roundabout to boston-第5节

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Mr。　and　Mrs。　Fields　were　there；　from　Boston；　and　I　renewed　all　the
pleasure　of　my　earlier　meetings　with　them。　　At　the　end　Fields　said；
mockingly；　〃Don't　despise　Boston！〃　and　I　answered；　as　we　shook　hands；
〃Few　are　worthy　to　live　in　Boston。〃　　It　was　New…Year's　eve；　and　that
night　it　came　on　to　snow　so　heavily　that　my　horse…car　could　hardly　plough
its　way　up　to　Forty…seventh　Street　through　the　drifts。　　The　next　day；　and
the　next；　I　wrote　at　home；　because　it　was　so　hard　to　get　down…town。　　The
third　day　I　reached　the　office　and　found　a　letter　on　my　desk　from　Fields；
asking　how　I　should　like　to　come　to　Boston　and　be　his　assistant　on　the
'Atlantic　Monthly'。　　I　submitted　the　matter　at　once　to　my　chief　on　the
'Nation'；　and　with　his　frank　goodwill　I　talked　it　over　with　Mr。　Osgood；
of　Ticknor　&　Fields；　who　was　to　see　me　further　about　it　if　I　wished；　when
he　came　to　New　York；　and　then　I　went　to　Boston　to　see　Mr。　Fields
concerning　details。　　I　was　to　sift　all　the　manuscripts　and　correspond
with　contributors；　I　was　to　do　the　literary　proof…reading　of　the
magazine；　and　I　was　to　write　the　four　or　five　pages　of　book…notices；
which　were　then　printed　at　the　end　of　the　periodical　in　finer　type；　and　I
was　to　have　forty　dollars　a　week。　　I　said　that　I　was　getting　that　already
for　less　work；　and　then　Mr。　Fields　offered　me　ten　dollars　more。　　Upon
these　terms　we　closed；　and　on　the　1st　of　March；　which　was　my　twenty…ninth
birthday；　I　went　to　Boston　and　began　my　work。　　I　had　not　decided　to
accept　the　place　without　advising　with　Lowell；　he　counselled　the　step；
and　gave　me　some　shrewd　and　useful　suggestions。　　The　whole　affair　was
conducted　by　Fields　with　his　unfailing　tact　and　kindness；　but　it　could
not　be　kept　from　me　that　the　qualification　I　had　as　practical　printer　for
the　work　was　most　valued；　if　not　the　most　valued；　and　that　as　proof…
reader　I　was　expected　to　make　it　avail　on　the　side　of　economy。　　Somewhere
in　life's　feast　the　course　of　humble…pie　must　always　come　in；　and　if　I
did　not　wholly　relish　this；　bit　of　it；　I　dare　say　it　was　good　for　me；　and
I　digested　it　perfectly。









End