友情提示：如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整，请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页！

pgw.psmith,journalist-第1部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能和 "加入书签" 功能！

　
　THE　conditions　of　life　in　New　York　are　so　different　from　those　of　London　that　a　story　of　this　kind　calls　for　a　little　explanation。　There　are　several　million　inhabitants　of　New　York。　Not　all　of　them　eke　out　a　precarious　livelihood　by　murdering　one　another；　but　there　is　a　definite　section　of　the　population　which　murdersnot　casually；　on　the　spur　of　the　moment；　but　on　definitely　mercial　lines　at　so　many　dollars　per　murder。　The　〃gangs〃　of　New　York　exist　in　fact。　I　have　not　invented　them。　Most　of　the　incidents　in　this　story　are　based　on　actual　happenings。　The　Rosenthal　case；　where　four　men；　headed　by　a　genial　individual　calling　himself　〃Gyp　the　Blood〃　shot　a　fellow…citizen　in　cold　blood　in　a　spot　as　public　and　fashionable　as　Piccadilly　Circus　and　escaped　in　a　motor…car；　made　such　a　stir　a　few　years　ago　that　the　noise　of　it　was　heard　all　over　the　world　and　not；　as　is　generally　the　case　with　the　doings　of　the　gangs；　in　New　York　only。　Rosenthal　cases　on　a　smaller　and　less　sensational　scale　are　frequent　occurrences　on　Manhattan　Island。　It　was　the　prominence　of　the　victim　rather　than　the　unusual　nature　of　the　occurrence　that　excited　the　New　York　press。　Most　gang　victims　get　a　quarter　of　a　column　in　small　type。
　P。　G。　WODEHOUSE　New　York；　1915
　
　　CHAPTER　I
　〃COSY　MOMENTS〃
　
　THE　man　in　the　street　would　not　have　known　it；　but　a　great　crisis　was　imminent　in　New　York　journalism。
　Everything　seemed　much　as　usual　in　the　city。　The　cars　ran　blithely　on　Broadway。　Newsboys　shouted　〃Wux…try！〃　into　the　ears　of　nervous　pedestrians　with　their　usual　Caruso…like　vim。　Society　passed　up　and　down　Fifth　Avenue　in　its　automobiles；　and　was　there　a　furrow　of　anxiety　upon　Society's　brow？　None。　At　a　thousand　street　corners　a　thousand　policemen　preserved　their　air　of　massive　superiority　to　the　things　of　this　world。　Not　one　of　them　showed　the　least　sign　of　perturbation。　Nevertheless；　the　crisis　was　at　hand。　Mr。　J。　Fillken　Wilberfloss；　editor…in…chief　of　Cosy　Moments；　was　about　to　leave　his　post　and　start　on　a　ten　weeks'　holiday。
　In　New　York　one　may　find　every　class　of　paper　which　the　imagination　can　conceive。　Every　grade　of　society　is　catered　for。　If　an　Esquimau　came　to　New　York；　the　first　thing　he　would　find　on　the　bookstalls　in　all　probability　would　be　the　Blubber　Magazine；　or　some　similar　production　written　by　Esquimaux　for　Esquimaux。　Everybody　reads　in　New　York；　and　reads　all　the　time。　The　New　Yorker　peruses　his　favourite　paper　while　he　is　being　jammed　into　a　crowded　partment　on　the　subway　or　leaping　like　an　antelope　into　a　moving　Street　car。
　There　was　thus　a　public　for　Cosy　Moments。　Cosy　Moments；　as　its　name　（an　inspiration　of　Mr。　Wilberfloss's　own）　is　designed　to　imply；　is　a　journal　for　the　home。　It　is　the　sort　of　paper　which　the　father　of　the　family　is　expected　to　take　home　with　him　from　his　office　and　read　aloud　to　the　chicks　before　bed…time。　It　was　founded　by　its　proprietor；　Mr。　Benjamin　White；　as　an　antidote　to　yellow　journalism。　One　is　forced　to　admit　that　up　to　the　present　yellow　journalism　seems　to　be　peting　against　it　with　a　certain　measure　of　success。　Headlines　are　still　of　as　generous　a　size　as　heretofore；　and　there　is　no　tendency　on　the　part　of　editors　to　scamp　the　details　of　the　last　murder…case。
　Nevertheless；　Cosy　Moments　thrives。　It　has　its　public。
　Its　contents　are　mildly　interesting；　if　you　like　that　sort　of　thing。　There　is　a　〃Moments　in　the　Nursery〃　page；　conducted　by　Luella　Granville　Waterman；　to　which　parents　are　invited　to　contribute　the　bright　speeches　of　their　offspring；　and　which　bristles　with　little　stories　about　the　nursery　canary；　by　Jane　（aged　six）；　and　other　works　of　rising　young　authors。　There　is　a　〃Moments　of　Meditation〃　page；　conducted　by　the　Reverend　Edwin　T。　Philpotts；　a　〃Moments　Among　the　Masters〃　page；　consisting　of　assorted　chunks　looted　from　the　literature　of　the　past；　when　foreheads　were　bulgy　and　thoughts　profound；　by　Mr。　Wilberfloss　himself；　one　or　two　other　pages；　a　short　story；　answers　to　correspondents　on　domestic　matters；　and　a　〃Moments　of　Mirth〃　page；　conducted　by　an　alleged　humorist　of　the　name　of　B。　Henderson　Asher；　which　is　about　the　most　painful　production　ever　served　up　to　a　confiding　public。
　The　guiding　spirit　of　Cosy　Moments　was　Mr。　Wilberfloss。　Circumstances　had　left　the　development　of　the　paper　mainly　to　him。　For　the　past　twelve　months　the　proprietor　had　been　away　in　Europe；　taking　the　waters　at　Carlsbad；　and　the　sole　control　of　Cosy　Moments　had　passed　into　the　hands　of　Mr。　Wilberfloss。　Nor　had　he　proved　unworthy　of　the　trust　or　unequal　to　the　duties。　In　that　year　Cosy　Moments　had　reached　the　highest　possible　level　of　domesticity。　Anything　not　calculated　to　appeal　to　the　home　had　been　rigidly　excluded。　And　as　a　result　the　circulation　had　increased　steadily。　Two　extra　pages　had　been　added；　〃Moments　Among　the　Shoppers〃　and　〃Moments　with　Society。〃　And　the　advertisements　had　grown　in　volume。　But　the　work　had　told　upon　the　Editor。　Work　of　that　sort　carries　its　penalties　with　it。　Success　means　absorption；　and　absorption　spells　softening　of　the　brain。
　Whether　it　was　the　strain　of　digging　into　the　literature　of　the　past　every　week；　or　the　effort　of　reading　B。　Henderson　Asher's　〃Moments　of　Mirth〃　is　uncertain。　At　any　rate；　his　duties；　bined　with　the　heat　of　a　New　York　summer；　had　sapped　Mr。　Wilberfloss's　health　to　such　an　extent　that　the　doctor　had　ordered　him　ten　weeks'　plete　rest　in　the　mountains。　This　Mr。　Wilberfloss　could；　perhaps；　have　endured；　if　this　had　been　all。　There　are　worse　places　than　the　mountains　of　America　in　which　to　spend　ten　weeks　of　the　tail…end　of　summer；　when　the　sun　has　ceased　to　grill　and　the　mosquitoes　have　relaxed　their　exertions。　But　it　was　not　all。　The　doctor；　a　far…seeing　man　who　went　down　to　first　causes；　had　absolutely　declined　to　consent　to　Mr。　Wilberfloss's　suggestion　that　he　should　keep　in　touch　with　the　paper　during　his　vacation。　He　was　adamant。　He　had　seen　copies　of　Cosy　Moments　once　or　twice；　and　he　refused　to　permit　a　man　in　the　editor's　state　of　health　to　e　in　contact　with　Luella　Granville　Waterman's　〃Moments　in　the　Nursery〃　and　B。　Henderson　Asher's　〃Moments　of　Mirth。〃　The　medicine…man　put　his　foot　down　firmly。
　〃You　must　not　see　so　much　as　the　cover　of　the　paper　for　ten　weeks；〃　he　said。　〃And　I'm　not　so　sure　that　it　shouldn't　be　longer。　You　must　forget　that　such　a　paper　exists。　You　must　dismiss　the　whole　thing　from　your　mind；　live　in　the　open；　and　develop　a　little　flesh　and　muscle。〃
　To　Mr。　Wilberfloss　the　sentence　was　almost　equivalent　to　penal　servitude。　It　was　with　tears　in　his　voice　that　he　was　giving　his　final　instructions　to　his　sub…editor；　in　whose　charge　the　paper　would　be　left　during　his　absence。　He　had　taken　a　long　time　doing　this。　For　two　days　he　had　been　fussing　in　and　out　of　the　office；　to　the　discontent　of　its　inmates；　more　especially　Billy　Windsor；　the　sub…editor；　who　was　now　listening　moodily　to　the　last　harangue　of　the　series；　with　the　air　of　one　whose　heart　is　not　in　the　subject。　Billy　Windsor　was　a　tall；　wiry；　loose…jointed　young　man；　with　unkempt　hair　and　the　general　demeanour　of　a　caged　eagle。　Looking　at　him；　one　could　picture　him　astride　of　a　bronco；　rounding　up　cattle；　or　cooking　his　dinner　at　a　camp…fire。　Somehow　he　did　not　seem　to　fit　into　the　Cosy　Moments　atmosphere。
　〃Well；　I　think　that　that　is　all；　Mr。　Windsor；〃　chirruped　the　editor。　He　was　a　little　man　with　a　long　neck　and　large　pince…nez；　and　he　always　chirruped。　〃You　understand　the　general　lines　on　which　I　think　the　paper　should　be　conducted？〃　The　sub…editor　nodded。　Mr。　Wilberfloss　made　him　tired。　Sometimes　he　made　him　more　tired　than　at　other　times。　At　the　present　moment　he　filled　him　with　an　aching　weariness。　The　editor　meant　well；　and　was　full　of　zeal；　but　he　had　a　habit　of　covering　and　recovering　the　ground。　He　possessed　the　art　of　saying　the　same　obvious　thing　in　a　number　of　different　ways　to　a　degree　which　is　found　usually　only　in　politicians。　If　Mr。　Wilberfloss　had　been　a　politician；　he　would　have　been　one　of　those　dealers　in　glittering　generalities　who　used　to　be　fashionable　in　American　politics
　〃There　is　just　one　thing；〃　he　continued　〃Mrs。　Julia　Burdett　Parslow　is　a　little　inclinedI　may　have　mentioned　this　before〃
　〃You　did；〃　said　the　sub…editor
　Mr。　Wilberfloss　chirruped　on；　unchecked。
　〃A　little　inclined　to　be　late　with　her　'Moments　with　Budding　Girlhood'　If　this　should　happen　while　I　am　away；　just　write　her　a　letter；　quite　a　pleasant　letter；　you　understand；　pointing　out　the　necessity　of　being　in　good　time。　The　machinery　of　a　weekly　paper；　of　course；　cannot　run　smoothly　unless　contributors　are　in　good　time　with　their　copy。　She　is　a　very　sensible　woman；　and　she　will　understand；　I　am　sure；　if　you　point　it　out　to　her。〃
　The　sub…editor　nodded。
　〃And　there　is　just　one　other　thing。　I　wish　you　would　correct　a　slight　tendency　I　have　noticed　lately　in　Mr。　Asher　to　be　just　a　triflewell；　not　precisely　risky；　but　perhaps　a　shade　broad　in　his　humour。〃
　〃His　what？〃　said　Billy　Windsor。
　〃Mr。　Asher　is　a　very　sensible　man；　and　he　will　be　the　first　to　acknowledge　that　his　sense　of　humour　has　led　him　just　a　little　beyond　the　bounds。　You　understand？　Well；　that　is　all；　I　think。　Now　I　must　really　be　going；　or　I　shall　miss　my　train。　Good…bye；　Mr。　Windsor。〃
�

快捷操作: 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!

温馨提示：温看小说的同时发表评论，说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦！发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励，认真写原创书评被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦！