a far country-第15章
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decided that；〃 he declared； 〃was some years ago； my son。 I have given
you the best schooling a boy can have； and you have not shown the least
appreciation of your advantages。 I do not enjoy saying this； Hugh； but
in spite of all my efforts and of those of your mother； you have remained
undeveloped and irresponsible。 My hope； as you know； was to have made
you a professional man； a lawyer； and to take you into my office。 My
father and grandfather were professional men before me。 But you are
wholly lacking in ambition。〃
And I had burned with it all my life！
〃I have ambition；〃 I cried； the tears forcing themselves to my eyes。
〃Ambitionfor what； my son？〃
I hesitated。 How could I tell him that my longings to do something； to
be somebody in the world were never more keen than at that moment？
Matthew Arnold had not then written his definition of God as the stream
of tendency by which we fulfil the laws of our being； and my father； at
any rate； would not have acquiesced in the definition。 Dimly but
passionately I felt then； as I had always felt； that I had a mission to
perform； a service to do which ultimately would be revealed to me。 But
the hopelessness of explaining this took on； now； the proportions of a
tragedy。 And I could only gaze at him。
〃What kind of ambition； Hugh？〃 he repeated sadly。
〃II have sometimes thought I could write； sir； if I had a chance。 I
like it better than anything else。 II have tried it。 And if I could
only go to college〃
〃Literature！〃 There was in his voice a scandalized note。
〃Why not； father？〃 I asked weakly。
And now it was he who； for the first time； seemed to be at a loss to
express himself。 He turned in his chair； and with a sweep of the hand
indicated the long rows of musty…backed volumes。 〃Here；〃 he said； 〃you
have had at your disposal as well…assorted a small library as the city
contains； and you have not availed yourself of it。 Yet you talk to me of
literature as a profession。 I am afraid； Hugh； that this is merely
another indication of your desire to shun hard work； and I must tell you
frankly that I fail to see in you the least qualification for such a
career。 You have not even inherited my taste for books。 I venture to
say； for instance； that you have never even read a paragraph of Plutarch；
and yet when I was your age I was completely familiar with the Lives。
You will not read Scott or Dickens。〃
The impeachment was not to be denied； for the classics were hateful to
me。 Naturally I was afraid to make such a damning admission。 My father
had succeeded in presenting my ambition as the height of absurdity and
presumption； and with something of the despair of a shipwrecked mariner
my eyes rested on the green expanses of those book…backs； Bohn's Standard
Library！ Nor did it occur to him or to me that one might be great in
literature without having read so much as a gritty page of them。。。。
He finished his argument by reminding me that worthless persons sought to
enter the arts in the search for a fool's paradise； and in order to
satisfy a reprehensible craving for notoriety。 The implication was
clear； that imaginative production could not be classed as hard work。
And he assured me that literature was a profession in which no one could
afford to be second class。 A Longfellow； a Harriet Beecher Stowe； or
nothing。 This was a practical age and a practical country。 We had
indeed produced Irvings and Hawthornes； but the future of American
letters was； to say the least； problematical。 We were a utilitarian
people who would never create a great literature； and he reminded me that
the days of the romantic and the picturesque had passed。 He gathered
that I desired to be a novelist。 Well； novelists； with certain
exceptions； were fantastic fellows who blew iridescent soap…bubbles and
who had no morals。 In the face of such a philosophy as his I was mute。
The world appeared a dreary place of musty offices and smoky steel…works；
of coal dust； of labour without a spark of inspiration。 And that other；
the world of my dreams； simply did not exist。
Incidentally my father had condemned Cousin Robert's wholesale grocery
business as a refuge of the lesser of intellect that could not achieve
the professions；an inference not calculated to stir my ambition and
liking for it at the start。
I began my business career on the following Monday morning。 At
breakfast； held earlier than usual on my account； my mother's sympathy
was the more eloquent for being unspoken； while my father wore an air of
unwonted cheerfulness； charging me； when I departed； to give his kindest
remembrances to my Cousin Robert Breck。 With a sense of martyrdom
somehow deepened by this attitude of my parents I boarded a horse…car and
went down town。 Early though it was； the narrow streets of the wholesale
district reverberated with the rattle of trucks and echoed with the
shouts of drivers。 The day promised to be scorching。 At the door of the
warehouse of Breck and Company I was greeted by the ineffable smell of
groceries in which the suggestion of parched coffee prevailed。 This is
the sharpest remembrance of all； and even to…day that odour affects me
somewhat in the manner that the interior of a ship affects a person prone
to seasickness。 My Cousin Robert； in his well…worn alpaca coat； was
already seated at his desk behind the clouded glass partition next the
alley at the back of the store； and as I entered he gazed at me over his
steel…rimmed spectacles with that same disturbing look of clairvoyance I
have already mentioned as one of his characteristics。 The grey eyes were
quizzical； and yet seemed to express a little commiseration。
〃Well； Hugh； you've decided to honour us； have you？〃 he asked。
〃I'm much obliged for giving me the place； Cousin Robert；〃 I replied。
But he had no use for that sort of politeness； and he saw through me； as
always。
〃So you're not too tony for the grocery business； eh？〃
〃Oh； no； sir。〃
〃It was good enough for old Benjamin Breck；〃 he said。 〃Well； I'll give
you a fair trial； my boy； and no favouritism on account of relationship；
any more than to Willie。〃
His strong voice resounded through the store； and presently my cousin
Willie appeared in answer to his summons； the same Willie who used to
lead me； on mischief bent； through the barns and woods and fields of
Claremore。 He was barefoot no longer； though freckled still； grown lanky
and tall； he wore a coarse blue apron that fell below his knees； and a
pencil was stuck behind his ear。
〃Get an apron for Hugh；〃 said his father。
Willie's grin grew wider。
〃I'll fit him out；〃 he said。
〃Start him in the shipping department；〃 directed Cousin Robert； and
turned to his letters。
I was forthwith provided with an apron； and introduced to the slim and
anaemic but cheerful Johnny Hedges； the shipping clerk； hard at work in
the alley。 Secretly I looked down on my fellow…clerks； as one destined
for a higher mission； made out of better stuff；finer stuff。 Despite my
attempt to hide this sense of superiority they were swift to discover it；
and perhaps it is to my credit as well as theirs that they did not resent
it。 Curiously enough； they seemed to acknowledge it。 Before the week
was out I had earned the nickname of Beau Brummel。
〃Say； Beau；〃 Johnny Hedges would ask； when I appeared of a morning； 〃what
happened in the great world last night？〃
I had an affection for them； these fellow…clerks； and I often wondered at
their contentment with the drab lives they led； at their self…
congratulation for 〃having a job〃 at Breck and Company's。
〃You don't mean to say you like this kind of work？〃 I exclaimed one day
to Johnny Hedges； as we sat on barrels of XXXX flour looking out at the
hot sunlight in the alley。
〃It ain't a question of liking it； Beau；〃 he rebuked me。 〃It's all very
well for you to talk； since your father's a millionaire〃 （a fiction so
firmly embedded in their heads that no amount of denial affected it）；
〃but what do you think would happen to me if I was fired？ I couldn't go
home and take it easyyou bet not。 I just want to shake hands with
myself when I think that I've got a home；
