The reticence5 of actors, singers, authors, practical evangelists, and female temperance agitators6 concerning their movements renders it necessary for a great daily paper to maintain a corps7 of reliable spies, whose duty it is to meet[Pg 308] every incoming steamer and see that neither Henry Irving nor Steve Brodie nor Lady Henry Somerset lands unobserved and unchronicled on our hospitable8 shores.
The human ferret who aroused me from my slumbers9 declared that the newly arrived authors were met at the pier by an active, enthusiastic little man, who instantly departed with them in the direction of the setting sun.
“And what makes you think that they were literary men?” I inquired. “Are they entered on the ship’s papers as able-bodied authors?”
“Naw,” rejoined the sleuth. “They’re beatin’ the contract labor10 law. I knew they was authors the minute I seen the little man that met them at the dock. He’s a regular author’s padrone. He’s got a hull11 town full of ’em back in Jersey12 some place. I’ve known him this five year or more.”
[Pg 309]I waited to hear no more, for I knew that the active little man could be none other than McClure; and so I started without a moment’s delay for the village of Syndicate on the banks of the fragrant13 Hackensack.
On my way to the station for the authors’ settlement I met a small boy hurrying along the dusty highway. I recognized him as the son of an author who is now acting14 as timekeeper of the Grant memoir15 gang, and stopped him to inquire about Mr. McClure.
“That’s him a-coming there now, I think,” replied the urchin16.
I looked in the direction indicated, and saw what seemed to be a drove of cattle slowly approaching and enveloped17 in a cloud of dust. I sauntered along to meet them, and in a quarter of an hour at a sharp turn in the road, I encountered the strangest literary gathering18 that it has ever been my fortune to[Pg 310] behold19; and when I say this I do not forget that I have frequented some of the most brilliant literary and artistic20 salons21 that New York has ever known. At the head of the cavalcade22 marched Mr. S. S. McClure, the noted23 philanthropist, magazine editor, and founder24 of the model village of Syndicate. He carried a pair of bagpipes25 under his arm, and presented such a jaded26 and travel-stained appearance that I was involuntarily reminded of the Wandering Jew. Behind him marched a band of strange-looking men, attired27 in kilts and wearing broad whiskers, long bristly hair, and bare knees. A collie dog, panting and dust-covered, but still sharp-eyed and vigilant28, trotted29 along beside them to prevent them from straying away and losing themselves in the New Jersey prairies.
As soon as Mr. McClure’s eyes fell upon me a bright smile lit up his face,[Pg 311] and he stopped short in the road, raised the pipe to his lips, and burst into a triumphant30 strain of Scotch31 music. Those that followed him paused in their course, and with one accord began a masterly saltatorial effort, which, I have since learned, enjoys great vogue32 in Glasgow and Dundee under the name of the “Sawbath Fling.” While they danced the collie squatted33 on his hindquarters and watched them with bright, sleepless34 eyes.
“McClure,” I cried, “in the name of all that is monthly and serial35, what does this mean?”
“Ford,” he replied solemnly, as he advanced and took me by the hand, “you know that I have published Lincoln and Napoleon and Grant and Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Dodge36 and Company Ward37, but I have something far greater than all these for the year 1897. Can you not guess the meaning[Pg 312] of this brave cavalcade that you see before you?”
“What! Have you actually secured Professor Garnier’s ‘Equatorial Conversational38 Class’ as contributors to your monthly? That is, indeed, a literary triumph!”
“Equatorial nothing,” retorted the great editor, testily39. “I have just imported a herd40 of blooded Scotch dialect authors under a one year’s contract. We had to walk all the way out from Hoboken, because I only agreed to pay their fares to that point, and you know it’s thirty cents from there out, and a Scotchman always likes to walk and see scenery when he can. The result was that I had to walk, too, for fear Scribner or some of those pirates would coax41 them away from me, and I swear that if it hadn’t been for that dog of mine I don’t think I could have got them out here at all.”
[Pg 313]At this moment the authors resumed their march, for they were eager to reach their journey’s end, and we followed behind them, with the faithful collie trotting42 contentedly43 along.
As we walked Mr. McClure continued: “We passed through a suburban44 town about an hour ago, where one of those other Scotch authors was giving a morning lecture, and, before I knew it, we were in front of the very church in which he was at work. They heard him bleating45, and there would have been a regular stampede if it hadn’t been for that dog. He had the leader of them by the throat before you could say ‘bawbee,’ and then he barked and growled46 and snapped at them, and finally chased the whole pack off the church steps and up the street. I got him of a firm of Edinboro’ publishers, and I am going to have a kennel47 for him in my New York office and use him in a dozen[Pg 314] different ways. Look at him now, will you!”
I glanced around and saw that one of the authors had contrived48 to detach himself from the drove and was leaning over the fence engrossed49 in the contemplation of an advertisement of Glenlivet whiskey, which had caught his wandering eye, and as I looked, the dog came hurrying up from behind, nipped him, with a snarl50 of assumed ferocity, in the calf51 of his leg, and sent him scampering52 back to his place with the others.
We were now entering the principal thoroughfare of Syndicate, and the authors looked about in wonder at the silent streets and long rows of neat white cottages in which the literary toilers dwell. From the large brick factory, where the posthumous53 works of great authors are prepared, came the sound of busy, whirring wheels and the scratching of steam pens. In the art department[Pg 315] the sledge-hammers were falling on the anvils54 in measured cadence—in short, everything told the story of cheerful literary activity. Mr. McClure threw open the door of a large whitewashed55 building, gave the word of command to the dog, and in less than a minute the sagacious quadruped had rounded up the herd of authors and driven them into their corral.
“Good-by,” said the editor as he closed and bolted the door and turned to take my outstretched hand. “Good-by,” he continued solemnly, and then raised his hands above my head. I took off my hat.
“Now is the time to subscribe,” said Mr. McClure, impressively.
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收听单词发音
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1
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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2
imperative
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| n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的 | |
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3
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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pier
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| n.码头；桥墩，桥柱；[建]窗间壁，支柱 | |
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reticence
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| n.沉默，含蓄 | |
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6
agitators
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| n.（尤指政治变革的）鼓动者( agitator的名词复数 )；煽动者；搅拌器；搅拌机 | |
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7
corps
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| n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组 | |
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8
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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9
slumbers
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| 睡眠，安眠( slumber的名词复数 ) | |
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10
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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11
hull
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| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
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12
jersey
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| n.运动衫 | |
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13
fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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14
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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15
memoir
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| n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录 | |
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16
urchin
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| n.顽童；海胆 | |
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17
enveloped
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| v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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20
artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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21
salons
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| n.（营业性质的）店( salon的名词复数 )；厅；沙龙（旧时在上流社会女主人家的例行聚会或聚会场所）；（大宅中的）客厅 | |
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22
cavalcade
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| n.车队等的行列 | |
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23
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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24
Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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25
bagpipes
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| n.风笛；风笛( bagpipe的名词复数 ) | |
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26
jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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27
attired
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| adj.穿着整齐的v.使穿上衣服，使穿上盛装( attire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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28
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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29
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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30
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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31
scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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32
Vogue
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| n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的 | |
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33
squatted
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| v.像动物一样蹲下( squat的过去式和过去分词 )；非法擅自占用（土地或房屋）；为获得其所有权；而占用某片公共用地。 | |
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34
sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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35
serial
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| n.连本影片，连本电视节目；adj.连续的 | |
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36
dodge
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| v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计 | |
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37
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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38
conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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39
testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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40
herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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41
coax
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| v.哄诱，劝诱，用诱哄得到，诱取 | |
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42
trotting
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| 小跑，急走( trot的现在分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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43
contentedly
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| adv.心满意足地 | |
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44
suburban
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| adj.城郊的，在郊区的 | |
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45
bleating
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| v.（羊，小牛）叫( bleat的现在分词 )；哭诉；发出羊叫似的声音；轻声诉说 | |
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46
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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47
kennel
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| n.狗舍，狗窝 | |
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48
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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49
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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50
snarl
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| v.吼叫，怒骂，纠缠，混乱；n.混乱，缠结，咆哮 | |
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51
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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52
scampering
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的现在分词 ) | |
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53
posthumous
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| adj.遗腹的；父亡后出生的；死后的，身后的 | |
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54
anvils
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| n.（铁）砧( anvil的名词复数 )；砧骨 | |
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55
whitewashed
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| 粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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