the haunted bookshop(闹鬼的书店)-第16章
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was one of superfluous dinginess； and as Mrs。 Mifflin refused to let her
help get breakfastexcept set out the salt cellars she ran down Gissing
Street to a little florist's shop she had noticed the previous afternoon。
Here she spent at least a week's salary in buying chrysanthemums and a
large pot of white heather。 She was distributing these about the shop when
Roger found her。
〃Bless my soul！〃 he said。 〃How are you going to live on your wages
if you do that sort of thing？ Pay…day doesn't come until next Friday！〃
〃Just one blow…out；〃 she said cheerfully。 〃I thought it would be fun
to brighten the place up a bit。 Think how pleased your floorwalker will
be when he comes in！〃
〃Dear me；〃 said Roger。 〃I hope you don't really think we have
floorwalkers in the second…hand book business。〃
After breakfast he set about initiating his new employee into the
routine of the shop。 As he moved about； explaining the arrangement of
his shelves； he kept up a running commentary。
〃Of course all the miscellaneous information that a bookseller has to
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have will only come to you gradually；〃 he said。 〃Such tags of bookshop
lore as the difference between Philo Gubb and Philip Gibbs； Mrs。 Wilson
Woodrow and Mrs。 Woodrow Wilson； and all that sort of thing。 Don't be
frightened by all the ads you see for a book called 〃Bell and Wing；〃
because no one was ever heard to ask for a copy。 That's one of the
reasons why I tell Mr。 Gilbert I don't believe in advertising。 Someone may
ask you who wrote The Winning of the Best； and you'll have to know it
wasn't Colonel Roosevelt but Mr。 Ralph Waldo Trine。 The beauty of being
a bookseller is that you don't have to be a literary critic： all you have to
do to books is enjoy them。 A literary critic is the kind of fellow who will
tell you that Wordsworth's Happy Warrior is a poem of 85 lines composed
entirely of two sentences； one of 26 lines and one of 59。 What does it
matter if Wordsworth wrote sentences almost as long as those of Walt
Whitman or Mr。 Will H。 Hays； if only he wrote a great poem？ Literary
critics are queer birds。 There's Professor Phelps of Yale； for instance。
He publishes a book in 1918 and calls it The Advance of English Poetry in
the Twentieth Century。 To my way of thinking a book of that title
oughtn't to be published until 2018。 Then somebody will come along and
ask you for a book of poems about a typewriter； and by and by you'll learn
that what they want is Stevenson's Underwoods。 Yes； it's a complicated
life。 Never argue with customers。 Just give them the book they ought to
have even if they don't know they want it。〃 They went outside the front
door； and Roger lit his pipe。 In the little area in front of the shop windows
stood large empty boxes supported on trestles。 〃The first thing I always
do；〃 he said。
〃The first thing you'll both do is catch your death of cold；〃 said Helen
over his shoulder。 〃Titania； you run and get your fur。 Roger； go and find
your cap。 With your bald head； you ought to know better！〃
When they returned to the front door； Titania's blue eyes were
sparkling above her soft tippet。
〃I applaud your taste in furs；〃 said Roger。 〃That is just the colour of
tobacco smoke。〃 He blew a whiff against it to prove the likeness。 He felt
very talkative； as most older men do when a young girl looks as
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delightfully listenable as Titania。
〃What an adorable little place；〃 said Titania； looking round at the
bookshop's space of private pavement； which was sunk below the street
level。 〃You could put tables out here and serve tea in summer time。〃
〃The first thing every morning；〃 continued Roger； 〃I set out the ten…
cent stuff in these boxes。 I take it in at night and stow it in these bins。
When it rains； I shove out an awning； which is mighty good business。
Someone is sure to take shelter； and spend the time in looking over the
books。 A really heavy shower is often worth fifty or sixty cents。 Once a
week I change my pavement stock。 This week I've got mostly fiction out
here。 That's the sort of thing that comes in in unlimited numbers。 A good
deal of it's tripe； but it serves its purpose。〃
〃Aren't they rather dirty？〃 said Titania doubtfully； looking at some
little blue Rollo books； on which the siftings of generations had
accumulated。 〃Would you mind if I dusted them off a bit？〃
〃It's almost unheard of in the second…hand trade；〃 said Roger； 〃but it
might make them look better。〃
Titania ran inside； borrowed a duster from Helen； and began
housecleaning the grimy boxes； while Roger chatted away in high spirits。
Bock already noticing the new order of things； squatted on the doorstep
with an air of being a party to the conversation。 Morning pedestrians on
Gissing Street passed by； wondering who the bookseller's engaging
assistant might be。 〃I wish _I_ could find a maid like that；〃 thought a
prosperous Brooklyn housewife on her way to market。 〃I must ring her up
some day and find out how much she gets。〃
Roger brought out armfuls of books while Titania dusted。
〃One of the reasons I'm awfully glad you've come here to help me；〃 he
said； 〃is that I'll be able to get out more。 I've been so tied down by the
shop； I haven't had a chance to scout round； buy up libraries； make bids on
collections that are being sold； and all that sort of thing。 My stock is
running a bit low。 If you just wait for what comes in； you don't get much
of the really good stuff。〃
Titania was polishing a copy of The Late Mrs。 Null。 〃It must be
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wonderful to have read so many books；〃 she said。 〃I'm afraid I'm not a
very deep reader； but at any rate Dad has taught me a respect for good
books。 He gets So mad because when my friends come to the house； and
he asks them what they've been reading； the only thing they seem to know
about is Dere Mable。〃
Roger chuckled。 〃I hope you don't think I'm a mere highbrow；〃 he
said。 〃As a customer said to me once； without meaning to be funny； ‘I
like both the Iliad and the Argosy。' The only thing I can't stand is
literature that is unfairly and intentionally flavoured with vanilla。
Confectionery soon disgusts the palate； whether you find it in Marcus
Aurelius or Doctor Crane。 There's an odd aspect of the matter that
sometimes strikes me： Doc Crane's remarks are just as true as Lord
Bacon's； so how is it that the Doctor puts me to sleep in a paragraph； while
my Lord's essays keep me awake all night？〃
Titania； being unacquainted with these philosophers； pursued the
characteristic feminine course of clinging to the subject on which she was
informed。 The undiscerning have called this habit of mind irrelevant； but
wrongly。 The feminine intellect leaps like a grasshopper； the masculine
plods as the ant。
〃I see there's a new Mable book coming；〃 she said。 〃It's called That's
Me All Over Mable； and the newsstand clerk at the Octagon says he
expects to sell a thousand copies。〃
〃Well； there's a meaning in that；〃 said Roger。 〃People have a craving
to be amused； and I'm sure I don't blame 'em。 I'm afraid I haven't read
Dere Mable。 If it's really amusing； I'm glad they read it。 I suspect it isn't
a very great book； because a Philadelphia schoolgirl has written a reply to
it called Dere Bill； which is said to be as good as the original。 Now you
can hardly imagine a Philadelphia flapper writing an effective companion
to Bacon's Essays。 But never mind； if the stuff's amusing； it has its place。
The human yearning for innocent pastime is a pathetic thing； come to
think about it。 It shows what a desperately grim thing life has become。
One of the most significant things I know is that breathless； expectant；
adoring hush that falls over a theatre at a Saturday matinee； when the
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house goes dark and the footlights set the bottom of the curtain in a glow；
and the latecomers tank over your feet climbing into their seats〃
〃Isn't it an adorable moment！〃 cried Titania。
〃Yes； it is；〃 said Roger； 〃but it makes me sad to see what tosh is
handed out to that eager； expectant audience； most of the time。 There they
all are； ready to be thrilled； eager to be worked upon； deliberately putting
themselves into that glorious； rare； receptive mood when they are clay in
the artist's handand Lord！ what miserable substitutes for joy and sorrow
are put over on them！ Day after day I see people streaming into theatres
and movies； and I know that more than half the time they are on a blind
quest； thinking they are satisfied when in truth they are fed on paltry husks。
And the sad part about it is that if you let yourself think you are satisfied
with husks； you'll have no appetite left for the real grain。〃
Titania wondered； a little panic…stricken； whether she had been
permitting herself to be satisfied with husks。 She remembered how
greatly she had enjoyed a Dorothy Gish film a few evenings before。 〃But；〃
she ventured； 〃you said people want to be amused。 And if they laugh and
look happy； surely they're amused？〃
〃They only think they are！〃 cried
