Fulkerson,\"saidthegirl。
ThisservedtoremindFulkersonofsomething。Heturnedtoherfather。
\"I\'lltellyouwhat,ColonelWoodburn,IwantMr。Marchtoseesomechaptersofthatbookofyours。I\'vebeentalkingtohimaboutit。\"
\"Idonotthinkitwouldaddtothepopularityofyourperiodical,sir,\"
saidtheColonel,withastatelypleasureinbeingasked。\"Myviewsofacivilizationbaseduponresponsibleslaverywouldhardlybeacceptabletoyourcommercializedsociety。\"
\"Well,notasapracticalthing,ofcourse,\"Fulkersonadmitted。\"Butassomethingretrospective,speculative,Ibelieveitwouldmakeahit。
There\'ssomuchgoingonnowaboutsocialquestions;Iguesspeoplewouldliketoreadit。\"
\"Idonotknowthatmyworkisintendedtoamusepeople,\"saidtheColonel,withsomestate。
\"Mahgoodness!AhonlywishitWAS,then,\"saidhisdaughter;andsheadded:\"Yes,Mr。Fulkerson,theColonelwillbeverygladtosubmitpo\'tionsofhiswoaktoyo\'edito\'。Wewanttohavesomeofthehonaw。
Perhapswecansaywehelpedtostopyo\'magazine,ifwedidn\'thelptostawtit。\"
Theyalllaughedatherboldness,andFulkersonsaid:\"It\'lltakeagooddealmorethanthattostop\'EveryOtherWeek\'。TheColonel\'swholebookcouldn\'tdoit。\"Thenhelookedunhappy,forColonelWoodburndidnotseemtoenjoyhisreassuringwords;butMissWoodburncametohisrescue。
\"Youmaghtillustrateitwiththepo\'traitoftheawthorisdaughtaw,ifit\'stoolateforthecovah。\"
\"Goingtohavethatineverynumber,MissWoodburn!\"hecried。
\"Oh,mahgoodness!\"shesaid,withmockhumility。
Almasatlookingatherpiquanthead,black,unconsciouslyoutlinedagainstthelamp,asshesatworkingbythetable。\"Justkeepstillamoment!\"
Shegothersketch-blockandpencils,andbegantodraw;Fulkersontiltedhimselfforwardandlookedoverhershoulder;hesmiledoutwardly;
inwardlyhewasdividedbetweenadmirationofMissWoodburn\'sarchbeautyandappreciationoftheskillwhichreproducedit;atthesametimehewastryingtorememberwhetherMarchhadauthorizedhimtogosofarastoaskforasightofColonelWoodburn\'smanuscript。HefeltthathehadtrencheduponMarch\'sprovince,andheframedoneapologytotheeditorforbringinghimthemanuscript,andanothertotheauthorforbringingitback。
\"MostAhholdraghtstilllikeitwasaphotograph?\"askedMissWoodburn。\"CanAhtoak?\"
\"Talkallyouwant,\"saidAlma,squintinghereyes。\"Andyouneedn\'tbeeitheradamantine,noryet——wooden。\"
\"Oh,ho\'verygoodofyou!Well,ifAhcantoak——goon,Mr。Fulkerson!\"
\"Metalk?Ican\'tbreathetillthisthingisdone!\"sighedFulkerson;atthatpointofhismentaldramatheColonelwasbehavingrustilyaboutthereturnofhismanuscript,andhefeltthathewaslookinghislastonMissWoodburn\'sprofile。
\"Isshegettingitraght?\"askedthegirl。
\"Idon\'tknowwhichiswhich,\"saidFulkerson。
\"Oh,AhhopeAhshall!Ahdon\'twanttogoroundfeelin\'likeasheetofpapahhalfthetime。\"
\"Youcouldrattleon,justthesame,\"suggestedAlma。
\"Oh,now!Jostlistentothat,Mr。Fulkerson。Doyoucallthatanywaytotoaktopeople?\"
\"Youmightknowwhichyouwerebythecolor,\"Fulkersonbegan,andthenbebrokeofffromthepersonalconsiderationwithabusinessinspiration,andsmackedhimselfontheknee,\"Wecouldprintitincolor!\"
Mrs。Leightongathereduphersewingandhelditwithbothhandsinherlap,whileshecameround,andlookedcriticallyatthesketchandthemodeloverherglasses。\"It\'sverygood,Alma,\"shesaid。
ColonelWoodburnremainedrestivelyonhissideofthetable。\"Ofcourse,Mr。Fulkerson,youwerejesting,sir,whenyouspokeofprintingasketchofmydaughter。\"
\"Why,Idon\'tknow——Ifyouobject——?
\"Ido,sir——decidedly,\"saidtheColonel。
\"Thenthatsettlesit,ofcourse,\"said\"Ionlymeant——\"
\"Indeeditdoesn\'t!\"criedthegirl。\"Who\'stoknowwhoit\'sfrom?
Ah\'mjostsetonhavin\'itprinted!Ah\'mgoingtoappearastheheadofSlavery——inoppositiontotheheadofLiberty。\"
\"There\'llbearevolutioninsideofforty-eighthours,andwe\'llhavetheColonel\'ssystemgoingwhereveracopyof\'EveryOtherWeek\'circulates,\"
saidFulkerson。
\"Thissketchbelongstome,\"Almainterposed。\"I\'mnotgoingtoletitbeprinted。\"
\"Oh,mahgoodness!\"saidMissWoodburn,laughinggood-humoredly。
\"That\'sbecoseyouwerebroughtuptohateslavery。\"
\"IshouldlikeMr。Beatontoseeit,\"saidMrs。Leighton,inasortofabsenttone。Sheadded,toFulkerson:\"Iratherexpectedhemightbeinto-night。\"
\"Well,ifhecomeswe\'llleaveittoBeaton,\"Fulkersonsaid,withreliefinthesolution,andananxiousglanceattheColonel,acrossthetable,toseehowhetookthatformofthejoke。MissWoodburninterceptedhisglanceandlaughed,andFulkersonlaughed,too,butratherforlornly。
Almasetherlipsprimlyandturnedherheadfirstononesideandthenontheothertolookatthesketch。\"Idon\'tthinkwe\'llleaveittoMr。
Beaton,evenifhecomes。\"
\"WelefttheotherdesignforthecovertoBeaton,\"Fulkersoninsinuated。
\"Iguessyouneedn\'tbeafraidofhim。\"
\"Isitaquestionofmybeingafraid?\"Almaasked;sheseemedcoollyintentonherdrawing。
\"MissLeightonthinksheoughttobeafraidofher,\"MissWoodburnexplained。
\"It\'saquestionofhiscourage,then?\"saidAlma。
\"Well,Idon\'tthinktherearemanyyoungladiesthatBeaton\'safraidof,\"saidFulkerson,givinghimselftherespiteofthispurelyrandomremark,whileheinterrogatedthefacesofMrs。LeightonandColonelWoodburnforsomelightuponthetendencyoftheirdaughters\'words。
HewasnothelpedbyMrs。Leighton\'ssaying,withacertainanxiety,\"Idon\'tknowwhatyoumean,Mr。Fulkerson。\"
\"Well,you\'reasmuchinthedarkasIammyself,then,\"saidFulkerson。
\"IsupposeImeantthatBeatonisrather——a——favorite,youknow。Thewomenlikehim。\"
Mrs。Leightonsighed,andColonelWoodburnroseandlefttheroom。
Inthesilencethatfollowed,Fulkersonlookedfromoneladytotheotherwithdismay。\"Iseemtohaveputmyfootinit,somehow,\"hesuggested,andMissWoodburngaveacryoflaughter。
\"Poo\'Mr。Fulkerson!Poo\'Mr。Fulkerson!Papathoatyouwantedhimtogo。\"
\"Wantedhimtogo?\"repeatedFulkerson。
\"WealwaysmentionMr。Beatonwhenwewanttogetridofpapa。\"
\"Well,itseemstomethatIhavenoticedthathedidn\'ttakemuchinterestinBeaton,asageneraltopic。ButIdon\'tknowthatIeversawitdrivehimoutoftheroombefore!\"
\"Well,heisn\'talwayssobad,\"saidMissWoodburn。\"Butitwasacaseofhateatfirstsight,anditseemstobegrowin\'onpapa。\"
\"Well,Icanunderstandthat,\"saidFulkerson。\"TheimpulsetodestroyBeatonissomethingthateverybodyhastostruggleagainstatthestart。\"
\"Imustsay,Mr。Fulkerson,\"saidMrs。Leighton,inthetremorthroughwhichshenervedherselftodifferopenlywithanyonesheliked,\"Ineverhadtostrugglewithanythingofthekind,inregardtoMr。Beaton。Hehasalwaysbeenmostrespectfuland——and——considerate,withme,whateverhehasbeenwithothers。\"
\"Well,ofcourse,Mrs。Leighton!\"Fulkersoncamebackinasoothingtone。
\"Butyouseeyou\'retherulethatprovestheexception。IwasspeakingofthewaymenfeltaboutBeaton。It\'sdifferentwithladies;Ijustsaidso。\"
\"Isitalwaysdifferent?\"Almaasked,liftingherheadandherhandfromherdrawing,andstaringatitabsently。
Fulkersonpushedbothhishandsthroughhiswhiskers。\"Lookhere!Lookhere!\"hesaid。\"Won\'tsomebodystartsomeothersubject?Wehaven\'thadtheweatherupyet,havewe?Ortheopera?Whatisthematterwithafewremarksaboutpolitics?\"
\"Why,Ahthoatyoulahkedtotoakaboutthestaffofyo\'magazine,\"saidMissWoodburn。
\"Oh,Ido!\"saidFulkerson。\"Butnotalwaysaboutthesamememberofit。
Hegetsmonotonous,whenhedoesn\'tgetcomplicated。I\'vejustcomeroundfromtheMarches\',\"headded,toMrs。Leighton。
\"Isupposethey\'vegotthoroughlysettledintheirapartmentbythistime。\"Mrs。LeightonsaidsomethinglikethiswhenevertheMarcheswerementioned。Atthebottomofherheartshehadnotforgiventhemfornottakingherrooms;shehadlikedtheirlookssomuch;andshewasalwayshopingthattheywereuncomfortableordissatisfied;shecouldnothelpwantingthempunishedalittle。
\"Well,yes;asmuchastheyeverwillbe,\"Fulkersonanswered。
\"TheBostonstyleisprettydifferent,youknow;andtheMarchesareold-
fashionedfolks,andIreckontheyneverwentinmuchforbric-a-bracThey\'veputawaynineortenbarrelsofdragoncandlesticks,buttheykeepfindingnewones。\"
\"Theirlandladyhasjustjoinedourclass,\"saidAlma。\"Isn\'thernameGreen?Shehappenedtoseemycopyof\'EveryOtherWeek\',andsaidsheknewtheeditor;andtoldme。\"
\"Well,it\'salittleworld,\"saidFulkerson。\"Youseemtobetouchingelbowswitheverybody。Justthinkofyourhavinghadourheadtranslatorforamodel。\"
\"AhthinkthatyourwholepublicationrevolvesaroandtheLeightonfamily,\"saidMissWoodburn。
\"That\'sprettymuchso,\"Fulkersonadmitted。\"Anyhow,thepublisherseemsdisposedtodoso。\"
\"Areyouthepublisher?IthoughtitwasMr。Dryfoos,\"saidAlma。
\"Itis。\"
\"Oh!\"
ThetoneandthewordgaveFulkersonadiscomfortwhichhepromptlyconfessed。\"Missedagain。\"
Thegirlslaughed,andheregainedsomethingofhislostspirits,andsmiledupontheirgayety,whichlastedbeyondanyapparentreasonforit。
MissWoodburnasked,\"AndisMr。Dryfoossenio\'anythinglikeouahMr。
Dryfoos?\"
\"Nottheleast。\"
\"Buthe\'sjostasexemplary?\"
\"Yes;inhisway。\"
\"Well,AhwishAhcouldseeallthosepinksofpuffectiontogethah,once。\"
\"Why,lookhere!I\'vebeenthinkingI\'dcelebratealittle,whentheoldgentlemangetsback。Havealittlesupper——somethingofthatkind。Howwouldyouliketoletmehaveyourparlorsforit,Mrs。Leighton?Youladiescouldstandonthestairs,andhaveapeepatus,inthebunch。\"
\"Oh,mah!Whataprivilege!AndwillMissAlmabethere,withtheothahcontributors?Ahshalljostexpahofenvy!\"
\"Shewon\'tbethereinperson,\"saidFulkerson,\"butshe\'llberepresentedbytheheadoftheartdepartment。\"
\"Mahgoodness!Andwho\'lltheheadofthepublishingdepartmentrepresent?\"
\"Hecanrepresentyou,\"saidAlma。
\"Well,Ahwanttoberepresented,someho\'。\"
\"We\'llhavethebanquetthenightbeforeyouappearonthecoverofourfourthnumber,\"saidFulkerson。
\"Ahthoatthatwasdoublyfo\'bidden,\"saidMissWoodburn。\"Bythesternparentandtheenviousawtust。\"
\"We\'llgetBeatontogetroundthem,somehow。Iguesswecantrusthimtomanagethat。\"
Mrs。Leightonsighedherresentmentoftheimplication。
\"IalwaysfeelthatMr。Beatondoesn\'tdohimselfjustice,\"shebegan。
Fulkersoncouldnotforegothechanceofajoke。\"Well,maybehewouldrathertemperjusticewithmercyinacaselikehis。\"Thismadeboththeyoungerladieslaugh。\"Ijudgethisismychancetogetoffwithmylife,\"headded,andheroseashespoke。\"Mrs。Leighton,Iamabouttheonlymanofmysexwhodoesn\'tthirstforBeaton\'sbloodmostofthetime。ButIknowhimandIdon\'t。He\'smorekindsofagoodfellowthanpeoplegenerallyunderstand。Hedoesn\'twearhisheartuponhissleeve-
nothisulstersleeve,anyway。Youcanalwayscountmeonyoursidewhenit\'saquestionoffindingBeatonnotguiltyifhe\'llleavetheState。\"
Almasetherdrawingagainstthewall,inrisingtosaygoodnighttoFulkerson。Hebentoveronhissticktolookatit。\"Well,it\'sbeautiful,\"hesighed,withunconscioussincerity。
Almamadehimacourtesyofmockmodesty。\"ThankstoMissWoodburn!\"
\"Ohno!Allshehadtodowassimplytostayput。\"
\"Don\'tyouthinkAhmighthaveimproveditifAhhad,lookedbetter?\"
thegirlasked,gravely。
\"Oh,youcouldn\'t!\"saidFulkerson,andhewentofftriumphantintheirapplauseandtheircriesof\"Which?which?\"
Mrs。Leightonsankdeepintoanaccusinggloomwhenatlastshefoundherselfalonewithherdaughter。\"Idon\'tknowwhatyouarethinkingabout,AlmaLeighton。Ifyoudon\'tlikeMr。Beaton——\"
\"Idon\'t。\"
\"Youdon\'t?Youknowbetterthanthat。Youknowthat,youdidcareforhim。\"
\"Oh!that\'saverydifferentthing。That\'sathingthatcanbegotover。\"
\"Gotover!\"repeatedMrs。Leighton,aghast。
\"Ofcourse,itcan!Don\'tberomantic,mamma。Peoplegetoverdozensofsuchfancies。Theyevenmarryforlovetwoorthreetimes。\"
\"Never!\"criedhermother,doingherbesttofeelshocked;andatlastlookingit。
HerlookingithadnoeffectuponAlma。\"Youcaneasilygetovercaringforpeople;butyoucan\'tgetoverlikingthem——ifyoulikethembecausetheyaresweetandgood。That\'swhatlasts。Iwasasimplegoose,andheimposeduponmebecausehewasasophisticatedgoose。Nowthecaseisreversed。\"
\"Hedoescareforyou,now。Youcanseeit。Whydoyouencouragehimtocomehere?\"
\"Idon\'t,\"saidAlma。\"Iwilltellhimtokeepawayifyoulike。Butwhetherhecomesorgoes,itwillbethesame。\"
\"Nottohim,Alma!Heisinlovewithyou!\"
\"Hehasneversaidso。\"
\"Andyouwouldreallylethimsayso,whenyouintendtorefusehim?\"
\"Ican\'tverywellrefusehimtillhedoessayso。\"
Thiswasundeniable。Mrs。Leightoncouldonlydemand,inanawfultone,\"MayIaskwhy——ifyoucaredforhim;andIknowyoucareforhimstillyouwillrefusehim?\"
Almalaughed。\"Because——becauseI\'mweddedtomyArt,andI\'mnotgoingtocommitbigamy,whateverIdo。\"
\"Alma!\"
\"Well,then,becauseIdon\'tlikehim——thatis,Idon\'tbelieveinhim,anddon\'ttrusthim。He\'sfascinating,buthe\'sfalseandhe\'sfickle。
Hecan\'thelpit,Idaresay。\"
\"Andyouareperfectlyhard。IsitpossiblethatyouwereactuallypleasedtohaveMr。FulkersonteaseyouaboutMr。Dryfoos?\"
\"Oh,good-night,now,mamma!Thisisbecomingpersonal\"
EndAHazardofNewFortunesV3
ByWilliamDeanHowellsPARTTHIRD
I。
Theschemeofabanquettocelebratetheinitialsuccessof\'EveryOtherWeek\'expandedinFulkerson\'sfancyintoaseries。Insteadofthepublishingandeditorialforce,withcertainofthemorerepresentativeartistsandauthorssittingdowntoamodestsupperinMrs。Leighton\'sparlors,heconceivedofadinneratDelmonico\'s,withtheprincipalliteraryandartistic,peoplethroughoutthecountryasguests,andaninexhaustiblehospitalitytoreportersandcorrespondents,fromwhomparagraphs,propheticandhistoric,wouldflowweeksbeforeandafterthefirstoftheseries。Hesaidthethingwasanewdepartureinmagazines;
itamountedtosomethinginliteratureasradicalastheAmericanRevolutioninpolitics:itwastheideaofselfgovernmentinthearts;
anditwasthisideathathadneveryetbeenfullydevelopedinregardtoit。Thatwaswhatmustbedoneinthespeechesatthedinner,andthespeechesmustbereported。Thenitwouldgolikewildfire。HeaskedMarchwhetherhethoughtMr。Depewcouldbegottocome;MarkTwain,hewassure,wouldcome;hewasaliteraryman。TheyoughttoinviteMr。
Evarts,andtheCardinalandtheleadingProtestantdivines。Hisambitionstoppedatnothing,nothingbutthequestionofexpense;therehehadtowaitthereturnoftheelderDryfoosfromtheWest,andDryfooswasstilldelayedatMoffitt,andFulkersonopenlyconfessedthathewasafraidhewouldstaytheretillhisownenthusiasmescapedinotheractivities,otherplans。
Fulkersonwasaslittlelikelyaspossibletofallunderasuperstitioussubjectiontoanotherman;butMarchcouldnothelpseeingthatinthispossiblemeasureDryfooswasFulkerson\'sfetish。Hedidnotreverehim,Marchdecided,becauseitwasnotinFulkerson\'snaturetorevereanything;hecouldlikeanddislike,buthecouldnotrespect。
Apparently,however,Dryfoosdauntedhimsomehow;andbesidesthehomagewhichthosewhohavenotpaytothosewhohave,FulkersonrenderedDryfoosthetributeofafeelingwhichMarchcouldonlydefineasasortofbewilderment。AswellasMarchcouldmakeout,thisfeelingwasevokedbythespectacleofDryfoos\'sunfailingluck,whichFulkersonwasfondofdazzlinghimselfwith。Itperfectlyconsistedwithakeensenseofwhateverwassordidandselfishinamanonwhomhiscareermusthavehaditsinevitableeffect。HelikedtophilosophizethecasewithMarch,torecallDryfoosashewaswhenhefirstmethimstillsomewhatinthesap,atMoffitt,andtostudytheprocessesbywhichheimaginedhimtohavedriedintothehardenedspeculator,withouteventhepretencetoanyadvantagebuthisowninhisventures。Hewasawareofpaintingthecharactertoovividly,andhewarnedMarchnottoacceptitexactlyinthosetints,buttosubduethemandshadeitforhimself。Hesaidthatwherehisadvantagewasnotconcerned,therewaseversomuchgoodinDryfoos,andthatifinsomethingsbehadgrowninflexible,hehadexpandedinotherstothefullmeasureofthevastscaleonwhichhedidbusiness。IthadseemedalittleoddtoMarchthatamanshouldputmoneyintosuchanenterpriseas\'EveryOtherWeek\'andgooffaboutotheraffairs,notonlywithoutanysignofanxiety,butwithoutanysortofinterest。ButFulkersonsaidthatwasthesplendidsideofDryfoos。
Hehadacourage,amagnanimity,thatwasequaltothestrainofanysuchuncertainty。Hehadfacedthemusiconceforall,whenheaskedFulkersonwhatthethingwouldcostinthedifferentdegreesofpotentialfailure;andthenhehadgoneoff,leavingeverythingtoFulkersonandtheyoungerDryfoos,withtheinstructionsimplytogoaheadandnotbotherhimaboutit。Fulkersoncalledthatprettytallforanoldfellowwhousedtobewailthewantofpigsandchickenstooccupyhismind。
HeallegeditasanotherproofoftheversatilityoftheAmericanmind,andofthegrandeurofinstitutionsandopportunitiesthatleteverymangrowtohisfullsize,sothatanymaninAmericacouldruntheconcernifnecessary。HebelievedthatoldDryfooscouldstepintoBismarck\'sshoesandruntheGermanEmpireattendays\'notice,oraboutaslongasitwouldtakehimtogofromNewYorktoBerlin。ButBismarckwouldnotknowanythingaboutDryfoos\'splanstillDryfoosgotreadytoshowhishand。FulkersonhimselfdidnotpretendtosaywhattheoldmanhadbeenuptosincehewentWest。HewasatMoffittfirst,andthenhewasatChicago,andthenhehadgoneouttoDenvertolookaftersomemineshehadoutthere,andarailroadortwo;andnowhewasatMoffittagain。
Hewassupposedtobeclosinguphisaffairsthere,butnobodycouldsay。
FulkersontoldMarchthemorningafterDryfoosreturnedthathehadnotonlynotpulledoutatMoffitt,buthadgoneindeeper,tentimesdeeperthanever。Hewasinaroyalgood-humor,Fulkersonreported,andwasgoingtodropintotheofficeonhiswayupfromtheStreetMarchunderstoodWallStreetthatafternoon。Hewastickledtodeathwith\'EveryOtherWeek\'sofarasithadgone,andwasanxioustopayhisrespectstotheeditor。
Marchaccountedforsomerhetoricinthis,butletitflatterhim,andpreparedhimselfforameetingaboutwhichhecouldseethatFulkersonwasonlylessnervousthanhehadshownhimselfaboutthepublicreceptionofthefirstnumber。ItgaveMarchadisagreeablefeelingofbeingownedandofbeingabouttobeinspectedbyhisproprietor;buthefellbackuponsuchindependenceashecouldfindinthethoughtofthosetwothousanddollarsofincomebeyondthecapriceofhisowner,andmaintainedanoutwardserenity。
Hewasalittleashamedafterwardoftheresolutionithadcosthimtodoso。ItwasnotaquestionofDryfoos\'sphysicalpresence:thatwasrathereffectivethanotherwise,andcarriedasuggestionofmoneyedindifferencetoconventioninthegraybusinesssuitofprovincialcut,andthelow,wide-brimmedhatofflexibleblackfelt。Hehadastickwithanold-fashionedtopofbuckhornwornsmoothandbrightbythepalmofhishand,whichhadnotlostitscharacterinfat,andwhichhadahistoryofformerworkinitsenlargedknuckles,thoughitwasnowassoftasMarch\'s,andmustoncehavebeensmallevenforamanofMr。
Dryfoos\'sstature;hewasbelowtheaveragesize。ButwhatstruckMarchwasthefactthatDryfoosseemedfurtivelyconsciousofbeingacountryperson,andofbeingawarethatintheirmeetinghewastobetriedbyotherteststhanthosewhichwouldhaveavailedhimasashrewdspeculator。HeevidentlyhadsomecuriosityaboutMarch,asthefirstofhiskindwhomhebadencountered;somesuchcuriosityasthecountryschooltrusteefeelsandtriestohideinthepresenceofthenewschoolmaster。Butthewholeaffairwas,ofcourse,onahigherplane;ononesideDryfooswasmuchmoreamanoftheworldthanMarchwas,andheprobablydivinedthisatonce,andrestedhimselfuponthefactinameasure。Itseemedtobehispreferencethathissonshouldintroducethem,forhecameupstairswithConrad,andtheyhadfairlymadeacquaintancebeforeFulkersonjoinedthem。
Conradofferedtoleavethematonce,buthisfathermadehimstay。
\"IreckonMr。MarchandIhaven\'tgotanythingsoprivatetotalkaboutthatwewanttokeepitfromtheotherpartners。Well,Mr。March,areyougettingusedtoNewYorkyet?Ittakesalittletime。\"
\"Ohyes。Butnotsomuchtimeasmostplaces。EverybodybelongsmoreorlessinNewYork;nobodyhastobelongherealtogether。\"
\"Yes,thatisso。Youcantryit,andgoawayifyoudon\'tlikeitagooddealeasierthanyoucouldfromasmallerplace。Wouldn\'tmakesomuchtalk,wouldit?\"HeglancedatMarchwithajocoselightinhisshrewdeyes。\"ThatisthewayIfeelaboutitallthetime:justvisiting。Now,itwouldn\'tbethatwayinBoston,Ireckon?\"
\"Youcouldn\'tkeeponvisitingthereyourwholelife,\"saidMarch。
Dryfooslaughed,showinghislowerteethinawaythatwasatoncesimpleandfierce。\"Mr。Fulkersondidn\'thardlyknowashecouldgetyoutoleave。Isupposeyougotusedtoitthere。Ineverbeeninyourcity。\"
\"Ihadgotusedtoit;butitwashardlymycity,exceptbymarriage。Mywife\'saBostonian。\"
\"She\'sbeenalittlehomesickhere,then,\"saidDryfoos,withasmileofthesamequalityashislaugh。
\"LessthanIexpected,\"saidMarch。\"Ofcourse,shewasverymuchattachedtoouroldhome。\"
\"Iguessmywifewon\'tevergetusedtoNewYork,\"saidDryfoos,andhedrewinhislowerlipwithasharpsigh。\"Butmygirlslikeit;they\'reyoung。Youneverbeenoutourwayyet,Mr。March?OutWest?\"
\"Well,onlyforthepurposeofbeingborn,andbroughtup。IusedtoliveinCrawfordsville,andthenIndianapolis。\"
\"Indianapolisisboundtobeagreatplace,\"saidDryfoos。\"Iremembernow,Mr。FulkersontoldmeyouwasfromourState。\"HewentontobragoftheWest,asifMarchwereanEasternerandhadtobeconvinced。
\"Yououghttoseeallthatcountry。It\'sagreatcountry。\"
\"Ohyes,\"saidMarch,\"Iunderstandthat。\"HeexpectedthepraiseofthegreatWesttoleaduptosomecommenton\'EveryOtherWeek\';andtherewasabundantsuggestionofthattopicinthemanuscripts,proofsofletter-pressandillustrations,withadvancecopiesofthelatestnumberstrewnoverhistable。
ButDryfoosapparentlykepthimselffromlookingatthesethings。
Herolledhisheadaboutonhisshoulderstotakeinthecharacteroftheroom,andsaidtohisson,\"Youdidn\'tchangethewoodwork,afterall。\"
\"No;thearchitectthoughtwehadbetterletitbe,unlesswemeanttochangethewholeplace。Helikeditsbeingold-fashioned。\"
\"Ihopeyoufeelcomfortablehere,Mr。March,\"theoldmansaid,bringinghiseyestobearuponhimagainaftertheirtourofinspection。
\"Toocomfortableforaworking-man,\"saidMarch,andhethoughtthatthisremarkmustbringthemtosometalkabouthiswork,buttheproprietoronlysmiledagain。
\"IguessIsha\'n\'tlosemuchonthishouse,\"hereturned,asifmusingaloud。\"Thisdown-townpropertyiscomingup。Businessisgettinginonallthesesidestreets。IthoughtIpaidaprettygoodpriceforit,too。\"Hewentontotalkofrealestate,andMarchbegantofeelacertainresentmentathiscontinuedavoidanceoftheonlytopicinwhichtheycouldreallyhaveacommoninterest。\"Youlivedownthiswaysomewhere,don\'tyou?\"theoldmanconcluded。
\"Yes。Iwishedtobenearmywork。\"Marchwasvexedwithhimselfforhavingrecurredtoit;butafterwardhewasnotsurebutDryfoossharedhisowndiffidenceinthematter,andwaswaitingforhimtobringitopenlyintothetalk。Attimesheseemedwaryandmasterful,andthenMarchfeltthathewasbeingexaminedandtested;atotherssosimplethatMarchmightwellhavefanciedthatheneededencouragement,anddesiredit。HetalkedofhiswifeanddaughtersinawaythatinvitedMarchtosayfriendlythingsofhisfamily,whichappearedtogivetheoldmanfirstanunduepleasureandthenafinaldistrust。Atmomentsheturned,withaneffectoffindingreliefinit,tohissonandspoketohimacrossMarchofmatterswhichhewasunacquaintedwith;hedidnotseemawarethatthiswasrude,buttheyoungmanmusthavefeltitso;healwaysbroughttheconversationback,andonceatsomecosttohimselfwhenhisfathermadeitpersonal。
\"IwanttomakearegularNewYorkbusinessmanoutofthatfellow,\"hesaidtoMarch,pointingatConradwithhisstick。\"Yous\'poseI\'mevergoingtodoit?\"
\"Well,Idon\'tknow,\"saidMarch,tryingtofallinwiththejoke。
\"Doyoumeannothingbutabusinessman?\"
Theoldmanlaughedatwhateverlatentmeaninghefanciedinthis,andsaid:\"Youthinkhewouldbealittletoomuchformethere?Well,I\'veseenenoughof\'emtoknowitdon\'talwaystakealargepatternofamantodoalargebusiness。ButIwanthimtogetthebusinesstraining,andthenifhewantstogointosomethingelseheknowswhattheworldis,anyway。Heigh?\"
\"Ohyes!\"Marchassented,withsomecompassionfortheyoungmanreddeningpatientlyunderhisfather\'scomment。
Dryfooswentonasifhissonwerenotinhearing。\"Nowthatboywantedtobeapreacher。Whatdoesapreacherknowabouttheworldhepreachesagainstwhenhe\'sbeenbroughtupapreacher?Hedon\'tknowsomuchasabadlittleboyinhisSunday-school;heknowsaboutasmuchasagirl。
Ialwaystoldhim,Youbeamanfirst,andthenyoubeapreacher,ifyouwantto。Heigh?\"
\"Precisely。\"Marchbegantofeelsomecompassionforhimselfinbeingwitnessoftheyoungfellow\'sdiscomfortunderhisfather\'shomily。
\"WhenwefirstcometoNewYork,Itoldhim,Nowhere\'syourchancetoseetheworldonabigscale。Youknowalreadywhatworkandsavingandsteadyhabitsandsensewillbringaman,to;youdon\'twanttogoroundamongtherich;youwanttogoamongthepoor,andseewhatlazinessanddrinkanddishonestyandfoolishnesswillbringmento。AndIguessheknows,aboutaswellasanybody;andifheevergoestopreachinghe\'llknowwhathe\'spreachingabout。\"Theoldmansmiledhisfierce,simplesmile,andinhissharpeyesMarchfanciedcontemptoftheambitionhehadbalkedinhisson。Thepresentscenemusthavebeenoneofmanybetweenthem,endinginmeeksubmissiononthepartoftheyoungman,whomhisfather,perhapswithoutrealizinghiscruelty,treatedasachild。Marchtookithardthatheshouldbemadetosufferinthepresenceofaco-ordinatepowerlikehimself,andbegantodisliketheoldmanoutofproportiontohisoffence,whichmighthavebeenmerewantoftaste,oraneffectofmereembarrassmentbeforehim。Butevidently,whateverrebellionhisdaughtershadcarriedthroughagainsthim,hehadkepthisdominionoverthisgentlespiritunbroken。Marchdidnotchoosetomakeanyresponse,buttolethimcontinue,ifhewould,entirelyuponhisownimpulse。
II。
Asilencefollowed,ofratherpainfullength。ItwasbrokenbythecheeryvoiceofFulkerson,sentbeforehimtoheraldFulkerson\'scheeryperson。\"Well,Isupposeyou\'vegottheglorioussuccessof\'EveryOtherWeek\'downprettycoldinyourtalkbythistime。Ishouldhavebeenupsoonertojoinyou,butIwasnippingamanforthelastpageofthecover。Iguesswe\'llhavetolettheMusehavethatforanadvertisementinsteadofapoemthenexttime,March。Well,theoldgentlemangivenyouboysyourscolding?\"ThepersonofFulkersonhadgotintotheroomlongbeforehereachedthisquestion,andhadplanteditselfastrideachair。Fulkersonlookedoverthechairback,nowatMarch,andnowattheelderDryfoosashespoke。
Marchansweredhim。\"Iguesswemusthavebeenwaitingforyou,Fulkerson。Atanyrate,wehadn\'tgottothescoldingyet。\"
\"Why,Ididn\'tsupposeMr。Dryfooscould\'a\'heldinsolong。I
understoodhewasawfulmadatthewaythethingstartedoff,andwantedtogiveyouapieceofhismind,whenhegotatyou。Iinferredasmuchfromaremarkthathemade。\"MarchandDryfooslookedfoolish,asmendowhenmadethesubjectofthissortofmerrymisrepresentation。
\"Ireckonmyscoldingwillkeepawhileyet,\"saidtheoldman,dryly。
\"Well,then,Iguessit\'sagoodchancetogiveMr。Dryfoosanideaofwhatwe\'vereallydone——justwhilewe\'reresting,asArtemusWardsays。
Heigh,March?\"
\"Iwillletyoublowthetrumpet,Fulkerson。Ithinkitbelongsstrictlytotheadvertisingdepartment,\"saidMarch。Henowdistinctlyresentedtheoldman\'sfailuretosayanythingtohimofthemagazine;hemadehisinferencethatitwasfromasuspicionofhisreadinesstopresumeuponarecognitionofhisshareinthesuccess,andhewasdeterminedtosecondnosortofappealforit。
\"Theadvertisingdepartmentistheheartandsoulofeverybusiness,\"
saidFulkerson,hardily,\"andIliketokeepmyhandinwithalittlepractiseonthetrumpetinprivate。Idon\'tbelieveMr。Dryfooshasgotanyideaoftheextentofthisthing。He\'sbeenoutamongthoseRackensackens,wherewewereallborn,andhe\'sreadthenoticesintheirsevenbyninedailies,andhe\'sseenthethingsellingonthecars,andhethinksheappreciateswhat\'sbeendone。ButIshouldjustliketotakehimroundinthislittleoldmetropolisawhile,andshowhim\'EveryOtherWeek\'onthecentretablesofthemillionaires——theVanderbiltsandtheAstors——andinthehomesofcultureandrefinementeverywhere,andlethimjudgeforhimself。It\'sthetalkoftheclubsandthedinner-
tables;childrencryforit;it\'stheCastoriaofliteratureandthePearlineofart,the\'Won\'t-be-happy-till-he-gets-itofeveryenlightenedman,woman,andchildinthisvastcity。Iknewwecouldcapturethecountry;but,mygoodness!Ididn\'texpecttohaveNewYorkfallintoourhandsatablow。Butthat\'sjustexactlywhatNewYorkhasdone。EveryOtherWeeksuppliesthelong-feltwantthat\'sbeengrindingroundinNewYorkandkeepingitawakenightseversincethewar。It\'stheculminationofallthehighandennoblingidealsofthepast。\"
\"Howmuch,\"askedDryfoos,\"doyouexpecttogetoutofitthefirstyear,ifitkeepsthestartit\'sgot?\"
\"Comesrightdowntobusiness,everytime!\"saidFulkerson,referringthecharacteristictoMarchwithadelightedglance。\"Well,sir,ifeverythingworksright,andwegetrainenoughtofillupthesprings,anditisn\'tagrasshopperyear,Iexpecttoclearaboveallexpensessomethingintheneighborhoodoftwenty-fivethousanddollars。\"
\"Humph!Andyouareallgoingtoworkayear——editor,manager,publisher,artists,writers,printers,andtherestof\'em——tocleartwenty-fivethousanddollars?——ImadethatmuchinhalfadayinMoffittonce。IseeitmadeinhalfaminuteinWallStreet,sometimes。\"Theoldmanpresentedthisaspectofthecasewithagood-naturedcontempt,whichincludedFulkersonandhisenthusiasminanobviousliking。
Hissonsuggested,\"Butwhenwemakethatmoneyhere,noonelosesit。\"
\"Canyouprovethat?\"Hisfatherturnedsharplyuponhim。\"Whateveriswonislost。It\'sallagame;itdon\'tmakeanydifferencewhatyoubeton。Businessisbusiness,andabusinessmantakeshisriskswithhiseyesopen。\"
\"Ah,buttheglory!\"Fulkersoninsinuatedwithimpudentpersiflage。
\"Ihadn\'tgottothegloryyet,becauseit\'shardtoestimateit;butputthegloryatthelowestfigure,Mr。Dryfoos,andaddittothetwenty-
fivethousand,andyou\'vegotanannualincomefrom\'EveryOtherWeek\'ofdollarsenoughtoconstructasilverrailroad,double-track,fromthisofficetothemoon。Idon\'tmentionanyofthesisterplanetsbecauseI
liketokeepwithinbounds。\"
DryfoosshowedhislowerteethforpleasureinFulkerson\'sfooling,andsaid,\"That\'swhatIlikeaboutyou,Mr。Fulkerson——youalwayskeepwithinbounds。\"
\"Well,Iain\'tashrinkingBostonviolet,likeMarch,here。Moresunflowerinmystyleofdiffidence;butIammodest,Idon\'tdenyit,\"
saidFulkerson。\"AndIdohatetohaveathingoverstated。\"
\"Andtheglory——youdoreallythinkthere\'ssomethingintheglorythatpays?\"
\"Notadoubtofit!Ishouldn\'tcareforthepaltryreturninmoney,\"
saidFulkerson,withaburlesqueofgenerousdisdain,\"ifitwasn\'tforthegloryalongwithit。\"
\"Andhowshouldyoufeelabouttheglory,iftherewasnomoneyalongwithit?\"
\"Well,sir,I\'mhappytosaywehaven\'tcometothatyet。\"