the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第5章
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up；' as the Scotch say。〃
〃A very delightful philosophy indeed；〃 said Gilbert。 〃And now that
we have finished our meal； I insist upon your letting me give you a hand
with the washing up。 I am eager to test this dish…pantheism of yours！〃
〃My dear fellow；〃 said Mifflin； laying a restraining hand on his
impetuous guest； 〃it is a poor philosophy that will not abide denial now
and then。 No； noI did not ask you to spend the evening with me to
wash dishes。〃 And he led the way back to his sitting room。
〃When I saw you come in；〃 said Mifflin； 〃I was afraid you might be a
newspaper man； looking for an interview。 A young journalist came to see
us once； with very unhappy results。 He wheedled himself into Mrs。
Mifflin's good graces； and ended by putting us both into a book； called
Parnassus on Wheels； which has been rather a trial to me。 In that book he
attributes to me a number of shallow and sugary observations upon
bookselling that have been an annoyance to the trade。 I am happy to say；
though； that his book had only a trifling sale。〃
〃I have never heard of it；〃 said Gilbert。
〃If you are really interested in bookselling you should come here some
evening to a meeting of the Corn Cob Club。 Once a month a number of
booksellers gather here and we discuss matters of bookish concern over
corn…cobs and cider。 We have all sorts and conditions of booksellers：
one is a fanatic on the subject of libraries。 He thinks that every public
library should be dynamited。 Another thinks that moving pictures will
destroy the book trade。 What rot！ Surely everything that arouses people's
minds； that makes them alert and questioning； increases their appetite for
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books。〃
〃The life of a bookseller is very demoralizing to the intellect；〃 he went
on after a pause。 〃He is surrounded by innumerable books； he cannot
possibly read them all； he dips into one and picks up a scrap from another。
His mind gradually fills itself with miscellaneous flotsam； with superficial
opinions； with a thousand half…knowledges。 Almost unconsciously he
begins to rate literature according to what people ask for。 He begins to
wonder whether Ralph Waldo Trine isn't really greater than Ralph Waldo
Emerson； whether J。 M。 Chapple isn't as big a man as J。 M。 Barrie。 That
way lies intellectual suicide。
〃One thing； however； you must grant the good bookseller。 He is
tolerant。 He is patient of all ideas and theories。 Surrounded； engulfed by
the torrent of men's words； he is willing to listen to them all。 Even to the
publisher's salesman he turns an indulgent ear。 He is willing to be
humbugged for the weal of humanity。 He hopes unceasingly for good
books to be born。
〃My business； you see； is different from most。 I only deal in second…
hand books； I only buy books that I consider have some honest reason for
existence。 In so far as human judgment can discern； I try to keep trash
out of my shelves。 A doctor doesn't traffic in quack remedies。 I don't
traffic in bogus books。
〃A comical thing happened the other day。 There is a certain wealthy
man； a Mr。 Chapman； who has long frequented this shop〃
〃I wonder if that could be Mr。 Chapman of the Chapman Daintybits
Company？〃 said Gilbert； feeling his feet touch familiar soil。
〃The same； I believe；〃 said Mifflin。 〃Do you know him？〃
〃Ah；〃 cried the young man with reverence。 〃There is a man who can
tell you the virtues of advertising。 If he is interested in books； it is
advertising that made it possible。 We handle all his copy I've written a
lot of it myself。 We have made the Chapman prunes a staple of
civilization and culture。 I myself devised that slogan ‘We preen
ourselves on our prunes' which you see in every big magazine。 Chapman
prunes are known the world over。 The Mikado eats them once a week。
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
The Pope eats them。 Why； we have just heard that thirteen cases of them
are to be put on board the George Washington for the President's voyage to
the peace Conference。 The Czecho…Slovak armies were fed largely on
prunes。 It is our conviction in the office that our campaign for the
Chapman prunes did much to win the war。〃
〃I read in an ad the other dayperhaps you wrote that； too？〃 said the
bookseller； 〃that the Elgin watch had won the war。 However； Mr。
Chapman has long been one of my best customers。 He heard about the
Corn Cob Club； and though of course he is not a bookseller he begged to
come to our meetings。 We were glad to have him do so； and he has
entered into our discussions with great zeal。 Often he has offered many a
shrewd comment。 He has grown so enthusiastic about the bookseller's way
of life that the other day he wrote to me about his daughter （he is a
widower）。 She has been attending a fashionable girls' school where； he
says； they have filled her head with absurd； wasteful； snobbish notions。 He
says she has no more idea of the usefulness and beauty of life than a
Pomeranian dog。 Instead of sending her to college； he has asked me if
Mrs。 Mifflin and I will take her in here to learn to sell books。 He wants her
to think she is earning her keep； and is going to pay me privately for the
privilege of having her live here。 He thinks that being surrounded by
books will put some sense in her head。 I am rather nervous about the
experiment； but it is a compliment to the shop； isn't it？〃
〃Ye gods；〃 cried Gilbert； 〃what advertising copy that would make！〃
At this point the bell in the shop rang； and Mifflin jumped up。 〃This
part of the evening is often rather busy；〃 he said。 〃I'm afraid I'll have to go
down on the floor。 Some of my habitues rather expect me to be on hand
to gossip about books。〃
〃I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed myself；〃 said Gilbert。 〃I'm
going to come again and study your shelves。〃
〃Well； keep it dark about the young lady；〃 said the bookseller。 〃I don't
want all you young blades dropping in here to unsettle her mind。 If she
falls in love with anybody in this shop； it'll have to be Joseph Conrad or
John Keats！〃
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As he passed out； Gilbert saw Roger Mifflin engaged in argument with
a bearded man who looked like a college professor。 〃Carlyle's Oliver
Cromwell？〃 he was saying。 〃Yes； indeed！ Right over here！ Hullo； that's
odd！ It WAS here。〃
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THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
Chapter II
The Corn Cob Club＇1＇
＇1＇ The latter half of this chapter may be o
