the way of all flesh-第97章

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I　grow；　the　more　convinced　I　become　of　the　folly　and　credulity　of
the　public；　but　at　the　same　time　the　harder　do　I　see　it　is　to　impose
oneself　upon　that　folly　and　credulity。

He　tried　editor　after　editor　with　article　after　article。　　Sometimes
an　editor　listened　to　him　and　told　him　to　leave　his　articles；　he
almost　invariably；　however；　had　them　returned　to　him　in　the　end　with
a　polite　note　saying　that　they　were　not　suited　for　the　particular
paper　to　which　he　had　sent　them。　　And　yet　many　of　these　very
articles　appeared　in　his　later　works；　and　no　one　complained　of　them；
not　at　least　on　the　score　of　bad　literary　workmanship。　　〃I　see；〃　he
said　to　me　one　day；　〃that　demand　is　very　imperious；　and　supply　must
be　very　suppliant。〃

Once；　indeed；　the　editor　of　an　important　monthly　magazine　accepted
an　article　from　him；　and　he　thought　he　had　now　got　a　footing　in　the
literary　world。　　The　article　was　to　appear　in　the　next　issue　but
one；　and　he　was　to　receive　proof　from　the　printers　in　about　ten　days
or　a　fortnight；　but　week　after　week　passed　and　there　was　no　proof；
month　after　month　went　by　and　there　was　still　no　room　for　Ernest's
article；　at　length　after　about　six　months　the　editor　one　morning
told　him　that　he　had　filled　every　number　of　his　review　for　the　next
ten　months；　but　that　his　article　should　definitely　appear。　　On　this
he　insisted　on　having　his　MS。　returned　to　him。

Sometimes　his　articles　were　actually　published；　and　he　found　the
editor　had　edited　them　according　to　his　own　fancy；　putting　in　jokes
which　he　thought　were　funny；　or　cutting　out　the　very　passage　which
Ernest　had　considered　the　point　of　the　whole　thing；　and　then；　though
the　articles　appeared；　when　it　came　to　paying　for　them　it　was
another　matter；　and　he　never　saw　his　money。　　〃Editors；〃　he　said　to
me　one　day　about　this　time；　〃are　like　the　people　who　bought　and　sold
in　the　book　of　Revelation；　there　is　not　one　but　has　the　mark　of　the
beast　upon　him。〃

At　last　after　months　of　disappointment　and　many　a　tedious　hour
wasted　in　dingy　ante…rooms　（and　of　all　anterooms　those　of　editors
appear　to　me　to　be　the　dreariest）；　he　got　a　bona　fide　offer　of
employment　from　one　of　the　first　class　weekly　papers　through　an
introduction　I　was　able　to　get　for　him　from　one　who　had　powerful
influence　with　the　paper　in　question。　　The　editor　sent　him　a　dozen
long　books　upon　varied　and　difficult　subjects；　and　told　him　to
review　them　in　a　single　article　within　a　week。　　In　one　book　there
was　an　editorial　note　to　the　effect　that　the　writer　was　to　be
condemned。　　Ernest　particularly　admired　the　book　he　was　desired　to
condemn；　and　feeling　how　hopeless　it　was　for　him　to　do　anything　like
justice　to　the　books　submitted　to　him；　returned　them　to　the　editor。

At　last　one　paper　did　actually　take　a　dozen　or　so　of　articles　from
him；　and　gave　him　cash　down　a　couple　of　guineas　apiece　for　them；　but
having　done　this　it　expired　within　a　fortnight　after　the　last　of
Ernest's　articles　had　appeared。　　It　certainly　looked　very　much　as　if
the　other　editors　knew　their　business　in　declining　to　have　anything
to　do　with　my　unlucky　godson。

I　was　not　sorry　that　he　failed　with　periodical　literature；　for
writing　for　reviews　or　newspapers　is　bad　training　for　one　who　may
aspire　to　write　works　of　more　permanent　interest。　　A　young　writer
should　have　more　time　for　reflection　than　he　can　get　as　a
contributor　to　the　daily　or　even　weekly　press。　　Ernest　himself；
however；　was　chagrined　at　finding　how　unmarketable　he　was。　　〃Why；〃
he　said　to　me；　〃If　I　was　a　well…bred　horse；　or　sheep；　or　a　pure…bred
pigeon　or　lop…eared　rabbit　I　should　be　more　saleable。　　If　I　was　even
a　cathedral　in　a　colonial　town　people　would　give　me　something；　but
as　it　is　they　do　not　want　me〃；　and　now　that　he　was　well　and　rested
he　wanted　to　set　up　a　shop　again；　but　this；　of　course；　I　would　not
hear　of。

〃What　care　I；〃　said　he　to　me　one　day；　〃about　being　what　they　call　a
gentleman？〃　　And　his　manner　was　almost　fierce。

〃What　has　being　a　gentleman　ever　done　for　me　except　make　me　less
able　to　prey　and　more　easy　to　be　preyed　upon？　　It　has　changed　the
manner　of　my　being　swindled；　that　is　all。　　But　for　your　kindness　to
me　I　should　be　penniless。　　Thank　heaven　I　have　placed　my　children
where　I　have。〃

I　begged　him　to　keep　quiet　a　little　longer　and　not　talk　about　taking
a　shop。

〃Will　being　a　gentleman；〃　he　said；　〃bring　me　money　at　the　last；　and
will　anything　bring　me　as　much　peace　at　the　last　as　money　will？
They　say　that　those　who　have　riches　enter　hardly　into　the　kingdom　of
Heaven。　　By　Jove；　they　do；　they　are　like　Struldbrugs；　they　live　and
live　and　live　and　are　happy　for　many　a　long　year　after　they　would
have　entered　into　the　kingdom　of　Heaven　if　they　had　been　poor。　　I
want　to　live　long　and　to　raise　my　children；　if　I　see　they　would　be
happier　for　the　raising；　that　is　what　I　want；　and　it　is　not　what　I
am　doing　now　that　will　help　me。　　Being　a　gentleman　is　a　luxury　which
I　cannot　afford；　therefore　I　do　not　want　it。　　Let　me　go　back　to　my
shop　again；　and　do　things　for　people　which　they　want　done　and　will
pay　me　for　doing　for　them。　　They　know　what　they　want　and　what　is
good　for　them　better　than　I　can　tell　them。〃

It　was　hard　to　deny　the　soundness　of　this；　and　if　he　had　been
dependent　only　on　the　300　pounds　a　year　which　he　was　getting　from　me
I　should　have　advised　him　to　open　his　shop　again　next　morning。　　As
it　was；　I　temporised　and　raised　obstacles；　and　quieted　him　from　time
to　time　as　best　I　could。

Of　course　he　read　Mr　Darwin's　books　as　fast　as　they　came　out　and
adopted　evolution　as　an　article　of　faith。　　〃It　seems　to　me；〃　he　said
once；　〃that　I　am　like　one　of　those　caterpillars　which；　if　they　have
been　interrupted　in　making　their　hammock；　must　begin　again　from　the
beginning。　　So　long　as　I　went　back　a　long　way　down　in　the　social
scale　I　got　on　all　right；　and　should　have　made　money　but　for　Ellen；
when　I　try　to　take　up　the　work　at　a　higher　stage　I　fail　completely。〃
I　do　not　know　whether　the　analogy　holds　good　or　not；　but　I　am　sure
Ernest's　instinct　was　right　in　telling　him　that　after　a　heavy　fall
he　had　better　begin　life　again　at　a　very　low　stage；　and　as　I　have
just　said；　I　would　have　let　him　go　back　to　his　shop　if　I　had　not
known　what　I　did。

As　the　time　fixed　upon　by　his　aunt　drew　nearer　I　prepared　him　more
and　more　for　what　was　coming；　and　at　last；　on　his　twenty…eighth
birthday；　I　was　able　to　tell　him　all　and　to　show　him　the　letter
signed　by　his　aunt　upon　her　death…bed　to　the　effect　that　I　was　to
hold　the　money　in　trust　for　him。　　His　birthday　happened　that　year
（1863）　to　be　on　a　Sunday；　but　on　the　following　day　I　transferred　his
shares　into　his　own　name；　and　presented　him　with　the　account　books
which　he　had　been　keeping　for　the　last　year　and　a　half。

In　spite　of　all　that　I　had　done　to　prepare　him；　it　was　a　long　while
before　I　could　get　him　actually　to　believe　that　the　money　was　his
own。　　He　did　not　say　muchno　more　did　I；　for　I　am　not　sure　that　I
did　not　feel　as　much　moved　at　having　brought　my　long　trusteeship　to
a　satisfactory　conclusion　as　Ernest　did　at　finding　himself　owner　of
more　than　70；000　pounds。　　When　he　did　speak　it　was　to　jerk　out　a
sentence　or　two　of　reflection　at　a　time。　　〃If　I　were　rendering　this
moment　in　music；〃　he　said；　〃I　should　allow　myself　free　use　of　the
augmented　sixth。〃　　A　little　later　I　remember　his　saying　with　a　laugh
that　had　something　of　a　family　likeness　to　his　aunt's：　　〃It　is　not
the　pleasure　it　causes　me　which　I　enjoy　so；　it　is　the　pain　it　will
cause　to　all　my　friends　except　yourself　and　Towneley。〃

I　said：　　〃You　cannot　tell　your　father　and　motherit　would　drive
them　mad。〃

〃No；　no；　no；〃　said　he；　〃it　would　be　too　cruel；　it　would　be　like
Isaac　offering　up　Abraham　and　no　thicket　with　a　ram　in　it　near　at
hand。　　Besides　why　should　I？　　We　have　cut　each　other　these　four
years。〃



CHAPTER　LXXXII



It　almost　seemed　as　though　our　casual　mention　of　Theobald　and
Christina　had　in　some　way　excited　them　from　a　dormant　to　an　active
state。　　During　the　years　that　had　elapsed　since　they　last　appeared
upon　the　scene　they　had　remained　at　Battersby；　and　had　concentrated
their　affection　upon　their　other　children。

It　had　been　a　bitter　pill