第9章

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，therailroadkingsandthecoalbarons(theoppressorstowhomyouinstinctivelygivethetitlesoftyrants)——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。 ThemoreMarchthoughtoftheinjusticeoftheNewYorkpress(whichhadnot，however，attackedtheliteraryqualityofthenumber)themorebitterlyheresentedit；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。