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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
and so many cartons of the Chapman prunes。
〃By the way；〃 he called downstairs； 〃better have some of the prunes
for supper to…night； just as a compliment to Miss Chapman。〃
Mrs。 Mifflin preserved a humorous silence。
Over these noncommittal summits the bright eye of the bookseller； as
he tacked up the freshly ironed muslin curtains Mrs。 Mifflin had allotted；
could discern a glimpse of the bay and the leviathan ferries that link Staten
33
… Page 34…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
Island with civilization。 〃Just a touch of romance in the outlook；〃 he
thought to himself。 〃It will suffice to keep a blasee young girl aware of the
excitements of existence。〃
The room； as might be expected in a house presided over by Helen
Mifflin； was in perfect order to receive any occupant； but Roger had
volunteered to psychologize it in such a fashion as （he thought） would
convey favourable influences to the misguided young spirit that was to be
its tenant。 Incurable idealist； he had taken quite gravely his responsibility
as landlord and employer of Mr。 Chapman's daughter。 No chambered
nautilus was to have better opportunity to expand the tender mansions of
its soul。
Beside the bed was a bookshelf with a reading lamp。 The problem
Roger was discussing was what books and pictures might be the best
preachers to this congregation of one。 To Mrs。 Mifflin's secret amusement
he had taken down the picture of Sir Galahad which he had once hung
there； because （as he had said） if Sir Galahad were living to…day he would
be a bookseller。 〃We don't want her feasting her imagination on young
Galahads；〃 he had remarked at breakfast。 〃That way lies premature
matrimony。 What I want to do is put up in her room one or two good prints
representing actual men who were so delightful in their day that all the
young men she is likely to see now will seem tepid and prehensile。 Thus
she will become disgusted with the present generation of youths and there
will be some chance of her really putting her mind on the book business。〃
Accordingly he had spent some time in going through a bin where he
kept photos and drawings of authors that the publishers' 〃publicity men〃
were always showering upon him。 After some thought he discarded
promising engravings of Harold Bell Wright and Stephen Leacock； and
chose pictures of Shelley； Anthony Trollope； Robert Louis Stevenson； and
Robert Burns。 Then； after further meditation； he decided that neither
Shelley nor Burns would quite do for a young girl's room； and set them
aside in favour of a portrait of Samuel Butler。 To these he added a framed
text that he was very fond of and had hung over his own desk。 He had
once clipped it from a copy of Life and found much pleasure in it。 It runs
34
… Page 35…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
thus：
ON THE RETURN OF A BOOK LENT TO A FRIEND
I GIVE humble and hearty thanks for the safe return of this book
which having endured the perils of my friend's bookcase； and the
bookcases of my friend's friends； now returns to me in reasonably good
condition。
I GIVE humble and hearty thanks that my friend did not see fit to
give this book to his infant as a plaything； nor use it as an ash…tray for his
burning cigar； nor as a teething…ring for his mastiff。
WHEN I lent this book I deemed it as lost： I was resigned to the
bitterness of the long parting： I never thought to look upon its pages
again。
BUT NOW that my book is come back to me； I rejoice and am
exceeding glad！ Bring hither the fatted morocco and let us rebind the
volume and set it on the shelf of honour： for this my book was lent； and
is returned again。
PRESENTLY； therefore； I may return some of the books that I myself
have borrowed。
〃There！〃 he thought。 〃That will convey to her the first element of
book morality。〃
These decorations having been displayed on the walls； he bethought
himself of the books that should stand on the bedside shelf。
This is a question that admits of the utmost nicety of discussion。 Some
authorities hold that the proper books for a guest…room are of a soporific
quality that will induce swift and painless repose。 This school advises The
Wealth of Nations； Rome under the Caesars； The Statesman's Year Book；
certain novels of Henry James； and The Letters of Queen Victoria （in three
volumes）。 It is plausibly contended that books of this kind cannot be read
（late at night） for more than a few minutes at a time； and that they afford
useful scraps of information。
Another branch of opinion recommends for bedtime reading short
stories； volumes of pithy anecdote； swift and sparkling stuff that may keep
one awake for a space； yet will advantage all the sweeter slumber in the
35
… Page 36…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
end。 Even ghost stories and harrowing matter are maintained seasonable
by these pundits。 This class of reading comprises O。 Henry； Bret Harte；
Leonard Merrick； Ambrose Bierce； W。 W。 Jacobs； Daudet； de Maupassant；
and possibly even On a Slow Train Through Arkansaw； that grievous
classic of the railway bookstalls whereof its author； Mr。 Thomas W。
Jackson； has said 〃It will sell forever； and a thousand years afterward。〃 To
this might be added another of Mr。 Jackson's onslaughts on the human
intelligence； I'm From Texas； You Can't Steer Me； whereof is said （by the
author） 〃It is like a hard…boiled egg； you can't beat it。〃 There are other of
Mr。 Jackson's books； whose titles escape memory； whereof he has said
〃They are a dynamite for sorrow。〃 Nothing used to annoy Mifflin more
than to have someone come in and ask for copies of these works。 His
brother…in…law； Andrew McGill； the writer； once gave him for Christmas
（just to annoy him） a copy of On a Slow Train Through Arkansaw
sumptuously bound and gilded in what is known to the trade as 〃dove…
coloured ooze。〃 Roger retorted by sending Andrew （for his next birthday）
two volumes of Brann the Iconoclast bound in what Robert Cortes
Holliday calls 〃embossed toadskin。〃 But that is apart from the story。
To the consideration of what to put on Miss Titania's bookshelf Roger
devoted the delighted hours of the morning。 Several times Helen called
him to come down and attend to the shop； but he was sitting on the floor；
unaware of numbed shins； poring over the volumes he had carted upstairs
for a final culling。 〃It will be a great privilege；〃 he said to himself； 〃to
have a young mind to experiment with。 Now my wife； delightful creature
though she is； waswell； distinctly mature when I had the good fortune to
meet her； I have never been able properly to supervise her mental
processes。 But this Chapman girl will come to us wholly unlettered。 Her
father said she had been to a fashionable school： that surely is a
guarantee that the delicate tendrils of her mind have never begun to sprout。
I will test her （without her knowing it） by the books I put here for her。 By
noting which of them she responds to； I will know how to proceed。 It
might be worth while to shut up the shop one day a week in order to give
her some brief talks on literature。 Delightful！ Let me see； a little series
36
… Page 37…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
of talks on the development of the English novel； beginning with Tom
Joneshum； that would hardly do！ Well； I have always longed to be a
teacher； this looks like a chance to begin。 We might invite some of the
neighbours to send in their children once a week；