adventures and letters-第7节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Now　my　dear　old　man　this　sounds　like　awfully　cold　comfort。　　But　it　is　the　wisest　idea　your　mother　has　got。　　I　confess　I　have　GREAT　faith　in　youand　I　try　to　judge　you　as　if　you　were　not　my　son。　　I　think　you　are　going　to　take　a　high　place　among　American　authors；　but　I　do　not　think　you　are　going　to　do　it　by　articles　like　that　you　sent　to　The　Current。　　The　qualities　which　I　think　will　bring　it　to　you；　you　don't　seem　to　value　at　all。　　They　are　your　dramatic　eye。　　I　mean　your　quick　perception　of　character　and　of　the　way　character　shows　itself　in　looks；　tones；　dress；　etc。；　and　in　your　keen　sympathywith　all　kinds　of　peopleNow；　these　are　the　requisites　for　a　novelist。　　Added　to　that　your　humour。

You　ought　to　make　a　novelist　of　the　first　class。　　But　you　must　not　expect　to　do　it　this　week　or　next。　　A　lasting；　real　success　takes　time；　and　patient；　steady　work。　　Read　Boz's　first　sketches　of　〃London　Life〃　and　compare　them　with　〃Sydney　Carton〃　or　〃David　Copperfield〃　and　you　will　see　what　time　and　hard　work　will　do　to　develop　genius。

I　suppose　you　will　wonder　why　I　am　moved　to　say　all　this？　　It　is；　I　think；　because　of　your　saying　〃the　article　sent　to　St。　Nicholas　was　the　best　you　would　be　able　to　do　for　years　to　come〃　and　I　saw　you　were　going　to　make　it　a　crucial　test　of　your　ability。　　That　is；　forgive　me；　nothing　but　nonsense。　　Whatever　the　article　may　be；　you　may　write　one　infinitely　superior　to　it　next　week　or　month。　　Just　in　proportion　as　you　feel　more　deeply；　or　notice　more　keenly；　and　as　you　acquire　the　faculty　of　expressing　your　feelings　or　observations　more　delicately　and　powerfully　which　faculty　must　come　into　practice。　　It　is　not　inspirationit　never　was　thatwithout　practice；　with　any　writer　from　Shakespeare　down。

me。　　I　don't　say；　like　Papa；　stop　writing。　　God　forbid。　　I　would　almost　as　soon　say　stop　breathing；　for　it　is　pretty　much　the　same　thing。　　But　only　to　remember　that　you　have　not　yet　conquered　your　art。　　You　are　a　journeyman　not　a　master　workman；　so　if　you　don't　succeed；　it　does　not　count。　　The　future　is　what　I　look　to；　for　you。　　I　had　to　stop　my　work　to　say　all　this；　so　good…bye　dear　old　chum。

Yours；

MOTHER。


If　anything　worried　Richard　at　all　at　this　period；　I　think　it　was　his　desire　to　get　down　to　steady　newspaper　work；　or　indeed　any　kind　of　work　that　would　act　as　the　first　step　of　his　career　and　by　which　he　could　pay　his　own　way　in　the　world。　　It　was　with　this　idea　uppermost　in　his　mind　in　the　late　spring　of　1886；　and　without　any　particular　regret　for　the　ending　of　his　college　career；　that　he　left　Baltimore　and；　returning　to　his　home　in　Philadelphia；　determined　to　accept　the　first　position　that　presented　itself。　　But　instead　of　going　to　work　at　once；　he　once　more　changed　his　plans　and　decided　to　sail　for　Santiago　de　Cuba　with　his　friend　William　W。　Thurston；　who　as　president　of　the　Bethlehem　Steel　Company；　was　deeply　interested　in　the　iron　mines　of　that　region。　　Here　and　then　it　was　that　Richard　first　fell　in　love　with　Cubaa　love　which　in　later　years　became　almost　an　obsession　with　him。　　Throughout　his　life　whenever　it　was　possible；　and　sometimes　when　it　seemed　practically　impossible；　my　brother　would　listen　to　the　call　of　his　beloved　tropics　and；　casting　aside　all　responsibilities；　would　set　sail　for　Santiago。　　After　all　it　was　quite　natural　that　he　should　feel　as　he　did　about　this　little　Cuban　coast　town；　for　apart　from　its　lazy　life；　spicy　smells；　waving　palms　and　Spanish　cooking；　it　was　here　that　he　found　the　material　for　his　first　novel　and　greatest　monetary　success；　〃Soldiers　of　Fortune。〃　　Apart　from　the　many　purely　pleasure　trips　he　made　to　Santiago；　twice　he　returned　there　to　workonce　as　a　correspondent　during　the　Spanish…American　War；　and　again　when　he　went　with　Augustus　Thomas　to　assist　in　the　latter's　film　version　of　the　play　which　years　before　Thomas　had　made　from　the　novel。



CHAPTER　III　FIRST　NEWSPAPER　EXPERIENCES


In　the　late　summer　of　1886　Richard　returned　from　Cuba　and　settled　down　in　Philadelphia　to　write　an　article　about　his　experiences　at　Santiago　and　to　look　for　regular　newspaper　work。　　Early　in　September　he　wrote　his　mother：


September；　1886。　DEAR　MOTHER：

I　saw　the　Record　people　to…day。　　They　said　there　was　not　an　opening　but　could　give　me　〃chance〃　work；　that　is；　I　was　to　report　each　day　at　one　and　get　what　was　left　over。　　I　said　I　would　take　it　as　I　would　have　my　mornings　free　to　write　the　article　and　what　afternoons　I　did　not　have　newspaper　work　besides。　　This　is　satisfactory。　　They　are　either　doing　all　they　can　to　oblige　Dad　or　else　giving　me　a　trial　trip　before　making　an　opening。　　The　article　is　progressing　but　slowly。　　To　paraphrase　Talleyrand；　what's　done　is　but　little　and　that　little　is　not　good。　　However；　since　your　last　letter　full　of　such　excellent　〃tips〃　I　have　rewritten　it　and　think　it　is　much　improved。　　I　will　write　to　Thurston　concerning　the　artist　to…morrow。　　He　is　away　from　B。　at　present。　　On　the　whole　the　article　is　not　bad。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　


Your　boy；　DICK。


Richard's　stay　on　The　Record；　however；　was　short…lived。　　His　excuse　for　the　brevity　of　the　experience　was　given　in　an　interview　some　years　later。　　〃My　City　Editor　didn't　like　me　because　on　cold　days　I　wore　gloves。　　But　he　was　determined　to　make　me　work；　and　gave　me　about　eighteen　assignments　a　day；　and　paid　me　7。　a　week。　　At　the　end　of　three　months　he　discharged　me　as　incompetent。〃

From　The　Record　Richard　went　to　The　Press；　which　was　much　more　to　his　liking；　and；　indeed　it　was　here　that　he　did　his　first　real　work　and　showed　his　first　promise。　　For　nearly　three　years　he　did　general　reporting　and　during　this　time　gained　a　great　deal　more　personal　success　than　comes　to　most　members　of　that　usually　anonymous　profession。　　His　big　chance　came　with　the　Johnstown　flood；　and　the　news　stories　he　wired　to　his　paper　showed　the　first　glimpse　of　his　ability　as　a　correspondent。　　Later　on；　disguised　as　a　crook；　he　joined　a　gang　of　yeggmen；　lived　with　them　in　the　worst　dives　of　the　city；　and　eventually　gained　their　good　opinion　to　the　extent　of　being　allowed　to　assist　in　planning　a　burglary。　　But　before　the　actual　robbery　took　place；　Richard　had　obtained　enough　evidence　against　his　crook　companions　to　turn　them　over　to　the　police　and　eventually　land　them　in　prison。　　It　was　during　these　days　that　he　wrote　his　first　story　for　a　magazine；　and　the　following　letter　shows　that　it　was　something　of　a　milestone　in　his　career。

PHILADELPHIA。

August；　1888。　DEAR　FAMILY：

The　St。　Nicholas　people　sent　me　a　check　for　50　for　the　〃pirate〃　story。　　It　would　be　insupportable　affectation　to　say　that　I　was　not　delighted。　　Jennings　Crute　and　I　were　waiting　for　breakfast　when　I　found　the　letter。　　I　opened　it　very　slowly；　for　I　feared　they　would　bluff　me　with　some　letter　about　illustrations　or　revision；　or　offering　me　a　reduced　subscription　to　the　magazine。　　There　was　a　letter　inside　and　a　check。　　I　read　the　letter　before　I　looked　at　the　check；　which　I　supposed　would　be　for　30；　as　the　other　story　was　valued　at　20。　　The　note　said　that　a　perfect　gentleman　named　Chichester　would　be　pleased　if　I　would　find　enclosed　a　check　for　50。　　I　looked　at　Jenny　helplessly；　and　said；　〃It's　for　fifty；　Jenny。〃　　Crute　had　an　insane　look　in　his　eyes　as　he　murmured　〃half　a　hundred　dollars；　and　on　your　day　off；　too。〃　　Then　I　sat　down　suddenly　and　wondered　what　I　would　buy　first；　and　Crute　sat　in　a　dazed　condition；　and　abstractedly　took　a　handful　of　segars　out　of　the　box　dear　old　Dad　gave　me。　　As　I　didn't　say　anything；　he　took　another　handful；　and　then　sat　down　and　gazed　at　the　check　for　five　minutes　in　awe。　　After　breakfast　I　calculated　how　much　I　would　have　after　I　paid　my　debts。　　I　still　owe　say　23；　and　I　have　some　shoes　to　pay　for　and　my　hair　to　cut。　　I　had　a　wild　idea　of　going　over　to　New　York　and　buying　some　stocks；　but　I　guess　I'll　go　to　Bond's　and　Baker's　instead。

I'm　going　down　street　now　to　see　if　Drexel　wants　to　borrow　any　ready　money…on　the　way　down　I　will　make　purchases　and　pay　bills　so　that　my　march　will　be　a　triumphal　procession。

I　got　a　story　on　the　front　page　this　morning　about　an　explosion　at　Columbia　Avenue　StationI　went　out　on　it　with　another　man　my　senior　in　years　and　experience；　whom　Watrous　expected　to　write　the　story　while　I　hustled　for　facts。　　When　we　got　back　I　had　all　the　facts；　and　what　little　he　had　was　incorrectso　I　said　I　would　dispense　with　his　services　and　write　the　story　myself。　　I　did　it　very　politely；　but　it　queered　the　man　before　the　men；　and　Watrous　grew　very　sarcastic　at　his　expense。　　Next　time　Andy　will　know　better　and　let　me　get　my　own　stories　alone。

Your　Millionaire　Son；

DICK。

I'm　still　the　〃same　old　Dick〃；　not　proud　a　bit。

This　was　my　mother's　reply：


Thursday。　August　1888。　DEAR　DICK：

Your　letter　has　just　come　and　we　are　all　delighted。　　Well　done　for　old　St。　Nicholas！　　I　thought　they　meant　to　wait　till　the　story　was　published。　　It　took　me　back　to　the　day　when　I　got　50。　for　〃Life　in　the　Iron　Mills。〃　　I　carried　the　letter　half　a　day　before　opening　it；　being　so　sure　that　it　was　a　refusal。

I　had　a　great　mind　to　read　the　letter　to　Davis　and　Cecile　who　were　on　the　porch　but　was　afraid　you　would　not　like　it。

I　did　read　them　an　extremely　impertinent　e