novel notes-第5部分

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n　my　little　book；　How　to　be　Happy；　etc。；　and　if　the　gentleman　who　wrote　that　could　not　decide　between　the　respective　merits　of　one　particular　laundry　and　one　particular　bar；　both　situate　in　the　same　city；　well；　then；　all　he　had　got　to　say　was　that　knowledge　and　wisdom　were　clearly　of　no　practical　use　in　this　world　whatever。

〃Well；　it　did　seem　a　simple　thing　to　advise　a　man　about。　　Surely　as　to　a　matter　of　this　kind；　I；　a　professed　business　man；　must　be　able　to　form　a　sounder　judgment　than　this　poor　pumpkin…headed　lamb。　　It　would　be　heartless　to　refuse　to　help　him。　　I　promised　to　look　into　the　matter；　and　let　him　know　what　I　thought。

〃He　rose　and　shook　me　by　the　hand。　　He　said　he　would　not　try　to　thank　me；　words　would　only　seem　weak。　　He　dashed　away　a　tear　and　went　out。

I　brought　an　amount　of　thought　to　bear　upon　this　thousand…dollar　investment　sufficient　to　have　floated　a　bank。　　I　did　not　mean　to　make　another　Hannah　job；　if　I　could　help　it。　　I　studied　the　papers　Josiah　had　left　with　me；　but　did　not　attempt　to　form　any　opinion　from　them。　　I　went　down　quietly　to　Josiah's　city；　and　inspected　both　businesses　on　the　spot。　　I　instituted　secret　but　searching　inquiries　in　the　neighbourhood。　　I　disguised　myself　as　a　simple…minded　young　man　who　had　come　into　a　little　money；　and　wormed　myself　into　the　confidence　of　the　servants。　　I　interviewed　half　the　town　upon　the　pretence　that　I　was　writing　the　commercial　history　of　New　England；　and　should　like　some　particulars　of　their　career；　and　I　invariably　ended　my　examination　by　asking　them　which　was　their　favourite　bar；　and　where　they　got　their　washing　done。　　I　stayed　a　fortnight　in　the　town。　　Most　of　my　spare　time　I　spent　at　the　bar。　　In　my　leisure　moments　I　dirtied　my　clothes　so　that　they　might　be　washed　at　the　laundry。

〃As　the　result　of　my　investigations　I　discovered　that；　so　far　as　the　two　businesses　themselves　were　concerned；　there　was　not　a　pin　to　choose　between　them。　　It　became　merely　a　question　of　which　particular　trade　would　best　suit　the　Hacketts。

〃I　reflected。　　The　keeper　of　a　bar　was　exposed　to　much　temptation。　A　weak…minded　man；　mingling　continually　in　the　company　of　topers；　might　possibly　end　by　giving　way　to　drink。　　Now；　Josiah　was　an　exceptionally　weak…minded　man。　　It　had　also　to　be　borne　in　mind　that　he　had　a　shrewish　wife；　and　that　her　whole　family　had　come　to　live　with　him。　　Clearly；　to　place　Josiah　in　a　position　of　easy　access　to　unlimited　liquor　would　be　madness。

〃About　a　laundry；　on　the　other　hand；　there　was　something　soothing。　The　working　of　a　laundry　needed　many　hands。　　Hannah's　relatives　might　be　used　up　in　a　laundry；　and　made　to　earn　their　own　living。　Hannah　might　expend　her　energy　in　flat…ironing；　and　Josiah　could　turn　the　mangle。　　The　idea　conjured　up　quite　a　pleasant　domestic　picture。　　I　recommended　the　laundry。

〃On　the　following　Monday；　Josiah　wrote　to　say　that　he　had　bought　the　laundry。　　On　Tuesday　I　read　in　the　Commercial　Intelligence　that　one　of　the　most　remarkable　features　of　the　time　was　the　marvellous　rise　taking　place　all　over　New　England　in　the　value　of　hotel　and　bar　property。　　On　Thursday；　in　the　list　of　failures；　I　came　across　no　less　than　four　laundry　proprietors；　and　the　paper　added；　in　explanation；　that　the　American　washing　industry；　owing　to　the　rapid　growth　of　Chinese　competition；　was　practically　on　its　last　legs。　　I　went　out　and　got　drunk。

〃My　life　became　a　curse　to　me。　　All　day　long　I　thought　of　Josiah。　All　night　I　dreamed　of　him。　　Suppose　that；　not　content　with　being　the　cause　of　his　domestic　misery；　I　had　now　deprived　him　of　the　means　of　earning　a　livelihood；　and　had　rendered　useless　the　generosity　of　that　good　old　sea…captain。　　I　began　to　appear　to　myself　as　a　malignant　fiend；　ever　following　this　simple　but　worthy　man　to　work　evil　upon　him。

〃Time　passed　away；　however；　I　heard　nothing　from　or　of　him；　and　my　burden　at　last　fell　from　me。

〃Then　at　the　end　of　about　five　years　he　came　again。

〃He　came　behind　me　as　I　was　opening　the　door　with　my　latch…key；　and　laid　an　unsteady　hand　upon　my　arm。　　It　was　a　dark　night；　but　a　gas…　lamp　showed　me　his　face。　　I　recognised　it　in　spite　of　the　red　blotches　and　the　bleary　film　that　hid　the　eyes。　　I　caught　him　roughly　by　the　arm；　and　hurried　him　inside　and　up　into　my　study。

〃'Sit　down；'　I　hissed；　'and　tell　me　the　worst　first。'

〃He　was　about　to　select　his　favourite　chair。　　I　felt　that　if　I　saw　him　and　that　particular　chair　in　association　for　the　third　time；　I　should　do　something　terrible　to　both。　　I　snatched　it　away　from　him；　and　he　sat　down　heavily　on　the　floor；　and　burst　into　tears。　　I　let　him　remain　there；　and；　thickly；　between　hiccoughs；　he　told　his　tale。

〃The　laundry　had　gone　from　bad　to　worse。　　A　new　railway　had　come　to　the　town；　altering　its　whole　topography。　　The　business　and　residential　portion　had　gradually　shifted　northward。　　The　spot　where　the　barthe　particular　one　which　I　had　rejected　for　the　laundry　had　formerly　stood　was　now　the　commercial　centre　of　the　city。　　The　man　who　had　purchased　it　in　place　of　Josiah　had　sold　out　and　made　a　fortune。　　The　southern　area　（where　the　laundry　was　situate）　was；　it　had　been　discovered；　built　upon　a　swamp；　and　was　in　a　highly　unsanitary　condition。　　Careful　housewives　naturally　objected　to　sending　their　washing　into　such　a　neighbourhood。

〃Other　troubles　had　also　come。　　The　babyJosiah's　pet；　the　one　bright　thing　in　his　lifehad　fallen　into　the　copper　and　been　boiled。　　Hannah's　mother　had　been　crushed　in　the　mangle；　and　was　now　a　helpless　cripple；　who　had　to　be　waited　on　day　and　night。

〃Under　these　accumulated　misfortunes　Josiah　had　sought　consolation　in　drink；　and　had　become　a　hopeless　sot。　　He　felt　his　degradation　keenly；　and　wept　copiously。　　He　said　he　thought　that　in　a　cheerful　place；　such　as　a　bar；　he　might　have　been　strong　and　brave；　but　that　there　was　something　about　the　everlasting　smell　of　damp　clothes　and　suds；　that　seemed　to　sap　his　manhood。

〃I　asked　him　what　the　captain　had　said　to　it　all。　　He　burst　into　fresh　tears；　and　replied　that　the　captain　was　no　more。　　That；　he　added；　reminded　him　of　what　he　had　come　about。　　The　good…hearted　old　fellow　had　bequeathed　him　five　thousand　dollars。　　He　wanted　my　advice　as　to　how　to　invest　it。

〃My　first　impulse　was　to　kill　him　on　the　spot。　　I　wish　now　that　I　had。　　I　restrained　myself；　however；　and　offered　him　the　alternative　of　being　thrown　from　the　window　or　of　leaving　by　the　door　without　another　word。

〃He　answered　that　he　was　quite　prepared　to　go　by　the　window　if　I　would　first　tell　him　whether　to　put　his　money　in　the　Terra　del　Fuego　Nitrate　Company；　Limited；　or　in　the　Union　Pacific　Bank。　　Life　had　no　further　interest　for　him。　　All　he　cared　for　was　to　feel　that　this　little　nest…egg　was　safely　laid　by　for　the　benefit　of　his　beloved　ones　after　he　was　gone。

〃He　pressed　me　to　tell　him　what　I　thought　of　nitrates。　　I　replied　that　I　declined　to　say　anything　whatever　on　the　subject。　　He　assumed　from　my　answer　that　I　did　not　think　much　of　nitrates；　and　announced　his　intention　of　investing　the　money；　in　consequence；　in　the　Union　Pacific　Bank。

〃I　told　him　by　all　means　to　do　so；　if　he　liked。

〃He　paused；　and　seemed　to　be　puzzling　it　out。　　Then　he　smiled　knowingly；　and　said　he　thought　he　understood　what　I　meant。　　It　was　very　kind　of　me。　　He　should　put　every　dollar　he　possessed　in　the　Terra　del　Fuego　Nitrate　Company。

〃He　rose　（with　difficulty）　to　go。　　I　stopped　him。　　I　knew；　as　certainly　as　I　knew　the　sun　would　rise　the　next　morning；　that　whichever　company　I　advised　him；　or　he　persisted　in　thinking　I　had　advised　him　（which　was　the　same　thing）；　to　invest　in；　would；　sooner　or　later；　come　to　smash。　　My　grandmother　had　all　her　little　fortune　in　the　Terra　del　Fuego　Nitrate　Company。　　I　could　not　see　her　brought　to　penury　in　her　old　age。　　As　for　Josiah；　it　could　make　no　difference　to　him　whatever。　　He　would　lose　his　money　in　any　event。　I　advised　him　to　invest　in　Union　Pacific　Bank　Shares。　　He　went　and　did　it。

〃The　Union　Pacific　Bank　held　out　for　eighteen　months。　　Then　it　began　to　totter。　　The　financial　world　stood　bewildered。　　It　had　always　been　reckoned　one　of　the　safest　banks　in　the　country。　　People　asked　what　could　be　the　cause。　　I　knew　well　enough；　but　I　did　not　tell。

〃The　Bank　made　a　gallant　fight；　but　the　hand　of　fate　was　upon　it。　At　the　end　of　another　nine　months　the　crash　came。

〃（Nitrates；　it　need　hardly　be　said；　had　all　this　time　been　going　up　by　leaps　and　bounds。　　My　grandmother　died　worth　a　million　dollars；　and　left　the　whole　of　it　to　a　charity。　　Had　she　known　how　I　had　saved　her　from　ruin；　she　might　have　been　more　grateful。）

〃A　few　days　after　the　failure　of　the　Bank；　Josiah　arrived　on　my　doorstep；　and；　this　time；　he　brought　his　families　with　him。　　There　were　sixteen　of　them　in　all。

〃What　was　I　to　do？　　I　had　brought　these　people　step　by　step　to　the　verge　of　starvation。　　I　had　laid　waste　alike　their　happiness　and　their　prospects　in　life。　　The　least　amends　I　could　make　was　to　see　that　at　all　events　they　did　not　want　for　the　necessities　of　existence。

〃That　was　seventeen　years　ago。　　I　am　still　seeing　that　they　do　not　want　for　the　necessities　of　existence；　and　my　conscience　is　growing　easier　by　noticing　that　they　seem　contented　with　their　lot。　　There　are　twenty…two　of　them　now；　and　we　have　hopes　of　another　in　the　spring。

〃That　is　my　story；〃　he　said。　　〃Perhaps　you　will　now　understand　my　sudden　emotion　when　you　asked　for　my　advice。　　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　do　not　give　advice　now　on　any　subject。〃


I　told　this　tale　to　MacShaughnassy。　　He　agreed　with　me　that　it　was　instructive；　and　said　he　should　remember　it。　　He　said　he　should　remember　it　so　as　to　tell　it　to　some　fellows　that　he　knew；　to　whom　he　thought　the　lesson　should　prove　useful。



CHAPTER　II



I　can't　honestly　say　that　we　made　much　progress　at　our　first　meeting。　　It　was　Brown's　fault。　　He　would　begin　by　telling　us　a　story　about　a　dog。　　It　was　the　old；　old　story　of　the　dog　who　had　been　in　the　habit　of　going　every　morning　to　a　certain　baker's　shop　with　a　penny　in　his　mouth；　in　exchange　for　which　he　always　received　a　penny　bun。　　One　day；　the　baker；　thinking　he　would　not　know　the　difference；　tried　to　palm　off　upon　the　poor　animal　a　ha'penny　bun；　whereupon　the　dog　walked　straight　outside　and　fetched　in　a　polic