a mortal antipathy-第25节

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of　twenty　pages　would　come　in；　with　an　underscored　request　to　please

read　through；　carefully。　　That　request　alone　is　commonly　sufficient

to　condemn　any　paper；　and　prevent　its　having　any　chance　of　a　hearing；

but　the　Secretary　was　not　hardened　enough　yet　for　that　kind　of

martial　law　in　dealing　with　manuscripts。　　The　looker…on　might　have

seen　her　take　up　the　paper；　cast　one　flashing　glance　at　its　title；

read　the　first　sentence　and　the　last；　dip　at　a　venture　into　two　or

three　pages；　and　decide　as　swiftly　as　the　lightning　calculator　would

add　up　a　column　of　figures　what　was　to　be　its　destination。　　If

rejected；　it　went　into　the　heap　on　the　left；　if　approved；　it　was　laid

apart；　to　be　submitted　to　the　Committee　for　their　judgment。　　The

foolish　writers　who　insist　on　one's　reading　through　their　manuscript

poems　and　stories　ought　to　know　how　fatal　the　request　is　to　their

prospects。　　It　provokes　the　reader；　to　begin　with。　　The　reading　of

manuscript　is　frightful　work；　at　the　best；　the　reading　of　worthless

manuscriptand　most　of　that　which　one　is　requested　to　read　through

is　worthlesswould　add　to　the　terrors　of　Tartarus；　if　any　infernal

deity　were　ingenious　enough　to　suggest　it　as　a　punishment。



If　a　paper　was　rejected　by　the　Secretary；　it　did　not　come　before　the

Committee；　but　was　returned　to　the　author；　if　he　sent　for　it；　which

he　commonly　did。　　Its　natural　course　was　to　try　for　admission　into

some　one　of　the　popular　magazines：　into　〃　The　Sifter；〃　the　most

fastidious　of　them　all；　if　that　declined　it；　into　〃The　Second　Best；〃

and　if　that　returned　it；　into　〃The　Omnivorous。〃　　If　it　was　refused

admittance　at　the　doors　of　all　the　magazines；　it　might　at　length　find

shelter　in　the　corner　of　a　newspaper；　where　a　good　deal　of　very

readable　verse　is　to　be　met　with　nowadays；　some　of　which　has　been；　no

doubt；　presented　to　the　Pansophian　Society；　but　was　not　considered　up

to　its　standard。









X



A　NEW　ARRIVAL。



There　was　a　recent　accession　to　the　transient　population　of　the

village　which　gave　rise　to　some　speculation。　　The　new…comer　was　a

young　fellow；　rather　careless　in　his　exterior；　but　apparently　as　much

at　home　as　if　he　owned　Arrowhead　Village　and　everything　in　it。　　He

commonly　had　a　cigar　in　his　mouth；　carried　a　pocket　pistol；　of　the

non…explosive　sort；　and　a　stick　with　a　bulldog's　bead　for　its　knob；

wore　a　soft　bat；　a　coarse　check　suit；　a　little　baggy；　and　gaiterboots

which　had　been　half…soled；a　Bohemian…looking　personage；　altogether。



This　individual　began　making　explorations　in　every　direction。　　He　was

very　curious　about　the　place　and　all　the　people　in　it。　　He　was

especially　interested　in　the　Pansophian　Society；　concerning　which　he

made　all　sorts　of　inquiries。　　This　led　him　to　form　a　summer

acquaintance　with　the　Secretary；　who　was　pleased　to　give　him　whatever

information　he　asked　for；　being　proud　of　the　Society；　as　she　had　a

right　to　be；　and　knowing　more　about　it　than　anybody　else。



The　visitor　could　not　have　been　long　in　the　village　without　hearing

something　of　Maurice　Kirkwood；　and　the　stories；　true　and　false；

connected　with　his　name。　　He　questioned　everybody　who　could　tell　him

anything　about　Maurice；　and　set　down　the　answers　in　a　little　note…

book　he　always　had　with　him。



All　this　naturally　excited　the　curiosity　of　the　village　about　this

new　visitor。　　Among　the　rest；　Miss　Vincent；　not　wanting　in　an

attribute　thought　to　belong　more　especially　to　her　sex；　became

somewhat　interested　to　know　more　exactly　who　this　inquiring；　note…

taking　personage；　who　seemed　to　be　everywhere　and　to　know　everybody；

might　himself　be。　　Meeting　him　at　the　Public　Library　at　a　fortunate

moment；　when　there　was　nobody　but　the　old　Librarian；　who　was　hard　of

hearing；　to　interfere　with　their　conversation；　the　little　Secretary

had　a　chance　to　try　to　find　out　something　about　him。



〃This　is　a　very　remarkable　library　for　a　small　village　to　possess；〃

he　remarked　to　Miss　Lurida。



〃It　is；　indeed；〃　she　said。　　〃Have　you　found　it　well　furnished　with

the　books　you　most　want？〃



〃Oh；　yes；books　enough。　　I　don't　care　so　much　for　the　books　as　I　do

for　the　Newspapers。　　I　like　a　Review　well　enough；it　tells　you　all

there　is　in　a　book；　but　a　good　abstract　of　the　Review　in　a　Newspaper

saves　a　fellow　the　trouble　of　reading　it。〃



〃You　find　the　papers　you　want；　here；　I　hope；〃　said　the　young　lady。



〃Oh；　I　get　along　pretty　well。　　It's　my　off…time；　and　I　don't　do　much

reading　or　writing。　　Who　is　the　city　correspondent　of　this　place？〃



〃I　don't　think　we　have　any　one　who　writes　regularly。　　Now　and　then；

there　is　a　letter；　with　the　gossip　of　the　place　in　it；　or　an　account

of　some　of　the　doings　at　our　Society。　　The　city　papers　are　always

glad　to　get　the　reports　of　our　meetings；　and　to　know　what　is　going　on

in　the　village。〃



〃I　suppose　you　write　about　the　Society　to　the　papers；　as　you　are　the

Secretary。〃



This　was　a　point…blank　shot。　　She　meant　to　question　the　young　man

about　his　business；　and　here　she　was　on　the　witness…stand。　　She

ducked　her　head；　and　let　the　question　go　over　her。



〃Oh；　there　are　plenty　of　members　who　are　willing　enough　to　write；

especially　to　give　an　account　of　their　own　papers。　　I　think　they　like

to　have　me　put　in　the　applause；　when　they　get　any。　　I　do　that

sometimes。〃　　（How　much　more；　she　did　not　say。）



〃I　have　seen　some　very　well　written　articles；　which；　from　what　they

tell　me　of　the　Secretary；　I　should　have　thought　she　might　have

written　herself。〃



He　looked　her　straight　in　the　eyes。



〃I　have　transmitted　some　good　papers；〃　she　said；　without　winking；　or

swallowing；　or　changing　color；　precious　little　color　she　had　to

change；　her　brain　wanted　all　the　blood　it　could　borrow　or　steal；　and

more　too。　　〃You　spoke　of　Newspapers；〃　she　said；　without　any　change　of

tone　or　manner：　〃do　you　not　frequently　write　for　them　yourself？〃



〃I　should　think　I　did；〃　answered　the　young　man。　　〃I　am　a　regular

correspondent　of　'The　People's　Perennial　and　Household　Inquisitor。'〃



〃The　regular　correspondent　from　where？〃



〃Where！　　Oh；　anywhere；the　place　does　not　make　much　difference。　　I

have　been　writing　chiefly　from　Naples　and　St。　Petersburg；　and　now　and

then　from　Constantinople。〃



〃How　long　since　your　return　to　this　country；　may　I　ask？〃



〃My　return？　　I　have　never　been　out　of　this　country。　　I　travel　with　a

gazetteer　and　some　guide…books。　　It　is　the　cheapest　way；　and　you　can

get　the　facts　much　better　from　them　than　by　trusting　your　own

observation。　　I　have　made　the　tour　of　Europe　by　the　help　of　them　and

the　newspapers。　　But　of　late　I　have　taken　to　interviewing。　　I　find

that　a　very　pleasant　specialty。　　It　is　about　as　good　sport　as　trout…

tickling；　and　much　the　same　kind　of　business。　　I　should　like　to　send

the　Society　an　account　of　one　of　my　interviews。　　Don't　you　think　they

would　like　to　hear　it？〃



〃I　have　no　doubt　they　would。　　Send　it　to　me；　and　I　will　look　it　over；

and　if　the　Committee　approve　it；　we　will　have　it　at　the　next　meeting。

You　know　everything　has　to　be　examined　and　voted　on　by　the

Committee；〃　said　the　cautious　Secretary。



〃Very　well；I　will　risk　it。　　After　it　is　read；　if　it　is　read；　please

send　it　back　to　me；　as　I　want　to　sell　it　to　'The　Sifter；'　or　'The

Second　Best；'　or　some　of　the　paying　magazines。〃



This　is　the　paper；　which　was　read　at　the　next　meeting　of　the

Pansophian　Society。





〃I　was　ordered　by　the　editor　of　the　newspaper　to　which　I　am　attached；

'The　People's　Perennial　and　Household　Inquisitor；'　to　make　a　visit　to

a　certain　well…known　writer；　and　obtain　all　the　particulars　I　could

concerning　him　and　all　that　related　to　him。　　I　have　interviewed　a

good　many　politicians；　who　I　thought　rather　liked　the　process；　but　I

had　never　tried　any　of　these　literary　people；　and　I　was　not　quite

sure　how　this　one　would　feel　about　it。　　I　said　as　much　to　the　chief；

but　he　pooh…poohed　my　scruples。　　'It　is　n't　our　business　whether　they

like　it　or　not；'　said　he；　'the　public　wants　it；　and　what　the　public

wants　it's　bound　to　have；　and　we　are　bound　to　furnish　it。　　Don't　be

afraid　of　your　man；　he　's　used　to　it；he's　been　pumped　often　enough

to　take　it　easy；　and　what　you've　got　to　do　is　to　pump　him　dry。　　You

need　n't　be　modest；ask　him　what　you　like；　he　is　n't　bound　to

answer；　you　know。'



As　he　lived　in　a　rather　nice　quarter　of　the　town；　I　smarted　myself　up

a　little；　put　on　a　fresh　collar　and　cuffs；　and　got　a　five…cent　shine

on　my　best　high…lows。　　I　said　to　myself；　as　I　was　walking　towards　the

house　where　he　lived；　that　I　would　keep　very　shady　for　a　while　and

pass　for　a　visitor　from　a　distance；　one　of　those　'admiring　strangers'

who　call　in　to　pay　their　respects；　to　get　an　autograph；　and　go　home

and　say　that　they　have　met　the　distinguished　So　and　So；　which　gives

them　a　certain　distinction　in　the　village　circle　to　which　they

belong。



〃My　man；　the　celebrated　writer；　received　me　in　what　was　evidently　his

reception…room。