedlikebeasts;andlisteningtothejargonoftheirunintelligibledialect,hehadoccasionforpensivequestionwithinhimselfastowhatnotionthesepooranimalsformedofafreerepublicfromtheirexperienceoflifeunderitsconditions;andwhethertheyfoundthempracticallyverydifferentfromthoseoftheimmemorialbrigandageandenforcedcomplicitywithrapineunderwhichtheyhadbeenborn。But,afterall,thiswasaninfrequenteffect,howevermassive,oftravelontheWestSide,whereastheEastofferedhimcontinualentertainmentinlikesort。Thesortwasneverquitesosqualid。Forshortdistancesthelowestpoverty,thehardestpressedlabor,mustwalk;butMarchneverenteredacarwithoutencounteringsomeinterestingshapeofshabbyadversity,whichwasalmostalwaysadversityofforeignbirth。NewYorkisstillpopularlysupposedtobeinthecontroloftheIrish,butMarchnoticedintheseEastSidetravelsofhiswhatmuststrikeeveryobserverreturningtothecityafteraprolongedabsence:thenumericalsubordinationofthedominantrace。Iftheydonotoutvotethem,thepeopleofGermanic,ofSlavonic,ofPelasgic,ofMongolianstockoutnumbertheprepotentCelts;andMarchseldomfoundhisspeculationcentredupononeofthese。Thesmalleyes,thehighcheeks,thebroadnoses,thepufflips,thebare,cue-filletedskulls,ofRussians,Poles,Czechs,Chinese;thefurtiveglitterofItalians;theblondedulnessofGermans;thecoldquietofScandinavians——fireunderice——wereaspectsthatheidentified,andthatgavehimabundantsuggestionforthepersonalhistoriesheconstructed,andforthemorepublic-spiritedreveriesinwhichhedealtwiththefutureeconomyofourheterogeneouscommonwealth。Itmustbeownedthathedidnottakemuchtroubleaboutthis;whatthesepoorpeoplewerethinking,hoping,fearing,enjoying,suffering;justwhereandhowtheylived;whoandwhattheyindividuallywere——thesewerethemattersofhiswakingdreamsashestaredhardatthem,whilethetrainracedfartherintothegayugliness——theshapeless,graceful,recklesspicturesquenessoftheBowery。
Therewerecertainsigns,certainfacades,certainaudacitiesoftheprevailinghideousnessthatalwaysamusedhiminthatuproartotheeyewhichthestridentformsandcolorsmade。HewasinterestedintheinsolencewithwhichtherailwayhaddrawnitserasinglineacrosstheCorinthianfrontofanoldtheatre,almostgrazingitsflutedpillars,andfloutingitsdishonoredpediment。Thecolossaleffigiesofthefatwomenandthetuft-headedCircassiangirlsofcheapmuseums;thevistasofshabbycrossstreets;thesurvivalofanoldhip-roofedhousehereandthereattheirangles;theSwisschalet,histrionicdecorativenessofthestationsinprospectorretrospect;thevagariesofthelinesthatnarrowedtogetherorstretchedapartaccordingtothewidthoftheavenue,butalwaysinwantondisregardofthelifethatdwelt,andboughtandsold,andrejoicedorsorrowed,andclatteredorcrawled,around,below,above——werefeaturesofthefranticpanoramathatperpetuallytouchedhissenseofhumorandmovedhissympathy。Accidentandthenexigencyseemedtheforcesatworktothisextraordinaryeffect;theplayofenergiesasfreeandplanlessasthosethatforcetheforestfromthesoiltothesky;andthenthefiercestruggleforsurvival,withthestrongerlifepersistingoverthedeformity,themutilation,thedestruction,thedecayoftheweaker。Thewholeatmomentsseemedtohimlawless,godless;theabsenceofintelligent,comprehensivepurposeinthehugedisorder,andtheviolentstruggletosubordinatetheresulttothegreatergood,penetratedwithitsdumbappealtheconsciousnessofamanwhohadalwaysbeentooself-enwrappedtoperceivethechaostowhichtheindividualselfishnessmustalwayslead。
Buttherewasstillnothingdefinite,nothingbetterthanavaguediscomfort,howeverpoignant,inhishalfrecognitionofsuchfacts;andhedescendedthestationstairsatChathamSquarewithasenseoftheneglectedopportunitiesofpaintersinthatlocality。HesaidtohimselfthatifoneofthosefellowsweretoseeinNaplesthatturmoilofcars,trucks,andteamsofeverysort,intershotwithfoot-passengersgoingandcomingtoandfromthecrowdedpavements,undertheweboftherailroadtracksoverhead,andamidthespectacularapproachofthestreetsthatopenintothesquare,hewouldhaveitdowninhissketch-bookatonce。
Hedecidedsimultaneouslythathisownlocalstudiesmustbeillustrated,andthatbemustcomewiththeartistandshowhimjustwhichbitstodo,notknowingthatthetwoartscanneverapproachthesamematerialfromthesamepoint。HethoughthewouldparticularlylikehisillustratortorendertheDickensy,cockneyishqualityofthe,shabby-genteelballad-
sellerofwhomhestoppedtoaskhiswaytothestreetwhereLindaulived,andwhomheinstantlyperceivedtobe,withhisstockintrade,thesufficientobjectofanentirestudybyhimself。Hehadhisballadsstrungsinglyuponacordagainstthehousewall,andhelddowninpilesonthepavementwithstonesandblocksofwood。Theircontrolinthiswayintimatedavolatilitywhichwasnotperceptibleintheirsentiment。
Theyweremostlytragicalordoleful:someofthemdealtwiththewrongsoftheworking-man;othersappealedtoagayexperienceofthehighseas;
butvastlythegreaterparttomemoriesandassociationsofanIrishorigin;somestillutteredthepoetryofplantationlifeintheartlessaccentsoftheend——man。Wheretheytrustedthemselves,withsyntaxthatyieldedpromptlytoanyexigencyofrhythmicart,totheordinaryAmericanspeech,itwastostrikedirectlyfortheaffections,tocelebratethedomesticties,and,aboveall,toembalmthememoriesofangelandmartyrmotherswhosedissipatedsonsdeploredtheirsufferingstoolate。Marchthoughtthisnotatallabadthinginthem;hesmiledinpatronageoftheirsimplepathos;hepaidthetributeofalaughwhenthepoetturned,ashesometimesdid,fromhisconceptionofangelandmartyrmotherhood,andportrayedthemotherinhermorefamiliarphasesofvirtueandduty,withtheretributiveshingleorslipperinherhand。
Heboughtapocketfulofthisliterature,popularinasensewhichthemostsuccessfulbookcanneverbe,andenlistedtheballadvendorsodeeplyintheefforttodirecthimtoLindau\'sdwellingbythebestwaythatheneglectedanothercustomer,tillasarcasmonhisabsent-
mindednessstunghinttoretort,\"I\'ma-tryingtoansweragentlemanacivilquestion;that\'swheretheabsent-mindedcomesin。\"
ItseemedforsomereasontobeadayofleisurewiththeChinesedwellersinMottStreet,whichMarchhadbeenadvisedtotakefirst。
Theystoodaboutthetopsofbasementstairs,andwalkedtwoandtwoalongthedirtypavement,withtheirlittlehandstuckedintotheirsleevesacrosstheirbreasts,aloofinimmaculatecleanlinessfromthefiltharoundthem,andscrutinizingthescenewiththatcynicalsneeroffaintsurprisetowhichallaspectsofourcivilizationseemtomovetheirsuperiority。Theirnumbersgavecharactertothestreet,andrenderednotthem,butwhatwasforeigntothem,strangethere;sothatMarchhadasenseofmissionaryqualityintheoldCatholicchurch,builtlongbeforetheirincursionwasdreamedof。Itseemedtohavecometothemthere,andhefanciedinthestatuedsaintthatlookeddownfromitsfacadesomethingnotsomuchtolerantastolerated,somethingpropitiatory,almostdeprecatory。Itwasafancy,ofcourse;thestreetwassufficientlypeopledwithChristianchildren,atanyrate,swarmingandshriekingattheirgames;andpresentlyaChristianmotherappeared,pushedalongbytwopolicemenonahandcart,withagelatinoustremoroverthepavingandagelatinousjouncingatthecurbstones。Shelaywithherfacetothesky,sendingupaninarticulatelamentation;buttheindifferenceoftheofficersforbadethenotionoftragedyinhercase。
Shewasperhapsalocalcelebrity;thechildrenleftofftheirgames,andrangaylytroopingafterher;eventheyoungfellowandyounggirlexchangingplayfulblowsinarobustflirtationatthecornerofaliquorstoresuspendedtheirscufflewithapleasedinterestasshepassed。
Marchunderstoodtheunwillingnessofthepoortoleavetheworstconditionsinthecityforcomfortandplentyinthecountrywhenhereflecteduponthisdramaticincident,oneofmanynodoubtwhichdailyoccurtoentertaintheminsuchstreets。Asmalltowncouldrarelyofferanythingcomparabletoit,andthecountrynever。Hesaidthatiflifeappearedsohopelesstohimasitmusttothedwellersinthatneighborhoodheshouldnothimselfbewillingtoquititsdistractions,itsalleviations,forthevaguepromiseofunknowngoodinthedistancesomewhere。
ButwhatcharmcouldsuchamanasLindaufindinsuchaplace?Itcouldnotbethathelivedtherebecausehewastoopoortoliveelsewhere:
withashuttingoftheheart,Marchrefusedtobelievethisashelookedroundontheaboundingevidencesofmisery,andguiltilyrememberedhisneglectofhisoldfriend。Lindaucouldprobablyfindascheapalodginginsomedecenterpartofthetown;and,infact,therewassomeameliorationoftheprevailingsqualorinthequieterstreetwhichheturnedintofromMott。
Awomanwithatied-upfaceoftoothacheopenedthedoorforhimwhenhepulled,withashiverofforeboding,thebell-knob,fromwhichayardofrustycrapedangled。ButitwasnotLindauwhowasdead,forthewomansaidhewasathome,andsentMarchstumblingupthefourorfivedarkflightsofstairsthatledtohistenement。Itwasquiteatthetopofthehouse,andwhenMarchobeyedtheGerman-English\"Komm!\"thatfollowedhisknock,hefoundhimselfinakitchenwhereameagrebreakfastwasscatteredinstalefragmentsonthetablebeforethestove。Theplacewasbareandcold;ahalf-emptybeerbottlescarcelygaveitaconvivialair。Ontheleftfromthiskitchenwasaroomwithabedinit,whichseemedalsotobeacobbler\'sshop:ontheright,throughadoorthatstoodajar,cametheGerman-Englishvoiceagain,sayingthistime,\"Hier!\"
XII。
Marchpushedthedooropenintoaroomlikethatontheleft,butwithawriting-deskinsteadofacobbler\'sbench,andabed,whereLindausatproppedup;withacoatoverhisshouldersandaskull-caponhishead,readingabook,fromwhichheliftedhiseyestostareblanklyoverhisspectaclesatMarch。Hishairyoldbreastshowedthroughthenight-
shirt,whichgapedapart;thestumpofhisleftarmlayuponthebooktokeepitopen。
\"Ah,mytearyo\'ngfriendt!Passil!Marge!Issityou?\"hecalledout,joyously,thenextmoment。
\"Why,areyousick,Lindau?\"Marchanxiouslyscannedhisfaceintakinghishand。
Lindaulaughed。\"No;I\'mallrighdt。Onlyalidtlelazy,andalidtleeggonomigal。Idt\'sjeapertostayinpedtsometimesastogeepafirea-
goin\'allthetime。Don\'twandttogometoohardtonthe\'braferMann\',youknow:
\"BraverMann,erschafftmirzuessen。\"
Youremember?Heine?YoureadtHeinestill?Whoisyourfavoriteboetnow,Passil?Youwritesomeboetryyourselfyet?No?Well,Iamgladttozeeyou。Brushthosebaperssoffofthatjair。Well,idtisgoodtforzoreeyess。HowdidtyoufindtwhereIlif?
\"TheytoldmeatMaroni\'s,\"saidMarch。HetriedtokeephiseyesonLindau\'sface,andnotseethediscomfortoftheroom,buthewasawareoftheshabbyandfrowsybedding,theodorofstalesmoke,andthepipesandtobaccoshredsmixedwiththebooksandmanuscriptsstrewnovertheleafofthewriting-desk。Helaiddownonthemassthepileofforeignmagazineshehadbroughtunderhisarm。\"Theygavemeanotheraddressfirst。\"
\"Yes。Ihavechustgomehere,\"saidLindau。\"Idtisnotverycoy,Neigh?\"
\"Itmightbegayer,\"Marchadmitted,withasmile。\"Still,\"headded,soberly,\"agoodmanypeopleseemtoliveinthispartofthetown。
Apparentlytheydiehere,too,Lindau。Thereiscrapeonyouroutsidedoor。Ididn\'tknowbutitwasforyou。\"
\"Nodtthistime,\"saidLindau,inthesamehumor。\"Berhapssomeothertime。Wegeeptheondertakersbrattypuzydownhere。\"
\"Well,\"saidMarch,\"undertakersmustlive,eveniftherestofushavetodietoletthem。\"Lindaulaughed,andMarchwenton:\"ButI\'mgladitisn\'tyourfuneral,Lindau。Andyousayyou\'renotsick,andsoIdon\'tseewhyweshouldn\'tcometobusiness。\"
\"Pusiness?\"Lindauliftedhiseyebrows。\"Yougomeonpusiness?\"
\"Andpleasurecombined,\"saidMarch,andhewentontoexplaintheservicehedesiredatLindau\'shands。
Theoldmanlistenedwithseriousattention,andwithassentingnodsthatculminatedinaspokenexpressionofhiswillingnesstoundertakethetranslations。Marchwaitedwithasortofmechanicalexpectationofhisgratitudefortheworkputinhisway,butnothingofthekindcamefromLindau,andMarchwaslefttosay,\"Well,everythingisunderstood,then;
andIdon\'tknowthatIneedaddthatifyoueverwantanylittleadvanceonthework——\"
\"Iwillaskyou,\"saidLindau,quietly,\"andIthankyouforthat。ButI
canwait;Iton\'tneedtanymoneyjustatbresent。\"Asifhesawsomeappealforgreaterfranknessin,March\'seye,hewenton:\"Itidn\'tgomeherebegauseIwastooboortolifanywhereelse,andIton\'tstayinpedtbegauseIcouldn\'thafafiretogeepwarmifIwantedit。I\'mnodtzopadtoffasMarmontelwhenhewenttoParis。I\'malidtleloaxurious,thatisall。IfIstayinpedtit\'szoIcanflingmoneyawayonsomethingselse。Heigh?\"
\"Butwhatareyoulivingherefor,Lindau?\"MarchsmiledattheironylurkinginLindau\'swords。
\"Well,youzee,IfoundtIwasbegomingalidtletoomochofanaristograt。IhadtaroomoapinCreenvidgeWillage,amongdosepigpugsoverontheWestSide,andIfoundt\"——Liudau\'svoicelostitsjestingquality,andhisfacedarkened——\"thatIwasbeginningtoforgettheboor!\"
\"Ishouldhavethought,\"saidMarch,withimpartialinterest,\"thatyoumighthaveseenpovertyenough,nowandthen,inGreenwichVillagetoremindyouofitsexistence。\"
\"Nodtlikehere,\"saidLindau。\"Andtyoumustzeeitallthedtime——zeeit,hearit,smellit,dtasteit——oryouforgetit。ThatiswhatIgomeherefor。Iwasbegomingaploatedaristograt。IthoughtIwasnodtlikethesebeopledownhere,whenIgomedownoncetolookaroundt;
IthoughtImustbesomethingselse,andzoIzaidIbettertakemyselfintime,andIgomehereamongmybrothers——thebecearsandthethiefs!\"
Anoisemadeitselfheardinthenextroom,asifthedoorwerefurtivelyopened,andafaintsoundoftiptoeingandofhandsclawingonatable。
\"Thiefs!\"Lindaurepeated,withashout。\"Lidtlethiefs,thatgabtureyourbreakfast。Ah!ha!ha!\"Awildscurryingoffeet,joyouscriesandtittering,andaslammingdoorfolloweduponhisexplosion,andheresumedinthesilence:\"Idtisthechildrencotpackfromschool。TheygomeandstealwhatIleafthereonmydaple。Idt\'soneofourlidtlechokes;weonderstandoneanother;that\'sallrighdt。Oncethegobblerintheotherroomthereheusedtochase\'em;hecouldn\'tonderstandtheirlidtletricks。Nowdotgoppler\'steadt,andheton\'tchase\'emanymore。HewasaBohemian。Gindtofgrazy,Icuess。\"
\"Well,it\'sasociableexistence,\"Marchsuggested。\"Butperhapsifyouletthemhavethethingswithoutstealing——\"
\"Ohno,no!Mostnodtmagethemtoogonceitedt。Theymostn\'tgoandfeelthemselfspetterthanthoseboormillionairssthathadttostealtheirmoney。\"
Marchsmiledindulgentlyathisoldfriend\'sviolence。\"Oh,therearefagotsandfagots,youknow,Lindau;perhapsnotallthemillionairesaresoguilty。\"
\"LetusspeakGerman!\"criedLindau,inhisowntongue,pushinghisbookaside,andthrustinghisskullcapbackfromhisforehead。\"Howmuchmoneycanamanhonestlyearnwithoutwrongingoroppressingsomeotherman?\"
\"Well,ifyou\'llletmeanswerinEnglish,\"saidMarch,\"Ishouldsayaboutfivethousanddollarsayear。Inamethatfigurebecauseit\'smyexperiencethatInevercouldearnmore;buttheexperienceofothermenmaybedifferent,andiftheytellmetheycanearnten,ortwenty,orfiftythousandayear,I\'mnotpreparedtosaytheycan\'tdoit。\"
Lindauhardlywaitedforhisanswer。\"Notthemostgiftedmanthateverlived,inthepracticeofanyartorscience,andpaidatthehighestratethatexceptionalgeniuscouldjustlydemandfromthosewhohaveworkedfortheirmoney,couldeverearnamilliondollars。Itisthelandlordsandthemerchantprinces,therailroadkingsandthecoalbaronstheoppressorstowhomyouinstinctivelygivethetitlesoftyrants——itisthesethatmakethemillions,butnomanearnsthem。
Whatartist,whatphysician,whatscientist,whatpoetwaseveramillionaire?\"
\"IcanonlythinkofthepoetRogers,\"saidMarch,amusedbyLindau\'stirade。\"ButhewasasexceptionalastheotherRogers,themartyr,whodiedwithwarmfeet。\"Lindauhadapparentlynotunderstoodhisjoke,andhewenton,withtheAmericaneaseofmindabouteverything:\"Butyoumustallow,Lindau,thatsomeofthosefellowsdon\'tdosobadlywiththeirguiltygains。Someofthemgiveworktoarmiesofpoorpeople——\"
Lindaufuriouslyinterrupted:\"Yes,whentheyhavegatheredtheirmillionstogetherfromthehungerandcoldandnakednessandruinanddespairofhundredsofthousandsofothermen,they\'givework\'tothepoor!Theygivework!Theyallowtheirhelplessbrotherstoearnenoughtokeeplifeinthem!Theygivework!Whoisitgivestoil,andwherewillyourrichmenbewhenoncethepoorshallrefusetogivetoil\'?
Why,youhavecometogivemework!\"
Marchlaughedoutright。\"Well,I\'mnotamillionaire,anyway,Lindau,andIhopeyouwon\'tmakeanexampleofmebyrefusingtogivetoil。I
daresaythemillionairesdeserveit,butI\'drathertheywouldn\'tsufferinmyperson。\"
\"No,\"returnedtheoldman,mildlyrelaxingthefierceglarehehadbentuponMarch。\"Nomandeservestosuferatthehandsofanother。IlosemyselfwhenIthinkoftheinjusticeintheworld。ButImustnotforgetthatIamliketheworstofthem。\"
\"YoumightgoupFifthAvenueandliveamongtherichawhile,whenyou\'reindangerofthat,\"suggestedMarch。\"Atanyrate,\"headded,byanimpulsewhichheknewhecouldnotjustifytohiswife,\"Iwishyou\'dcomesomedayandlunchwiththeiremissary。I\'vebeentellingMrs。
Marchaboutyou,andIwantherandthechildrentoseeyou。Comeoverwiththesethingsandreport。\"Heputhishandonthemagazinesasherose。
\"Iwillcome,\"saidLindau,gently。
\"ShallIgiveyouyourbook?\"askedMarch。
\"No;Igidtoapbrettysoon。\"
\"And——and——canyoudressyourself?\"
\"Ivhistle,\'andoneofthoselidtlefellowsscomess。Wehaftodakegareofoneanotherinablacelikethis。Idtissnodtliketheworldt,\"
saidLindau,gloomily。
Marchthoughtheoughttocheerhimup。\"Oh,itisn\'tsuchabadworld,Lindau!Afterall,theaverageofmillionairesissmallinit。\"Headded,\"AndIdon\'tbelievethere\'sanAmericanlivingthatcouldlookatthatarmofyoursandnotwishtolendyouahandfortheoneyougaveusall。\"Marchfeltthistobeafineturn,andhisvoicetrembledslightlyinsayingit。
Lindausmiledgrimly。\"Youthinkzo?Iwouldn\'tmochliketodrost\'em。
I\'vedriedtidttoooften。\"HebegantospeakGermanagainfiercely:
\"Besides,theyowemenothing。DoyouthinkIknowinglygavemyhandtosavethisoligarchyoftradersandtricksters,thisaristocracyofrailroadwreckersandstockgamblersandmine-slavedriversandmill-serfowners?No;Igaveittotheslave;theslave——ha!ha!ha!——whomI
helpedtounshackletothecommonlibertyofhungerandcold。AndyouthinkIwouldbethebeneficiaryofsuchastateofthings?\"
\"I\'msorrytohearyoutalkso,Lindau,\"saidMarch;\"verysorry。\"
Hestoppedwithalookofpain,androsetogo。LindausuddenlybrokeintoalaughandintoEnglish。
\"Oh,well,itisonlydalk,Passil,andittoesmegoodt。Mypargisworsethanmypidte,Icuess。Ipringthesethingsroundtbrettysoon。
Good-bye,Passil,mytearpoy。Aufwiedersehen!\"
XIII。
MarchwentawaythinkingofwhatLindauhadsaid,butnotfortheimpersonalsignificanceofhiswordssomuchasforthelighttheycastuponLindauhimself。Hethoughtthewordsviolentenough,butinconnectionwithwhatherememberedofthecheery,poetic,hopefulidealist,theywereevenmorecuriousthanlamentable。Inhisownlifeofcomfortablereveriehehadneverheardanyonetalksobefore,buthehadreadsomethingofthekindnowandtheninblatantlabornewspaperswhichhehadaccidentallyfalleninwith,andonceatastrikers\'meetinghehadheardrichpeopledenouncedwiththesamefrenzy。Hehadmadehisownreflectionsuponthetastelessnessoftherhetoric,andtheobviousbuncombeofthemotive,andhehadnottakenthematterseriously。
HecouldnotdoubtLindau\'ssincerity,andhewonderedhowhecametothatwayofthinking。Fromhisexperienceofhimselfheaccountedforaprevailingliteraryqualityinit;hedecidedittobefromLindau\'sreadingandfeelingratherthanhisreflection。ThatwasthenotionheformedofsomethingshehadmetwithinRuskintomuchthesameeffect;
heregardedthemwithamusementasthechimerasofarhetoricianrunawaywithbyhisphrases。
ButastoLindau,thechiefthinginhismindwasaconceptionofthedrollironyofasituationinwhichsofervidahaterofmillionairesshouldbeworking,indirectlyatleast,fortheprosperityofamanlikeDryfoos,who,asMarchunderstood,hadgothismoneytogetheroutofeverygambler\'schanceinspeculation,andallaschemer\'sthriftfromtheerrorandneedofothers。Thesituationwasnotmoreincongruous,however,thanalltherestofthe\'EveryOtherWeek\'affair。Itseemedtohimthattherewerenocrazyfortuitiesthathadnottendedtoitsexistence,andastimewenton,andthedaydrewnearfortheissueofthefirstnumber,thesenseofthisintensifiedtillthewholelostatmomentsthequalityofawakingfact,andcametoberatherafantasticfictionofsleep。
Yettheheterogeneousforcesdidco-operatetoarealitywhichMarchcouldnotdeny,atleastintheirpresence,andthefirstnumberwasrepresentativeofalltheirnebulousintentionsinatangibleform。
Asaresult,itwassorespectablethatMarchbegantorespecttheseintentions,begantorespecthimselfforcombiningandembodyingtheminthevolumewhichappealedtohimwithanovelfascination,whenthefirstadvancecopywaslaiduponhisdesk。Everydetailofitwastiresomelyfamiliaralready,butthewholehadafreshinterestnow。HenowsawhowextremelyfitandeffectiveMissLeighton\'sdecorativedesignforthecoverwas,printedinblackandbrick-redonthedelicategraytoneofthepaper。Itwasatonceattractiveandrefined,andhecreditedBeatonwithquiteallhemeritedinworkingitovertotheactualshape。Thetouchandthetasteofthearteditorwerepresentthroughoutthenumber。
AsFulkersonsaid,Beatonhadcaughtonwiththedelicacyofahumming-
birdandthetenacityofabulldogtothevirtuesoftheirillustrativeprocess,andhadworkeditforallitwasworth。Thereweresevenpapersinthenumber,andapoemonthelastpageofthecover,andhehadfoundsomegraphiccommentforeach。Itwasalargerproportionthanwouldafterwardbeallowed,butforonceinawayitwasallowed。Fulkersonsaidtheycouldnotexpecttogettheirmoneybackonthatfirstnumber,anyway。SevenoftheillustrationswereBeaton\'s;twoorthreehegotfrompractisedhands;therestweretheworkofunknownpeoplewhichhehadsuggested,andthenrelatedandadaptedwithunfailingingenuitytothedifferentpapers。Hehandledtheillustrationswithsuchsympathyasnottodestroytheirindividualquality,andthatindefinablecharmwhichcomesfromgoodamateurworkinwhateverart。Herescuedthemfromtheirweaknessesanderrors,whileheleftinthemtheevidenceofthepleasurewithwhichacleveryoungman,orasensitivegirl,orarefinedwomanhaddonethem。Inevitablyfromhismanipulation,however,theartofthenumberacquiredhomogeneity,andtherewasnothingcasualinitsappearance。Theresult,Marcheagerlyowned,wasbetterthantheliteraryresult,andheforesawthatthenumberwouldbesoldandpraisedchieflyforitspictures。Yethewasnotashamedoftheliterature,andheindulgedhisadmirationofitthemorefreelybecausehehadnotonlynotwrittenit,butinawayhadnoteditedit。Tobesure,hehadchosenallthematerial,buthehadnotvoluntarilyputitalltogetherforthatnumber;ithadlargelyputitselftogether,aseverynumberofeverymagazinedoes,andasitseemsmoreandmoretodo,intheexperienceofeveryeditor。Therehadtobe,ofcourse,astory,andthenasketchoftravel。Therewasaliteraryessayandasocialessay;
therewasadramatictrifle,verygay,verylight;therewasadashingcriticismonthenewpictures,thenewplays,thenewbooks,thenewfashions;andthentherewasthetranslationofabitofvividRussianrealism,whichtheeditorowedtoLindau\'sexplorationoftheforeignperiodicalsleftwithhim;LindauwashimselfaromanticistoftheVictorHugosort,buthesaidthisfragmentofDostoyevskiwasgoodofitskind。
Thepoemwasabitofsocietyverse,withabackwardlookintosimplerandwholesomerexperiences。
Fulkersonwasextremelyproudofthenumber;buthesaiditwastoogood——toogoodfromeverypointofview。Thecoverwastoogood,andthepaperwastoogood,andthatdeviceofroughedges,whichgotovertheobjectiontouncutleaveswhileitsecuredtheiraestheticeffect,wasathingthathetrembledfor,thoughherejoicedinitasastrokeofthehighestgenius。IthadcomefromBeatonatthelastmoment,asacompromise,whentheproblemofthevulgarcroppinessofcutleavesandtheunpopularityofuncutleavesseemedtohavenosolutionbutsuicide。
Fulkersonwasstillmorallycrawlingroundonhishandsandknees,ashesaid,inabjectgratitudeatBeaton\'sfeet,thoughhehadhisqualms,hisquestions;andhedeclaredthatBeatonwasthemostinspiredasssinceBalaam\'s。\"We\'reallasses,ofcourse,\"headmitted,insemi-apologytoMarch;\"butwe\'renosuchassesasBeaton。\"Hesaidthatifthetastefuldecorativenessofthethingdidnotkillitwiththepublicoutright,itsliteraryexcellencewouldgiveitthefinishingstroke。Perhapsthatmightbeoverlookedintheimpressionofnoveltywhichafirstnumberwouldgive,butitmustneverhappenagain。HeimploredMarchtopromisethatitshouldneverhappenagain;besaidtheironlyhopewasintheimmediatecheapeningofthewholeaffair。Itwasbadenoughtogivethepublictoomuchquantityfortheirmoney,buttothrowinsuchqualityasthatwassimplyruinous;itmustbestopped。Theseweretheexpressionsofhisintimatemoods;everyfrontthathepresentedtothepublicworeaglowoflofty,ofdevoutexultation。Hisprideinthenumbergushedoutinfreshburstsofrhetorictoeveryonewhomhecouldgettotalkwithhimaboutit。Heworkedthepersonalkindlinessofthepresstotheutmost。Hedidnotmindmakinghimselfridiculousorbecomingajokeinthegoodcause,ashecalledit。HejoinedintheapplausewhenahumoristattheclubfeignedtodropdeadfromhischairatFulkerson\'sintroductionofthetopic,andhewentontalkingthatfirstnumberintothesurvivingspectators。Hestoodtreatuponalloccasions,andhelunchedattachesofthepressatallhours。Heespeciallybefriendedthecorrespondentsofthenewspapersofothercities,for,asheexplainedtoMarch,thosefellowscouldgivehimanyamountofadvertisingsimplyasliterarygossip。Manyofthefellowswereladieswhocouldnotbesosummarilyaskedouttolunch,butFulkerson\'singenuitywasequaltoeveryexigency,andhecontrivedsomehowtomakeeachofthesefeelthatshehadbeenpossessedofexclusiveinformation。TherewasamomentwhenMarchconjecturedawillingnessinFulkersontoworkMrs。Marchintotheadvertisingdepartment,bymeansofateatotheseladiesandtheirfriendswhichsheshouldadministerinhisapartment,buthedidnotencourageFulkersontobeexplicit,andthemomentpassed。Afterward,whenhetoldhiswifeaboutit,hewasastonishedtofindthatshewouldnothavemindeddoingitforFulkerson,andheexperiencedanotherproofofthebluntnessofthefeminineinstinctsinsomedirections,andofthepersonalfavorwhichFulkersonseemedtoenjoywiththewholesex。Thisalonewasenoughtoaccountforthewillingnessofthesecorrespondentstowriteaboutthefirstnumber,butMarchaccusedhimofsendingittotheiraddresseswithboxesofJacqueminotrosesandHuylercandy。
Fulkersonlethimenjoyhisjoke。Hesaidthathewoulddothatoranythingelseforthegoodcause,shortofmarryingthewholecircleoffemalecorrespondents。
Marchwasinclinedtohopethatifthefirstnumberhadbeenmadetoogoodforthecountryatlarge,themoreenlightenedtasteofmetropolitanjournalismwouldinviteacompensatingfavorforitinNewYork。ButfirstFulkersonandthentheeventprovedhimwrong。Inspiteofthequalityofthemagazine,andinspiteofthekindnesswhichsomanynewspapermenfeltforFulkerson,thenoticesintheNewYorkpapersseemedgrudgingandprovisionaltotheardoroftheeditor。Ameritintheworkwasacknowledged,andcertaindefectsinitforwhichMarchhadtrembledwereignored;butthecriticsastonishedhimbyselectingforcensurepointswhichhewaseitherproudoforhadnevernoticed;whichbeingnowbroughttohisnoticehestillcouldnotfeelwerefaults。HeownedtoFulkersonthatiftheyhadsaidsoandsoagainstit,hecouldhaveagreedwiththem,butthattosaythusandsowaspreposterous;andthatiftheadvertisinghadnotbeenadjustedwithsuchgenerousrecognitionoftheclaimsofthedifferentpapers,heshouldhaveknownthecounting-roomwasatthebottomofit。Asitwas,hecouldonlyattributeittoperversityorstupidity。Itwascertainlystupidtocondemnamagazinenoveltylike\'EveryOtherWeek\'forbeingnovel;andtoaugurthatifitfailed,itwouldfailthroughitsdeparturefromthelinesonwhichalltheotherprosperousmagazineshadbeenbuilt,wasinthelastdegreeperverse,anditlookedmalicious。Thefactthatitwasneitherexactlyabooknoramagazineoughttobeforitandnotagainstit,sinceitwouldinvadenootherfield;itwouldprosperonnogroundbutitsown。
XIV。
ThemoreMarchthoughtoftheinjusticeoftheNewYorkpresswhichhadnot,however,attackedtheliteraryqualityofthenumberthemorebitterlyheresentedit;andhiswife\'sindignationsuperheatedhisown。
\'EveryOtherWeek\'hadbecomeaverypersonalaffairwiththewholefamily;thechildrensharedtheirparents\'disgust;Bellewasoutspokenin,herdenunciationsofavenalpress。Mrs。Marchsawnothingbutruinahead,andbegantacitlytoplanaretreattoBoston,andanestablishmentretrenchedtothebasisoftwothousandayear。Sheshedsomesecrettearsinanticipationoftheprivationswhichthismustinvolve;butwhenFulkersoncametoseeMarchratherlatethenightofthepublicationday,shenoblytoldhimthatiftheworstcametotheworstshecouldonlyhavethekindliestfeelingtowardhim,andshouldnotregardhimasintheslightestdegreeresponsible。
\"Oh,holdon,holdon!\"heprotested。\"Youdon\'tthinkwe\'vemadeafailure,doyou?\"
\"Why,ofcourse,\"shefaltered,whileMarchremainedgloomilysilent。
\"Well,Iguesswe\'llwaitfortheofficialcount,first。EvenNewYorkhasn\'tgoneagainstus,andIguessthere\'samajoritycomingdowntoHarlemRiverthatcouldsweepeverythingbeforeit,anyway。\"
\"Whatdoyoumean,Fulkerson?\"Marchdemanded,sternly。
\"Oh,nothing!Only,the\'NewsCompany\'hasorderedtenthousandnow;andyouknowwehadtogivethemthefirsttwentyoncommission。\"
\"Whatdoyoumean?\"Marchrepeated;hiswifeheldherbreath。
\"Imeanthatthefirstnumberisaboomingsuccessalready,andthatit\'sgoingtoahundredthousandbeforeitstops。Thatunanimityandvarietyofcensureinthemorningpapers,combinedwiththeattractivenessofthethingitself,hasclearedeverystandinthecity,andnowifthefavorofthecountrypressdoesn\'tturnthetideagainstus,ourfortune\'smade。\"TheMarchesremaineddumb。\"Why,lookhere!Didn\'tItellyouthosecriticismswouldbethemakingofus,whentheyfirstbegantoturnyoubluethismorning,March?\"
\"Hecamehometolunchperfectlysick,\"saidMrs。Marcli;\"andIwouldn\'tlethimgobackagain。\"
\"Didn\'tItellyouso?\"Fulkersonpersisted。
Marchcouldnotrememberthathehad,orthathehadbeenanythingbutincoherentlyandhystericallyjocoseoverthepapers,buthesaid,\"Yes,yes——Ithinkso。\"
\"Iknewitfromthestart,\"saidFulkerson。\"TheonlyotherpersonwhotookthosecriticismsintherightspiritwasMotherDryfoos——I\'vejustbeenbolsteringuptheDryfoosfamily。ShehadthemreadtoherbyMrs。
Mandel,andsheunderstoodthemtobeallthemostflatteringpropheciesofsuccess。Well,Ididn\'treadbetweenthelinestothatextent,quite;
butIsawthattheyweregoingtohelpus,iftherewasanythinginus,morethananythingthatcouldhavebeendone。Andtherewassomethinginus!Itellyou,March,thatseven-shootingself-cockingdonkeyofaBeatonhasgivenusthegreateststart!He\'scaughtonlikeamouse。
He\'smadethethingawfullychic;it\'sjimmy;there\'slotsofdogaboutit。He\'smanagedthatprocesssothattheillustrationslookasexpensiveasfirst-classwood-cuts,andthey\'recheaperthanchromos。
He\'sputstyleintothewholething。\"
\"Ohyes,\"saidMarch,witheagermeekness,\"it\'sBeatonthat\'sdoneit。\"
FulkersonreadjealousyofBeatoninMrs。March\'sface。\"Beatonhasgivenusthestartbecausehisworkappealstotheeye。There\'snodenyingthatthepictureshavesoldthisfirstnumber;butIexpecttheliteratureofthisfirstnumbertosellthepicturesofthesecond。I\'vebeenreadingitallover,nearly,sinceIfoundhowthecatwasjumping;
Iwasanxiousaboutit,andItellyou,oldman,it\'sgood。Yes,sir!
Iwasafraidmaybeyouhadgotittoogood,withthatBostonrefinementofyours;butIreckonyouhaven\'t。I\'llriskit。Idon\'tseehowyougotsomuchvarietyintosofewthings,andallofthempalpitant,allof\'emonthekeenjumpwithactuality。\"
ThemixtureofAmericanslangwiththejargonofEuropeancriticisminFulkerson\'stalkmadeMarchsmile,buthiswifedidnotseemtonoticeitinherexultation。\"ThatisjustwhatIsay,\"shebrokein。\"It\'sperfectlywonderful。Ineverwasanxiousaboutitamoment,except,asyousay,Mr。Fulkerson,Iwasafraiditmightbetoogood。\"
TheywentoninanantiphonyofpraisetillMarchsaid:\"Really,Idon\'tseewhat\'sleftmebuttostrikeforhigherwages。IperceivethatI\'mindispensable。\"
\"Why,oldman,you\'recominginonthedivvy,youknow,\"saidFulkerson。
Theybothlaughed,andwhenFulkersonwasgone,Mrs。Marchaskedherhusbandwhatadivvywas。
\"It\'sachickenbeforeit\'shatched。\"
\"No!Truly?\"
Heexplained,andshebegantospendthedivvy。
AtMrs。Leighton\'sFulkersongaveAlmaallthehonorofthesuccess;hetoldhermotherthatthegirl\'sdesignforthecoverhadsoldeverynumber,andMrs。Leightonbelievedhim。
\"Well,AhthinkAhmaghthavesomeoftheglory,\"MissWoodburnpouted。
\"WhereamAhcomin\'in?\"
\"You\'recominginonthecoverofthenextnumber,\"saidFulkerson。\"
We\'regoingtohaveyourfacethere;MissLeighton\'sgoingtosketchitin。\"Hesaidthisrecklessofthefactthathehadalreadyshownthemthedesignofthesecondnumber,whichwasBeaton\'sweirdbitofgas-
countrylandscape。
\"Ahdon\'tseewhyyoudon\'twrahtethefictionforyourmagazine,Mr。