adventures and letters-第9章

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！


a　star　reporter　on　The　Press；　and　was　already　known　as　a　clever　news…gatherer　and　interviewer。　　It　was　in　reply　to　a　letter　that　Richard　wrote　to　Robert　Louis　Stevenson　enclosing　an　interview　he　had　had　with　Walt　Whitman；　that　Stevenson　wrote　the　following　letterwhich　my　brother　always　regarded　as　one　of　his　greatest　treasures：


Why；　thank　you　so　much　for　your　frank；　agreeable　and　natural　letter。　　It　is　certainly　very　pleasant　that　all　you　young　fellows　should　enjoy　my　work　and　get　some　good　out　of　it　and　it　was　very　kind　in　you　to　write　and　tell　me　so。　　The　tale　of　the　suicide　is　excellently　droll；　and　your　letter；　you　may　be　sure；　will　be　preserved。　　If　you　are　to　escape　unhurt　out　of　your　present　business　you　must　be　very　careful；　and　you　must　find　in　your　heart　much　constancy。　　The　swiftly　done　work　of　the　journalist　and　the　cheap　finish　and　ready　made　methods　to　which　it　leads；　you　must　try　to　counteract　in　private　by　writing　with　the　most　considerate　slowness　and　on　the　most　ambitious　models。　　And　when　I　say　〃writing〃O；　believe　me；　it　is　rewriting　that　I　have　chiefly　in　mind。　　If　you　will　do　this　I　hope　to　hear　of　you　some　day。

Please　excuse　this　sermon　from

Your　obliged

ROBERT　LOUIS　STEVENSON。


In　the　spring　of　1889　Richard　as　the　correspondent　of　the　Philadelphia　Telegraph；　accompanied　a　team　of　Philadelphia　cricketers　on　a　tour　of　Ireland　and　England；　but　as　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　spend　most　of　his　time　reporting　the　matches　played　in　small　university　towns；　he　saw　only　enough　of　London　to　give　him　a　great　longing　to　return　as　soon　as　the　chance　offered。　　Late　that　summer　he　resumed　his　work　on　The　Press；　but　Richard　was　not　at　all　satisfied　with　his　journalistic　progress；　and　for　long　his　eyes　had　been　turned　toward　New　York。　　There　he　knew　that　there　was　not　only　a　broader　field　for　such　talent　as　he　might　possess；　but　that　the　chance　for　adventure　was　much　greater；　and　it　was　this　hope　and　love　of　adventure　that　kept　Richard　moving　on　all　of　his　life。

On　a　morning　late　in　September；　1889；　he　started　for　New　York　to　look　for　a　position　as　reporter　on　one　of　the　metropolitan　newspapers。　　I　do　not　know　whether　he　carried　with　him　any　letters　or　that　he　had　any　acquaintances　in　the　journalistic　world　on　whose　influence　he　counted；　but；　in　any　case；　he　visited　a　number　of　offices　without　any　success　whatever。　　Indeed；　he　had　given　up　the　day　as　wasted；　and　was　on　his　way　to　take　the　train　back　to　Philadelphia。　　Tired　and　discouraged；　he　sat　down　on　a　bench　in　City　Hall　Park；　and　mentally　shook　his　fist　at　the　newspaper　offices　on　Park　Row　that　had　given　him　so　cold　a　reception。　　At　this　all…important　moment　along　came　Arthur　Brisbane；　whom　Richard　had　met　in　London　when　the　former　was　the　English　correspondent　of　The　Sun。　　Brisbane　had　recently　been　appointed　editor　of　The　Evening　Sun；　and　had　already　met　with　a　rather　spectacular　success。　　On　hearing　the　object　of　Richard's　visit　to　New　York；　he　promptly　offered　him　a　position　on　his　staff　and　　Richard　as　promptly　accepted。　　I　remember　that　the　joyous　telegram　he　sent　to　my　mother；　telling　of　his　success；　and　demanding　that　the　fatted　calf　be　killed　for　dinner　that　night　was　not　received　with　unalloyed　happiness。　　To　my　mother　and　father　it　meant　that　their　first…born　was　leaving　home　to　seek　his　fortune；　and　that　without　Richard's　love　and　sympathy　the　home　could　never　be　quite　the　same。　　But　the　fatted　calf　was　killed；　every　one　pretended　to　be　just　as　elated　as　Richard　was　over　his　good　fortune；　and　in　two　days　he　left　us　for　his　first　adventure。

The　following　note　to　his　mother　Richard　scribbled　off　in　pencil　at　the　railway…station　on　his　way　to　New　York：


I　am　not　surprised　that　you　were　sad　if　you　thought　I　was　going　away　for　good。　　I　could　not　think　of　it　myself。　　I　am　only　going　to　make　a　little　reputation　and　to　learn　enough　of　the　business　to　enable　me　to　live　at　home　in　the　centre　of　the　universe　with　you。　　That　is　truth。　　God　bless　you。

DICK。



CHAPTER　IV

NEW　YORK


Of　the　many　completely　happy　periods　of　Richard's　life　there　were　few　more　joyous　than　the　first　years　he　spent　as　a　reporter　in　New　York。　　For　the　first　time　he　was　completely　his　own　master　and　paying　his　own　waya　condition　which　afforded　him　infinite　satisfaction。　　He　was　greatly　attached　to　Brisbane　and　as　devoted　to　the　interests　of　The　Evening　Sun　as　if　he　had　been　the　editor　and　publisher。　　In　return　Brisbane　gave　him　a　free　rein　and　allowed　him　to　write　very　much　what　and　as　he　chose。　　The　two　men　were　constantly　together；　in　and　out　of　office　hours；　and　planned　many　of　the　leading　features　of　the　paper　which　on　account　of　the　brilliancy　of　its　news　stories　and　special　articles　was　at　that　time　attracting　an　extraordinary　amount　of　attention。　　Richard　divided　his　working　hours　between　reporting　important　news　events；　writing　specials　（principally　about　theatrical　people）；　and　the　Van　Bibber　stories；　nearly　all　of　which　were　published　for　the　first　time　in　The　Evening　Sun。　　These　short　tales　of　New　York　life　soon　made　a　distinct　hit；　and；　while　they　appeared　anonymously；　it　was　generally　known　that　Richard　was　their　author。　　In　addition　to　his　newspaper　work　my　brother　was　also　working　on　short　stories　for　the　magazines；　and　in　1890　scored　his　first　real　success　in　this　field；　with　〃Gallegher；〃　which　appeared　in　Scribner's。　　This　was　shortly　followed　by　〃The　Other　Woman；〃　　〃Miss　Catherwaite's　Understudy；〃　　〃A　Walk　up　the　Avenue；〃　　〃My　Disreputable　Friend；　Mr。　Raegen；〃　　〃An　Unfinished　Story；〃　and　other　stories　that　soon　gave　him　an　established　reputation　as　a　writer　of　fiction。　　But　while　Richard's　success　was　attained　in　a　remarkably　short　space　of　time　and　at　an　extremely　early　age；　it　was　not　accomplished　without　an　enormous　amount　of　hard　work　and　considerable　privation。　　When　he　first　went　to　New　York　his　salary　was　but　thirty　dollars　a　week；　and　while　he　remained　on　The　Evening　Sun　never　over　fifty　dollars；　and　the　prices　he　received　for　his　first　short　stories　were　extremely　meagre。　　During　the　early　days　on　The　Evening　Sun　he　had　a　room　in　a　little　house　at　108　Waverly　Place；　and　took　his　meals　in　the　neighborhood　where　he　happened　to　find　himself　and　where　they　were　cheapest。　　He　usually　spent　his　week…ends　in　Philadelphia；　but　his　greatest　pleasure　was　when　he　could　induce　some　member　of　his　family　to　visit　him　in　New　York。　　I　fear　I　was　the　one　who　most　often　accepted　his　hospitality；　and　wonderful　visits　they　were；　certainly　to　me；　and　I　think　to　Richard　as　well。　　The　great　event　was　our　Saturday…night　dinner；　when　we　always　went　to　a　little　restaurant　on　Sixth　Avenue。　　I　do　not　imagine　the　fifty…cent　table　d'hote　（vin　compris）　the　genial　Mr。　Jauss　served　us　was　any　better　than　most　fifty…cent　table…d'hote　dinners；　but　the　place　was　quaint　and　redolent　of　strange　smells　of　cooking　as　well　as　of　a　true　bohemian　atmosphere。　　Those　were　the　days　when　the　Broadway　Theatre　was　given　over　to　the　comic　operas　in　which　Francis　Wilson　and　De　Wolfe　Hopper　were　the　stars；　and　as　both　of　the　comedians　were　firm　friends　of　Richard；　we　invariably　ended　our　evening　at　the　Broadway。　　Sometimes　we　occupied　a　box　as　the　guests　of　the　management；　and　at　other　times　we　went　behind　the　scenes　and　sat　in　the　star's　dressing…room。　　I　think　I　liked　it　best　when　Hopper　was　playing；　because　during　Wilson's　regime　the　big　dressing…room　was　a　rather　solemn　sort　of　place；　but　when　Hopper　ruled；　the　room　was　filled　with　pretty　girls　and　he　treated　us　to　fine　cigars　and　champagne。

Halcyon　nights　those；　and　then　on　Sunday　morning　we　always　breakfasted　at　old　Martin's　on　University　Place　eggs　a　la　Martin　and　that　wonderful　coffee　and　pain　de　menage。　　And　what　a　wrench　it　was　when　I　tore　myself　away　from　the　delights　of　the　great　city　and　scurried　back　to　my　desk　in　sleepy　Philadelphia。　　Had　I　been　a　prince　royal　Richard　could　not　have　planned　more　carefully　than　he　did　for　these　visits；　and　to　meet　the　expense　was　no　easy　matter　for　him。　　Indeed；　I　know　that　to　pay　for　all　our　gayeties　he　usually　had　to　carry　his　guitar　to　a　neighboring　pawn…broker　where　the　instrument　was　always　good　for　an　eight…dollar　loan。　　But　from　the　time　Richard　first　began　to　make　his　own　livin