a hazard of new fortunes v1-第1部分

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A　Hazard　of　New　Fortunes　v1

By　William　Dean　Howells







BIBLIOGRAPHICAL


The　following　story　was　the　first　fruit　of　my　New　York　life　when　I　began
to　live　it　after　my　quarter　of　a　century　in　Cambridge　and　Boston；　ending
in　1889；　and　I　used　my　own　transition　to　the　commercial　metropolis　in
framing　the　experience　which　was　wholly　that　of　my　supposititious
literary　adventurer。　　He　was　a　character　whom；　with　his　wife；　I　have
employed　in　some　six　or　eight　other　stories；　and　whom　I　made　as　much　the
hero　and　heroine　of　'Their　Wedding　Journey'　as　the　slight　fable　would
bear。　　In　venturing　out　of　my　adoptive　New　England；　where　I　had　found
myself　at　home　with　many　imaginary　friends；　I　found　it　natural　to　ask　the
company　of　these　familiar　acquaintances；　but　their　company　was　not　to　be
had　at　once　for　the　asking。　　When　I　began　speaking　of　them　as　Basil　and
Isabel；　in　the　fashion　of　'Their　Wedding　Journey；'　they　would　not　respond
with　the　effect　of　early　middle　age　which　I　desired　in　them。　　They
remained　wilfully；　not　to　say　woodenly；　the　young　bridal　pair　of　that
romance；　without　the　promise　of　novel　functioning。　　It　was　not　till　I
tried　addressing　them　as　March　and　Mrs。　March　that　they　stirred　under　my
hand　with　fresh　impulse；　and　set　about　the　work　assigned　them　as　people
in　something　more　than　their　second　youth。

The　scene　into　which　I　had　invited　them　to　figure　filled　the　largest
canvas　I　had　yet　allowed　myself；　and；　though　'A　Hazard　of　New　Fortunes
was　not　the　first　story　I　had　written　with　the　printer　at　my　heels；　it
was　the　first　which　took　its　own　time　to　prescribe　its　own　dimensions。
I　had　the　general　design　well　in　mind　when　I　began　to　write　it；　but　as　it
advanced　it　compelled　into　its　course　incidents；　interests；
individualities；　which　I　had　not　known　lay　near；　and　it　specialized　and
amplified　at　points　which　I　had　not　always　meant　to　touch；　though　I
should　not　like　to　intimate　anything　mystical　in　the　fact。　　It　became；
to　my　thinking；　the　most　vital　of　my　fictions；　through　my　quickened
interest　in　the　life　about　me；　at　a　moment　of　great　psychological　import。
We　had　passed　through　a　period　of　strong　emotioning　in　the　direction　of
the　humaner　economics；　if　I　may　phrase　it　so；　the　rich　seemed　not　so　much
to　despise　the　poor；　the　poor　did　not　so　hopelessly　repine。　　The　solution
of　the　riddle　of　the　painful　earth　through　the　dreams　of　Henry　George；
through　the　dreams　of　Edward　Bellamy；　through　the　dreams　of　all　the
generous　visionaries　of　the　past；　seemed　not　impossibly　far　off。　　That
shedding　of　blood　which　is　for　the　remission　of　sins　had　been　symbolized
by　the　bombs　and　scaffolds　of　Chicago；　and　the　hearts　of　those　who　felt
the　wrongs　bound　up　with　our　rights；　the　slavery　implicated　in　our
liberty；　were　thrilling　with　griefs　and　hopes　hitherto　strange　to　the
average　American　breast。　　Opportunely　for　me　there　was　a　great　street…car
strike　in　New　York；　and　the　story　began　to　find　its　way　to　issues　nobler
and　larger　than　those　of　the　love…affairs　common　to　fiction。　　I　was　in　my
fifty…second　year　when　I　took　it　up；　and　in　the　prime；　such　as　it　was；　of
my　powers。　　The　scene　which　I　had　chosen　appealed　prodigiously　to　me；　and
the　action　passed　as　nearly　without　my　conscious　agency　as　I　ever　allow
myself　to　think　such　things　happen。

The　opening　chapters　were　written　in　a　fine；　old　fashioned　apartment
house　which　had　once　been　a　family　house；　and　in　an　uppermost　room　of
which　I　could　look　from　my　work　across　the　trees　of　the　little　park　in
Stuyvesant　Square　to　the　towers　of　St。　George's　Church。　　Then　later　in
the　spring　of　1889　the　unfinished　novel　was　carried　to　a　country　house　on
the　Belmont　border　of　Cambridge。　　There　I　must　have　written　very　rapidly
to　have　pressed　it　to　conclusion　before　the　summer　ended。　　It　came；
indeed；　so　easily　from　the　pen　that　I　had　the　misgiving　which　I　always
have　of　things　which　do　not　cost　me　great　trouble。

There　is　nothing　in　the　book　with　which　I　amused　myself　more　than　the
house…hunting　of　the　Marches　when　they　were　placing　themselves　in　New
York；　and　if　the　contemporary　reader　should　turn　for　instruction　to　the
pages　in　which　their　experience　is　detailed　I　assure　him　that　he　may
trust　their　fidelity　and　accuracy　in　the　article　of　New　York　housing　as
it　was　early　in　the　last　decade　of　the　last　century：　I　mean；　the　housing
of　people　of　such　moderate　means　as　the　Marches。　　In　my　zeal　for　truth　I
did　not　distinguish　between　reality　and　actuality　in　this　or　other
mattersthat　is；　one　was　as　precious　to　me　as　the　other。　　But　the　types
here　portrayed　are　as　true　as　ever　they　were；　though　the　world　in　which
they　were　finding　their　habitat　is　wonderfully；　almost　incredibly
different。　　Yet　it　is　not　wholly　different；　for　a　young　literary　pair　now
adventuring　in　New　York　might　easily　parallel　the　experience　of　the
Marches　with　their　own；　if　not　for　so　little　money；　many　phases　of　New
York　housing　are　better；　but　all　are　dearer。　　Other　aspects　of　the
material　city　have　undergone　a　transformation　much　more　wonderful。
I　find　that　in　my　book　its　population　is　once　modestly　spoken　of　as　two
millions；　but　now　in　twenty　years　it　is　twice　as　great；　and　the　grandeur
as　well　as　grandiosity　of　its　forms　is　doubly　apparent。　　The　transitional
public　that　then　moped　about　in　mildly　tinkling　horse…cars　is　now　hurried
back　and　forth　in　clanging　trolleys；　in　honking　and　whirring　motors；　the
Elevated　road　which　was　the　last　word　of　speed　is　undermined　by　the
Subway；　shooting　its　swift　shuttles　through　the　subterranean　woof　of　the
city's　haste。　　From　these　feet　let　the　witness　infer　our　whole　massive
Hercules；　a　bulk　that　sprawls　and　stretches　beyond　the　rivers　through　the
tunnels　piercing　their　beds　and　that　towers　into　the　skies　with
innumerable　topsa　Hercules　blent　of　Briareus　and　Cerberus；　but　not　so
bad　a　monster　as　it　seemed　then　to　threaten　becoming。

Certain　hopes　of　truer　and　better　conditions　on　which　my　heart　was　fixed
twenty　years　ago　are　not　less　dear；　and　they　are　by　no　means　touched　with
despair；　though　they　have　not　yet　found　the　fulfilment　which　I　would　then
have　prophesied　for　them。　　Events　have　not　wholly　played　them　false；
events　have　not　halted；　though　they　have　marched　with　a　slowness　that
might　affect　a　younger　observer　as　marking　time。　　They　who　were　then
mindful　of　the　poor　have　not　forgotten　them；　and　what　is　better　the　poor
have　not　often　forgotten　themselves　in　violences　such　as　offered　me　the
material　of　tragedy　and　pathos　in　my　story。　　In　my　quality　of　artist　I
could　not　regret　these；　and　I　gratefully　realize　that　they　offered　me　the
opportunity　of　a　more　strenuous　action；　a　more　impressive　catastrophe
than　I　could　have　achieved　without　them。　　They　tended　to　give　the　whole
fable　dignity　and　doubtless　made　for　its　success　as　a　book。　　As　a　serial
it　had　crept　a　sluggish　course　before　a　public　apparently　so　unmindful　of
it　that　no　rumor　of　its　acceptance　or　rejection　reached　the　writer　during
the　half　year　of　its　publication；　but　it　rose　in　book　form　from　that
failure　and　stood　upon　its　feet　and　went　its　way　to　greater　favor　than
any　book　of　his　had　yet　enjoyed。　　I　hope　that　my　recognition　of　the　fact
will　not　seem　like　boasting；　but　that　the　reader　will　regard　it　as　a
special　confidence　from　the　author　and　will　let　it　go　no　farther。


KITTERY　POINT；　MAINE；　July；　1909。






PART　FIRST

A　HAZARD　OF　NEW　FORTUNES


I。

〃Now；　you　think　this　thing　over；　March；　and　let　me　know　the　last　of　next
week；〃　said　Fulkerson。　　He　got　up　from　the　chair　which　he　had　been
sitting　astride；　with　his　face　to　its　back；　and　tilting　toward　March　on
its　hind…legs；　and　came　and　rapped　upon　his　table　with　his　thin　bamboo
stick。　　〃What　you　want　to　do　is　to　get　out　of　the　insurance　business；
anyway。　　You　acknowledge　that　yourself。　　You　never　liked　it；　and　now　it
makes　you　sick；　in　other　words；　it's　killing　you。　　You　ain't　an　insurance
man　by　nature。　　You're　a　natural…born　literary　man；　and　you've　been　going
against　the　grain。　　Now；　I　offer　you　a　chance　to　go　with　the　grain。
I　don't　say　you're　going　to　make　your　everlasting　fortune；　but　I'll　give
you　a　living　salary；　and　if　the　thing　succeeds　you'll　share　in　its
success。　　We'll　all　share　in　its　success。　　That's　the　beauty　of　it。
I　tell　you；　March；　this　is　the　greatest　idea　that　has　been　struck
since〃Fulkerson　stopped　and　searched　his　mind　for　a　fit　image〃since
the　creation　of　man。〃

He　put　his　leg　up　over　the　corner　of　March's　table　and　gave　himself　a
sharp　cut　on　the　thigh；　and　leaned　forward　to　get　the　full　effect　of　his
words　upon　his　listener。

March　had　his　hands　clasped　together　behind　his　head；　and　he　took　one　of
them　down　long　enough　to　put　his　inkstand　and　mucilage…bottle　out　of
Fulkerson's　way。　　After　many　years'　experiment　of　a　mustache　and
whiskers；　he　now　wore　his　grizzled　beard　full；　but　cropped　close；　it　gave
him　a　certain　grimness；　corrected　by　the　gentleness　of　his　eyes。

〃Some　people　don't　think　much　of　the　creation　of　man　nowadays。　　Why　stop
at　that？　　Why　not　say　since　the　morning　stars　sang　together？〃

〃No；　sir；　no；　sir！　　I　don't　want　to　claim　too　much；　and　I　draw　the　line
at　the　creation　of　man。　　I'm　satisfied　with　that。　　But　if　you　want　to
ring　the　morning　stars　into　the　prospectus　all　right；　I　won't　go　back　on
you。〃

〃But　I　don't　understand　why　you've　set　your　mind　on　me；〃　March　said。
〃I　haven't　had；　any　magazine　experience；　you　know　that；　and　I　haven't
seriously　attempted　to　do　anything　in　literature　since　I　was　married。
I　gave　up　smoking　and　the　Muse　together。　　I　suppose　I　could　still　manage
a　cigar；　but　I　don't　believe　I　could〃

〃Muse　worth　a　cent。〃　　Fulkerson　took　the　thought　out　of　his　mouth　and　put
it　into　his　own　words。　　〃I　know。　　Well；　I　don't　want　you　to。　　I　don't
care　if　you　never　write　a　line　for　the　thing；　though　you　needn't　reject
anything　of　yours；　if　it　happens　to　be　good；　on　that　account。　　And　I
don't　want　much　experience　in　my　editor；　rather　not　have　it。　　You　told
me；　didn't　you；　that　you　used　to　do　some　newspaper　work　before　you
settled　down？〃

〃Yes；　I　thought　my　lines　were　permanently　cast　in　those　places　once。　　It
was　more　an　accident　than　anything　else　that　I