“Youneedtherest。”saidtheBusinessEnd；“andyourwifewantsyoutogo，aswellasyourdoctor。Besides，it’syourSabbaticalyear，andyou，couldsendbackalotofstuffforthemagazine。”
“IsthatyournotionofaSabbaticalyear？“askedtheeditor。
“No；Ithrowthatoutasabaittoyourconscience。Youneedn’twritealinewhileyou’regone。Iwishyouwouldn’tforyourownsake；althougheverynumberthathasn’tgotyouinitisabacknumberforme。”
“That’sveryniceofyou，Fulkerson。”saidtheeditor。“Isupposeyourealizethatit’snineyearssincewetook’EveryOtherWeek’fromDryfoos？”
“Well，thatmakesitallthemoreSabbatical。”saidFulkerson。“Thetwoextrayearsthatyou’veputinhere，overandabovetheoldstyleSabbaticalseven，arejustsomuchmoretoyourcredit。Itwasyourrighttogo，twoyearsago，andnowit’syourduty。Couldn’tyoulookatitinthatlight？”
“IdaresayMrs。Marchcould。”theeditorassented。“Idon’tbelieveshecouldbebroughttoregarditasapleasureonanyotherterms。”
“Ofcoursenot。”saidFulkerson。“Ifyouwon’ttakeayear，takethreemonths，andcallitaSabbaticalsummer；butgo，anyway。Youcanmakeuphalfadozennumbersahead，andTom，here，knowsyourwayssowellthatyouneedn’tthinkabout’EveryOtherWeek’fromthetimeyoustarttillthetimeyoutrytobribethecustomsinspectorwhenyougetback。Icantakeahackattheeditingmyself，ifTom’sinspirationgivesout，andputalittleofmyadvertisingfireintothething。”Helaidhishandontheshoulderoftheyoungfellowwhostoodsmilingby，andpushedandshookhiminthelikingtherewasbetweenthem。“Nowyougo，March！
Mrs。FulkersonfeelsjustasIdoaboutit；wehadouroutinglastyear，andwewantMrs。Marchandyoutohaveyours。Youletmegodownandengageyourpassage，and——“
“No，no！”theeditorrebelled。“I’llthinkaboutit；“butasheturnedtotheworkhewassofondofandsowearyof，hetriednottothinkofthequestionagain，tillheclosedhisdeskintheafternoon，andstartedtowalkhome；thedoctorhadsaidheoughttowalk，andhedidso，thoughhelongedtoride，andlookedwistfullyatthepassingcars。
Heknewhewasinarut，ashiswifeoftensaid；butifitwasarut，itwasasupporttoo；itkepthimfromwobbling：Shealwaystalkedasifthefloweryfieldsofyouthlayoneithersideofthedustyroadhehadbeengoingsolong，andhehadbuttostepasidefromit，tobeamongthebutterfliesandbuttercupsagain；hesometimesindulgedthisillusion，himself，inacertainironicalspiritwhichcaressedwhileitmockedthenotion。Theyhadatacitagreementthattheiryouth，iftheywereevertofinditagain，wastobelookedforinEurope，wheretheymetwhentheywereyoung，andtheyhadneverbeenquitewithoutthehopeofgoingbackthere，someday，foralongsojourn。Theyhadnotseenthetimewhentheycoulddoso；theyweredreamers，but，astheyrecognized，evendreamingisnotfreefromcare；andinhisdreamMarchhadbeenobligedtoworkprettysteadily，ifnottoointensely。Hehadbeenforcedtoforegothedistinctlyliteraryambitionwithwhichhehadstartedinlifebecausehehadtheircommonlivingtomake，andhecouldnotmakeitbywritinggracefulverse，orevengracefulprose。Hehadbeenmanyyearsinasufficientlydistastefulbusiness，andhehadlostanythoughtofleavingitwhenitlefthim，perhapsbecausehisholdonithadalwaysbeenratherlax，andhehadnotbeenabletoconcealthathedislikedit。
Atanyrate，hewassupplantedinhisinsuranceagencyatBostonbyasubordinateinhisoffice，andthoughhewasatthesametimeofferedaplaceofnominalcreditintheemployofthecompany，hewasabletodeclineitingraceofachancewhichunitedthecharmofcongenialworkwiththesolidadvantageofabettersalarythanhehadbeengettingforworkhehated。Itwasanincrediblechance，butitwasrenderedappreciablyrealbythenecessityitinvolvedthattheyshouldleaveBoston，wheretheyhadlivedalltheirmarriedlife，whereMrs。Marchaswellastheirchildrenwasborn，andwherealltheirtenderandfamiliartieswere，andcometoNewYork，wheretheliteraryenterprisewhichformedhischancewastobefounded。
Itwasthenamagazineofanewsort，whichhisbusinesspartnerhadimaginedinsuchleisureasthemanagementofanewspapersyndicateaffordedhim，andhadalwaysthoughtofgettingMarchtoedit。Themagazinewhichisalsoabookhassincebeenrealizedelsewhereonmoreorlessprosperousterms，butnotforanylongperiod，and’EveryOtherWeek’wasapparently——theonlyperiodicalofthekindconditionedforsurvival。Itwasatfirstbackedbyunlimitedcapital，andithadtheinstantfavorofapopularmood，whichhassincechanged，butwhichdidnotchangesosoonthatthemagazinehadnottimetoestablishitselfinawideacceptance。Itwasnownolongeranovelty，itwasnolongerinthemaidenblushofitsfirstsuccess，butithadentereduponitssecondyouthwiththereasonablehopeofmanyyearsofprosperitybeforeit。Infactitwasaverycomfortablelivingforallconcerned，andtheMarcheshadtheconditions，almostdismayinglyperfect，inwhichtheyhadoftenpromisedthemselvestogoandbeyoungagaininEurope，whentheyrebelledatfindingthemselveselderlyinAmerica。Theirdaughterwasmarried，andsoverymuchtohermother’smindthatshedidnotworryabouther，eventhoughshelivedsofarawayasChicago，stillawildfrontiertowntoherBostonimagination；andtheirson，assoonasheleftcollege，hadtakenholdon’EveryOtherWeek’，underhisfather’sinstruction，withazealandintelligencewhichwonhimFulkerson’spraiseasachipoftheoldblock。Thesetwolikedeachother，andworkedintoeachother’shandsascordiallyandaptlyasFulkersonandMarchhadeverdone。ItamusedthefathertoseehissonofferingFulkersonthesamedeferencewhichtheBusinessEndpaidtoseniorityinMarchhimself；butinfact，Fulkerson’sforeheadwasgetting，ashesaid，moreintellectualeveryday；andtheyearswerepushingthemallalongtogether。
Still，Marchhadkeptonintheoldrut，andonedayhefelldowninit。
Hehadalongsickness，andwhenhewaswellofit，hewassoslowingettinghisgripofworkagainthathewassometimesdeeplydiscouraged。
Hiswifesharedhisdepression，whetherheshowedorwhetherhehidit，andwhenthedoctoradvisedhisgoingabroad，sheabettedthedoctorwithallthestrengthofawoman’shygienicintuitions。Marchhimselfwillinglyconsented，atfirst；butassoonashegotstrengthforhiswork，hebegantotemporizeandtodemur。HesaidthathebelieveditwoulddohimjustasmuchgoodtogotoSaratoga，wheretheyalwayshadsuchagoodtime，astogotoCarlsbad；andMrs。Marchhadbeenobligedseveraltimestoleavehimtohisownundoing；shealwaystookhimmorevigorouslyinhandafterwards。
Whenhegothomefromthe’EveryOtherWeek’office，theafternoonofthattalkwiththeBusinessEnd，hewantedtolaughwithhiswifeatFulkerson’snotionofaSabbaticalyear。Shedidnotthinkitwassoverydroll；sheevenurgeditseriouslyagainsthim，asifshehadnowtheauthorityofHolyWritforforcinghimabroad；shefoundnorelishofabsurdityintheideathatitwashisdutytotakethisrestwhichhadbeenhisrightbefore。
Heabandonedhimselftoafancywhichhadbeenworkingtothesurfaceofhisthought。“WecouldcallitourSilverWeddingJourney，andgoroundtoalltheoldplaces，andseetheminthereflectedlightofthepast。”
“Oh，wecould！”sheresponded，passionately；andhehadnowthedelicateresponsibilityofpersuadingherthathewasjoking。
HecouldthinkofnothingbetterthanareturntoFulkerson’sabsurdity。
“ItwouldbeourSilverWeddingJourneyjustasitwouldbemySabbaticalyear——agooddealafterdate。ButIsupposethatwouldmakeitallthemoresilvery。”
Shefalteredinherelation。“Didn’tyousayaSabbaticalyearyourself？”shedemanded。
“Fulkersonsaidit；butitwasafigurativeexpression。”
“AndIsupposetheSilverWeddingJourneywasafigurativeexpressiontoo！”
“Itwasanotionthattemptedme；Ithoughtyouwouldenjoyit。Don’tyousupposeIshouldbegladtoo，ifwecouldgoover，andfindourselvesjustaswewerewhenwefirstmetthere？”
“No；Idon’tbelievenowthatyoucareanythingaboutit。”
“Well，itcouldn’tbedone，anyway；sothatdoesn’tmatter。”
“Itcouldbedone，ifyouwereamindtothinkso。Anditwouldbethegreatestinspirationtoyou。Youarealwayslongingforsomechancetodooriginalwork，togetawayfromyourediting，butyou’veletthetimeslipbywithoutreallytryingtodoanything；Idon’tcallthoselittlestudiesofyoursinthemagazineanything；andnowyouwon’ttakethechancethat’salmostforcingitselfuponyou。Youcouldwriteanoriginalbookofthenicestkind；mixuptravelandfiction；getsomelovein。”
“Oh，that’sthestalestkindofthing！”
“Well，butyoucouldseeitfromaperfectlynewpointofview。Youcouldlookatitasasortofdispassionatewitness，andtreatithumorously——ofcourseitisridiculous——anddosomethingentirelyfresh。”
“Itwouldn’twork。Itwouldbecarryingwateronbothshoulders。Thefictionwouldkillthetravel，thetravelwouldkillthefiction；theloveandthehumorwouldn’tmingleanymorethanoilandvinegar。”
“Well，andwhatisbetterthanasalad？”
“Butthiswouldbeallsalad-dressing，andnothingtoputiton。”Shewassilent，andheyieldedtoanotherfancy。“Wemightimaginecominguponourformerselvesoverthere，andtravellingroundwiththem——
aweddingjourney’enpartiecarree’。”
“Somethinglikethat。Icallitaverypoeticalidea。”shesaidwithasortofprovisionality，asifdistrustinganotherambush。
“Itisn’tsobad。”headmitted。“Howyoungwewere，inthosedays！”
“Tooyoungtoknowwhatagoodtimewewerehaving。”shesaid，relaxingherdoubtfortheretrospect。“Idon’tfeelasifIreallysawEurope，then；Iwastooinexperienced，tooignorant，toosimple。Iwouldliketogo，justtomakesurethatIhadbeen。”Hewassmilingagaininthewayhehadwhenanythingoccurredtohimthatamusedhim，andshedemanded，“Whatisit？”
“Nothing。Iwaswishingwecouldgointheconsciousnessofpeoplewhoactuallyhadn’tbeenbefore——carrythemallthroughEurope，andletthemseeitintheold，simple-heartedAmericanway。”
Sheshookherhead。“Youcouldn’t！They’veallbeen！”
“Allbutaboutsixtyorseventymillions。”saidMarch。
“Well，thosearejustthemillionsyoudon’tknow，andcouldn’timagine。”
“I’mnotsosureofthat。”
“Andevenifyoucouldimaginethem，youcouldn’tmaketheminteresting。
Alltheinterestingoneshavebeen，anyway。”
“Someoftheuninterestingonestoo。Iused，tomeetsomeofthatsortoverthere。IbelieveIwouldratherchanceitformypleasurewiththosethathadn’tbeen。”
“Thenwhynotdoit？Iknowyoucouldgetsomethingoutofit。”
“Itmightbeagoodthing。”hemused，“totakeacouplewhohadpassedtheirwholelifehereinNewYork，toopoorandtoobusyevertogo；andhadaperfectfamineforEuropeallthetime。IcouldhavethemspendtheirSundayafternoonsgoingaboardthedifferentboats，andlookinguptheiraccommodations。Icouldhavethemsail，inimagination，anddiscoveranimaginaryEurope，andgivetheirgrotesquemisconceptionsofitfromtravelsandnovelsagainstabackgroundofpurelyAmericanexperience。Weneedn’tgoabroadtomanagethat。Ithinkitwouldberathernice。”