short stories and essays-第25章

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yet。　　He　seems　to　have　considered　every　kind　of　advertising　except　book…
advertising。〃

〃The　most　important　of　all！〃　I　cried；　impatiently。

〃You　think　so　because　you　are　in　that　line。　　If　you　were　in　the　line　of
varnish；　or　bicycles；　or　soap；　or　typewriters；　or　extract　of　beef；　or　of
malt〃

〃Still　I　should　be　interested　in　bookadvertising；　because　it　is　the
most　vital　of　human　interests。〃

〃Tell　me；〃　said　my　friend；　〃do　you　read　the　advertisements　of　the　books
of　rival　authors？〃

〃Brother　authors；〃　I　corrected　him。

〃Well；　brother　authors。〃

I　said；　No；　candidly；　I　did　not；　and　I　forbore　to　add　that　I　thought　them
little　better　than　a　waste　of　the　publishers'　money。




II。

My　friend　did　not　pursue　his　inquiry　to　my　personal　disadvantage；　but
seemed　to　prefer　a　more　general　philosophy　of　the　matter。

〃I　have　often　wondered；〃　he　said；　〃at　the　enormous　expansion　of
advertising；　and　doubted　whether　it　was　not　mostly　wasted。　　But　my
author；　here；　has　suggested　a　brilliant　fact　which　I　was　unwittingly
groping　for。　　When　you　take　up　a　Sunday　paper〃I　shuddered；　and　my
friend　smiled　intelligence〃　you　are　simply　appalled　at　the　miles　of
announcements　of　all　sorts。　　Who　can　possibly　read　them？　　Who　cares　even
to　look　at　them？　　But　if　you　want　something　in　particularto　furnish　a
house；　or　buy　a　suburban　place；　or　take　a　steamer　for　Europe；　or　go；　to
the　theatrethen　you　find　out　at　once　who　reads　the　advertisements；　and
cares　to　look　at　them。　　They　respond　to　the　multifarious　wants　of　the
whole　community。　　You　have　before　you　the　living　operation　of　that　law　of
demand　and　supply　which　it　has　always　been　such　a　bore　to　hear　about。
As　often　happens；　the　supply　seems　to　come　before　the　demand；　but　that's
only　an　appearance。　　You　wanted　something；　and　you　found　an　offer　to　meet
your　want。〃

〃Then　you　don't　believe　that　the　offer　to　meet　your　want　suggested　it？〃

〃I　see　that　my　author　believes　something　of　the　kind。　　We　may　be　full　of
all　sorts　of　unconscious　wants　which　merely　need　the　vivifying　influence
of　an　advertisement　to　make　them　spring　into　active　being；　but　I　have　a
feeling　that　the　money　paid　for　advertising　which　appeals　to　potential
wants　is　largely　thrown　away。　　You　must　want　a　thing；　or　think　you　want
it；　otherwise　you　resent　the　proffer　of　it　as　a　kind　of　impertinence。〃

〃There　are　some　kinds　of　advertisements；　all　the　same；　that　I　read
without　the　slightest　interest　in　the　subject　matter。　　Simply　the　beauty
of　the　style　attracts　me。〃

〃I　know。　　But　does　it　ever　move　you　to　get　what　you　don't　want？〃

〃Never；　and　I　should　be　glad　to　know　what　your　author　thinks　of　that　sort
of　advertising：　the　literary；　or　dramatic；　or　humorous；　or　quaint。〃

〃He　doesn't　contemn　it；　quite。　　But　I　think　he　feels　that　it　may　have　had
its　day。　　Do　you　still　read　such　advertisements　with　your　early　zest？〃

〃No；　the　zest　for　nearly　everything　goes。　　I　don't　care　so　much　for
Tourguenief　as　I　used。　　Still；　if　I　come　upon　the　jaunty　and　laconic
suggestions　of　a　certain　well…known　clothing…house；　concerning　the
season's　wear；　I　read　them　with　a　measure　of　satisfaction。　　The
advertising　expert〃

〃This　author　calls　him　the　adsmith。〃

〃Delightful！　　Ad　is　a　loathly　little　word；　but　we　must　come　to　it。　　It's
as　legitimate　as　lunch。　　But　as　I　was　saying；　the　adsmith　seems　to　have
caught　the　American　business　tone；　as　perfectly　as　any　of　our　novelists
have　caught　the　American　social　tone。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　my　friend；　〃and　he　seems　to　have　prospered　as　richly　by　it。
You　know　some　of　those　chaps　make　fifteen　or　twenty　thousand　dollars　by
adsmithing。　　They　have　put　their　art　quite　on　a　level　with　fiction
pecuniarily。〃

〃Perhaps　it　is　a　branch　of　fiction。〃

〃No；　they　claim　that　it　is　pure　fact。　　My　author　discourages　the
slightest　admixture　of　fable。　　The　truth；　clearly　and　simply　expressed；
is　the　best　in　an　ad。

〃It　is　best　in　a　wof；　too。　　I　am　always　saying　that。〃

〃Wof？〃

〃Well；　work　of　fiction。　　It's　another　new　word；　like　lunch　or　ad。〃

〃But　in　a　wof；〃　said　my　friend；　instantly　adopting　it；　〃my　author
insinuates　that　the　fashion　of　payment　tempts　you　to　verbosity；　while　in
an　ad　the　conditions　oblige　you　to　the　greatest　possible　succinctness。
In　one　case　you　are　paid　by　the　word；　in　the　other　you　pay　by　the　word。
That　is　where　the　adsmith　stands　upon　higher　moral　ground　than　the
wofsmith。〃

〃I　should　think　your　author　might　have　written　a　recent　article　in
'The　…；　reproaching　fiction　with　its　unhallowed　gains。〃

〃If　you　mean　that　for　a　sneer；　it　is　misplaced。　　He　would　have　been
incapable　of　it。　　My　author　is　no　more　the　friend　of　honesty　in
adsmithing　than　he　is　of　propriety；　He　deprecates　jocosity　in
apothecaries　and　undertakers；　not　only　as　bad　taste；　but　as　bad　business；
and　he　is　as　severe　as　any　one　could　be　upon　ads　that　seize　the　attention
by　disgusting　or　shocking　the　reader。

〃He　is　to　be　praised　for　that；　and　for　the　other　thing；　and　I　shouldn't
have　minded　his　criticising　the　ready　wofsmith。　　I　hope　he　attacks　the
use　of　display　type；　which　makes　our　newspapers　look　like　the　poster…
plastered　fences　around　vacant　lots。　　In　New　York　there　is　only　one　paper
whose　advertisements　are　not　typographically　a　shock　to　the　nerves。〃

〃Well；〃　said　my　friend；　〃he　attacks　foolish　and　ineffective　display。〃

〃It　is　all　foolish　and　ineffective。　　It　is　like　a　crowd　of　people　trying
to　make　themselves　heard　by　shouting　each　at　the　top　of　his　voice。
A　paper　full　of　display　advertisements　is　an　image　of　our　whole　congested
and　delirious　state　of　competition；　but　even　in　competitive　conditions　it
is　unnecessary；　and　it　is　futile。　　Compare　any　New　York　paper　but　one
with　the　London　papers；　and　you　will　see　what　I　mean。　　Of　course　I　refer
to　the　ad　pages；　the　rest　of　our　exception　is　as　offensive　with　pictures
and　scare　heads　as　all　the　rest。　　I　wish　your　author　could　revise　his
opinions　and　condemn　all　display　in　ads。〃

〃I　dare　say　he　will　when　he　knows　what　you　think；〃　said　my　friend；　with
imaginable　sarcasm。




III。

〃I　wish；〃　I　went　on；　〃that　he　would　give　us　some　philosophy　of　the
prodigious　increase　of　advertising　within　the　last　twenty…five　years；　and
some　conjecture　as　to　the　end　of　it　all。　　Evidently；　it　can't　keep　on
increasing　at　the　present　rate。　　If　it　does；　there　will　presently　be　no
room　in　the　world　for　things；　it　will　be　filled　up　with　the
advertisements　of　things。〃

〃Before　that　time；　perhaps；〃　my　friend　suggested；　〃adsmithing　will　have
become　so　fine　and　potent　an　art　that　advertising　will　be　reduced　in
bulk；　while　keeping　all　its　energy　and　even　increasing　its
effectiveness。〃

〃Perhaps；〃　I　said；　〃some　silent　electrical　process　will　be　contrived；　so
that　the　attractions　of　a　new　line　of　dress…goods　or　the　fascination　of　a
spring　or　fall　opening　may　be　imparted　to　a　lady's　consciousness　without
even　the　agency　of　words。　　All　other　facts　of　commercial　and　industrial
interest　could　be　dealt　with　in　the　same　way。　　A　fine　thrill　could　be
made　to　go　from　the　last　new　book　through　the　whole　community；　so　that
people　would　not　willingly　rest　till　they　had　it。　　Yes；　one　can　see　an
indefinite　future　for　advertising　in　that　way。　　The　adsmith　may　be　the
supreme　artist　of　the　twentieth　century。　　He　may　assemble　in　his　grasp；
and　employ　at　will；　all　the　arts　and　sciences。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　my　friend；　with　a　sort　of　fall　in　his　voice；　〃that　is　very
well。　　But　what　is　to　become　of　the　race　when　it　is　penetrated　at　every
pore　with　a　sense　of　the　world's　demand　and　supply？〃

〃Oh；　that　is　another　affair。　　I　was　merely　imagining　the　possible
resources　of　invention　in　providing　for　the　increase　of　advertising　while
guarding　the　integrity　of　the　planet。　　I　think；　very　likely；　if　the　thing
keeps　on；　we　shall　all　go　mad；　but　then　we　shall　none　of　us　be　able　to
criticise　the　others。　　Or　possibly　the　thing　may　work　its　own　cure。　　You
know　the　ingenuity　of　the　political　economists　in　justifying　the　egotism
to　which　conditions　appeal。　　They　do　not　deny　that　these　foster　greed　and
rapacity　in　merciless　degree；　but　they　contend　that　when　the　wealth…
winner　drops　off　gorged　there　is　a　kind　of　miracle　wrought；　and　good
come