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。