their silver wedding journey v2-第2部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


a　family　party　of　old　and　young；　they　were　having　a　good　time；　with　a
freedom　which　she　called　baronial；　the　ladies　wore　white　satin；　or　black
lace；　but　the　men　were　in　sack…coats；　she　chose　to　attribute　them；　for　no
reason　but　their　outlandishness；　to　Transylvania。　　March　pretended　to
prefer　a　table　full　of　Germans；　who　were　unmistakably　bourgeois；　and　yet
of　intellectual　effect。　　He　chose　as　his　favorite　a　middle…aged　man　of
learned　aspect；　and　they　both　decided　to　think　of　him　as　the　Herr
Professor；　but　they　did　not　imagine　how　perfectly　the　title　fitted　him
till　he　drew　a　long　comb　from　his　waistcoat　pocket　and　combed　his　hair
and　beard　with　it　above　the　table。

The　wine　wrought　with　the　Transylvanians；　and　they　all　jargoned　together
at　once；　and　laughed　at　the　jokes　passing　among　them。　　One　old　gentleman
had　a　peculiar　fascination　from　the　infantile　innocence　of　his　gums　when
he　threw　his　head　back　to　laugh；　and　showed　an　upper　jaw　toothless　except
for　two　incisors；　standing　guard　over　the　chasm　between。　　Suddenly　he
choked；　coughed　to　relieve　himself；　hawked；　held　his　napkin　up　before
him；　and

〃Noblesse　oblige；〃　said　March；　with　the　tone　of　irony　which　he　reserved
for　his　wife's　preoccupations　with　aristocracies　of　all　sorts。　　〃I　think
I　prefer　my　Hair　Professor；　bourgeois；　as　he　is。〃

The　ladies　attributively　of　central　Massachusetts　had　risen　from　their
table；　and　were　making　for　the　door　without　having　paid　for　their　supper。
The　head　waiter　ran　after　them；　with　a　real　delicacy　for　their　mistake　he
explained　that　though　in　most　places　the　meals　were　charged　in　the　bill；
it　was　the　custom　in　Carlsbad　to　pay　for　them　at　the　table；　one　could　see
that　he　was　making　their　error　a　pleasant　adventure　to　them　which　they
could　laugh　over　together；　and　write　home　about　without　a　pang。

〃And　I；〃　said　Mrs。　March；　shamelessly　abandoning　the　party　of　the
aristocracy；　〃prefer　the　manners　of　the　lower　classes。〃

〃Oh；　yes；〃　he　admitted。　　〃The　only　manners　we　have　at　home　are　black
ones。　　But　you　mustn't　lose　courage。　　Perhaps　the　nobility　are　not　always
so　baronial。〃

〃I　don't　know　whether　we　have　manners　at　home；〃　she　said；　〃and　I　don't
believe　I　care。　　At　least　we　have　decencies。〃

〃Don't　be　a　jingo；〃　said　her　husband。




XXVII。

Though　Stoller　had　formally　discharged　Burnamy　from　duty　for　the　day；　he
was　not　so　full　of　resources　in　himself；　and　he　had　not　so　general　an
acquaintance　in　the　hotel　but　he　was　glad　to　have　the　young　fellow　make
up　to　him　in　the　reading…room；　that　night。　　He　laid　down　a　New　York　paper
ten　days　old　in　despair　of　having　left　any　American　news　in　it；　and
pushed　several　continental　Anglo…American　papers　aside　with　his　elbow；　as
he　gave　a　contemptuous　glance　at　the　foreign　journals；　in　Bohemian；
Hungarian；　German；　French；　and　Italian；　which　littered　the　large　table。

I　wonder；〃　he　said；　〃how　long　it'll　take'em；　over　here；　to　catch　on　to
our　way　of　having　pictures？〃

Burnamy　had　come　to　his　newspaper　work　since　illustrated　journalism　was
established；　and　he　had　never　had　any　shock　from　it　at　home；　but　so
sensitive　is　youth　to　environment　that；　after　four　days　in　Europe；　the
New　York　paper　Stoller　had　laid　down　was　already　hideous　to　him。　　From
the　politic　side　of　his　nature；　however；　he　temporized　with　Stoller's
preference。　　〃I　suppose　it　will　be　some　time　yet。〃

〃I　wish；〃　said　Stoller；　with　a　savage　disregard　of　expressed　sequences
and　relevancies；　〃I　could　ha'　got　some　pictures　to　send　home　with　that
letter　this　afternoon：　something　to　show　how　they　do　things　here；　and　be
a　kind　of　object…lesson。〃　　This　term　had　come　up　in　a　recent　campaign
when　some　employers；　by　shutting　down　their　works；　were　showing　their
employees　what　would　happen　if　the　employees　voted　their　political
opinions　into　effect；　and　Stoller　had　then　mastered　its　meaning　and　was
fond　of　using　it。　　〃I'd　like　'em　to　see　the　woods　around　here；　that　the
city　owns；　and　the　springs；　and　the　donkey…carts；　and　the　theatre；　and
everything；　and　give　'em　some　practical　ideas。〃

Burnamy　made　an　uneasy　movement。

〃I'd　'a'　liked　to　put　'em　alongside　of　some　of　our　improvements；　and　show
how　a　town　can　be　carried　on　when　it's　managed　on　business　principles。
〃Why　didn't　you　think　of　it？〃

〃Really；　I　don't　know；〃　said　Burnamy；　with　a　touch　of　impatience。

They　had　not　met　the　evening　before　on　the　best　of　terms。　　Stoller　had
expected　Burnamy　twenty…four　hours　earlier；　and　had　shown　his　displeasure
with　him　for　loitering　a　day　at　Leipsic　which　he　might　have　spent　at
Carlsbad；　and　Burnamy　had　been　unsatisfactory　in　accounting　for　the
delay。　　But　he　had　taken　hold　so　promptly　and　so　intelligently　that　by
working　far　into　the　night；　and　through　the　whole　forenoon；　he　had　got
Stoller's　crude　mass　of　notes　into　shape；　and　had　sent　off　in　time　for
the　first　steamer　the　letter　which　was　to　appear　over　the　proprietor's
name　in　his　paper。　　It　was　a　sort　of　rough　but　very　full　study　of　the
Carlsbad　city　government；　the　methods　of　taxation；　the　municipal
ownership　of　the　springs　and　the　lands；　and　the　public　control　in
everything。　　It　condemned　the　aristocratic　constitution　of　the
municipality；　but　it　charged　heavily　in　favor　of　the　purity；　beneficence；
and　wisdom　of　the　administration；　under　which　there　was　no　poverty　and　no
idleness；　and　which　was　managed　like　any　large　business。

Stoller　had　sulkily　recurred　to　his　displeasure；　once　or　twice；　and
Burnamy　suffered　it　submissively　until　now。　　But　now；　at　the　change　in
Burnamy's　tone；　he　changed　his　manner　a　little。

〃Seen　your　friends　since　supper？〃　he　asked。

〃Only　a　moment。　　They　are　rather　tired；　and　they've　gone　to　bed。〃

That　the　fellow　that　edits　that　book　you　write　for？〃

〃Yes；　he　owns　it；　too。〃

The　notion　of　any　sort　of　ownership　moved　Stoller's　respect；　and　he　asked
more　deferentially；　〃Makin'　a　good　thing　out　of　it？〃

〃A　living；　I　suppose。　　Some　of　the　high…class　weeklies　feel　the
competition　of　the　ten…cent　monthlies。　　But　'Every　Other　Week'　is　about
the　best　thing　we've　got　in　the　literary　way；　and　I　guess　it's　holding
its　own。〃

〃Have　to；　to　let　the　editor　come　to　Carlsbad；〃　Stoller　said；　with　a
return　to　the　sourness　of　his　earlier　mood。　　〃I　don't　know　as　I　care　much
for　his　looks；　I　seen　him　when　he　came　in　with　you。　　No　snap　to　him。〃
He　clicked　shut　the　penknife　he　had　been　paring　his　nails　with；　and
started　up　with　the　abruptness　which　marked　all　his　motions；　mental　and
physical；　as　he　walked　heavily　out　of　the　room　he　said；　without　looking
at　Burnamy；　〃You　want　to　be　ready　by　half　past　ten　at　the　latest。〃

Stoller's　father　and　mother　were　poor　emigrants　who　made　their　way　to　the
West　with　the　instinct　for　sordid　prosperity　native　to　their　race　and
class；　and　they　set　up　a　small　butcher　shop　in　the　little　Indiana　town
where　their　son　was　born；　and　throve　in　it　from　the　start。　　He　could
remember　his　mother　helping　his　father　make　the　sausage　and　head…cheese
and　pickle　the　pigs'　feet；　which　they　took　turns　in　selling　at　as　great　a
price　as　they　could　extort　from　the　townspeople。　　She　was　a　good　and
tender　mother；　and　when　her　little　Yawcup；　as　the　boys　called　Jacob　in
mimicry　after　her；　had　grown　to　the　school…going　age；　she　taught　him　to
fight　the　Americans；　who　stoned　him　when　he　came　out　of　his　gate；　and
mobbed　his　home…coming；　and　mocked　and　tormented　him　at　play…time　till
they　wore　themselves　into　a　kindlier　mind　toward　him　through　the
exhaustion　of　their　invention。　　No　one；　so　far　as　the　gloomy；　stocky；
rather　dense　little　boy　could　make　out；　ever　interfered　in　his　behalf；
and　he　grew　up　in　bitter　shame　for　his　German　origin；　which　entailed　upon
him　the　hard　fate　of　being　Dutch　among　the　Americans。　　He　hated　his
native　speech　so　much　that　he　cried　when　he　was　forced　to　use　it　with　his
father　and　mother　at　home；　he　furiously　denied　it　with　the　boys　who
proposed　to　parley　with　him　in　it　on　such　terms　as　〃Nix　come　arouce　in　de
Dytchman's　house。〃　　He　disused　it　so　thoroughly　that　after　his　father
took　him　out　of　school；　when　he　was　old　enough　to　help　in　the　shop；　he
could　not　get　back　to　it。　　He　regarded　his　father's　business　as　part　of
his　national　disgrace；　and　at　the　cost　of　leaving　his　home　he　broke　away
from　it；　and　informally　apprenticed　himself　to　the　village　blacksmith　and
wagon…maker。　　When　it　came　to　his　setting　up　for　himself　in　the　business
he　had　chosen；　he　had　no　help　from　his　father；　who　had　gone　on　adding
dollar　to　dollar　till　he　was　one　of　the　richest　men　in　the　place。

Jacob　prospered　too；　his　old　playmates；　who　had　used　him　so　cruelly；　had
many　of　them　come　to　like　him；　but　as　a　Dutchman　they　never　dreamt　of
asking　him　to　their　houses　when　they　were　young　people；　any　more　than
when　they　were　children。　　He　was　long　deeply　in　love　with　an　American
girl　whom　he　had　never　spoken　to；　and　the　dream　of　his　life　was　to　marry
an　American。　　He　ended　by　marrying　the　daughter　of　Pferd　the　brewer；　who
had　been　at　an　American　school　in　Indianapolis；　and　had　come　home　as
fragilely　and　nasally　American　as　anybody。　　She　made　him　a　good；　sickly；
fretful　wife；　and　bore　him　five　children；　of　whom　two　survived；　with　no
visible　taint　of　their　German　origin。

In　the　mean　time　Jacob's　father　had　died　and　left　his　money　to　his　son；
with　the　understanding　that　he　was　to　provide　for　his　mother；　who　would
gladly　have　given　every　cent　to　him　and　been　no　burden　to　him；　if　she
could。　　He　took　her　home；　and　cared　tenderly　for　her　as　long　as　she
lived；　and　she　meekly　did　her　best　to　abolish　herself　in　a　household
trying　so　hard　to　be　American。　　She　could　not　help　her　native　accent；　but
she　kept　silence　when　her　son's　wife　had　company；　and　when　her　eldest
granddaughter　began　very　early　to　have　American　callers；　she　went　out　of
the　room；　they　would　not　have　noticed　her　if　she　had　staid。

Before　this　Jacob　had　come　forward　publicly　in　proportion　to　his
financial　importance　in　the　community。　　He　first　commended　himself　to　the
Better　Element　by　crushing　out　a　strike　in　his　Buggy　Works；　which　were
now　the　largest　business　interest　of　the　place；　and　he　rose　on　a　wave　of
municipal　reform　to　such　a　height　of　favor　with　the　respectable　classes
that　he　was　ele