第1章

“Youneedtherest。”saidtheBusinessEnd；“andyourwifewantsyoutogo，aswellasyourdoctor。Besides，it’syourSabbaticalyear，andyou，couldsendbackalotofstuffforthemagazine。”

“IsthatyournotionofaSabbaticalyear？“askedtheeditor。

“No；Ithrowthatoutasabaittoyourconscience。Youneedn’twritealinewhileyou’regone。Iwishyouwouldn’tforyourownsake；althougheverynumberthathasn’tgotyouinitisabacknumberforme。”

“That’sveryniceofyou，Fulkerson。”saidtheeditor。“Isupposeyourealizethatit’snineyearssincewetook’EveryOtherWeek’fromDryfoos？”

“Well，thatmakesitallthemoreSabbatical。”saidFulkerson。“Thetwoextrayearsthatyou’veputinhere，overandabovetheoldstyleSabbaticalseven，arejustsomuchmoretoyourcredit。Itwasyourrighttogo，twoyearsago，andnowit’syourduty。Couldn’tyoulookatitinthatlight？”

“IdaresayMrs。Marchcould。”theeditorassented。“Idon’tbelieveshecouldbebroughttoregarditasapleasureonanyotherterms。”

“Ofcoursenot。”saidFulkerson。“Ifyouwon’ttakeayear，takethreemonths，andcallitaSabbaticalsummer；butgo，anyway。Youcanmakeuphalfadozennumbersahead，andTom，here，knowsyourwayssowellthatyouneedn’tthinkabout’EveryOtherWeek’fromthetimeyoustarttillthetimeyoutrytobribethecustomsinspectorwhenyougetback。Icantakeahackattheeditingmyself，ifTom’sinspirationgivesout，andputalittleofmyadvertisingfireintothething。”Helaidhishandontheshoulderoftheyoungfellowwhostoodsmilingby，andpushedandshookhiminthelikingtherewasbetweenthem。“Nowyougo，March！

Mrs。FulkersonfeelsjustasIdoaboutit；wehadouroutinglastyear，andwewantMrs。Marchandyoutohaveyours。Youletmegodownandengageyourpassage，and——“

“No，no！”theeditorrebelled。“I’llthinkaboutit；“butasheturnedtotheworkhewassofondofandsowearyof，hetriednottothinkofthequestionagain，tillheclosedhisdeskintheafternoon，andstartedtowalkhome；thedoctorhadsaidheoughttowalk，andhedidso，thoughhelongedtoride，andlookedwistfullyatthepassingcars。

Heknewhewasinarut，ashiswifeoftensaid；butifitwasarut，itwasasupporttoo；itkepthimfromwobbling：Shealwaystalkedasifthefloweryfieldsofyouthlayoneithersideofthedustyroadhehadbeengoingsolong，andhehadbuttostepasidefromit，tobeamongthebutterfliesandbuttercupsagain；hesometimesindulgedthisillusion，himself，inacertainironicalspiritwhichcaressedwhileitmockedthenotion。Theyhadatacitagreementthattheiryouth，iftheywereevertofinditagain，wastobelookedforinEurope，wheretheymetwhentheywereyoung，andtheyhadneverbeenquitewithoutthehopeofgoingbackthere，someday，foralongsojourn。Theyhadnotseenthetimewhentheycoulddoso；theyweredreamers，but，astheyrecognized，evendreamingisnotfreefromcare；andinhisdreamMarchhadbeenobligedtoworkprettysteadily，ifnottoointensely。Hehadbeenforcedtoforegothedistinctlyliteraryambitionwithwhichhehadstartedinlifebecausehehadtheircommonlivingtomake，andhecouldnotmakeitbywritinggracefulverse，orevengracefulprose。Hehadbeenmanyyearsinasufficientlydistastefulbusiness，andhehadlostanythoughtofleavingitwhenitlefthim，perhapsbecausehisholdonithadalwaysbeenratherlax，andhehadnotbeenabletoconcealthathedislikedit。

Atanyrate，hewassupplantedinhisinsuranceagencyatBostonbyasubordinateinhisoffice，andthoughhewasatthesametimeofferedaplaceofnominalcreditintheemployofthecompany，hewasabletodeclineitingraceofachancewhichunitedthecharmofcongenialworkwiththesolidadvantageofabettersalarythanhehadbeengettingforworkhehated。Itwasanincrediblechance，butitwasrenderedappreciablyrealbythenecessityitinvolvedthattheyshouldleaveBoston，wheretheyhadlivedalltheirmarriedlife，whereMrs。Marchaswellastheirchildrenwasborn，andwherealltheirtenderandfamiliartieswere，andcometoNewYork，wheretheliteraryenterprisewhichformedhischancewastobefounded。

Itwasthenamagazineofanewsort，whichhisbusinesspartnerhadimaginedinsuchleisureasthemanagementofanewspapersyndicateaffordedhim，andhadalwaysthoughtofgettingMarchtoedit。Themagazinewhichisalsoabookhassincebeenrealizedelsewhereonmoreorlessprosperousterms，butnotforanylongperiod，and’EveryOtherWeek’wasapparently——theonlyperiodicalofthekindconditionedforsurvival。Itwasatfirstbackedbyunlimitedcapital，andithadtheinstantfavorofapopularmood，whichhassincechanged，butwhichdidnotchangesosoonthatthemagazinehadnottimetoestablishitselfinawideacceptance。Itwasnownolongeranovelty，itwasnolongerinthemaidenblushofitsfirstsuccess，butithadentereduponitssecondyouthwiththereasonablehopeofmanyyearsofprosperitybeforeit。Infactitwasaverycomfortablelivingforallconcerned，andtheMarcheshadtheconditions，almostdismayinglyperfect，inwhichtheyhadoftenpromisedthemselvestogoandbeyoungagaininEurope，whentheyrebelledatfindingthemselveselderlyinAmerica。Theirdaughterwasmarried，andsoverymuchtohermother’smindthatshedidnotworryabouther，eventhoughshelivedsofarawayasChicago，stillawildfrontiertowntoherBostonimagination；andtheirson，assoonasheleftcollege，hadtakenholdon’EveryOtherWeek’，underhisfather’sinstruction，withazealandintelligencewhichwonhimFulkerson’spraiseasachipoftheoldblock。Thesetwolikedeachother，andworkedintoeachother’shandsascordiallyandaptlyasFulkersonandMarchhadeverdone。ItamusedthefathertoseehissonofferingFulkersonthesamedeferencewhichtheBusinessEndpaidtoseniorityinMarchhimself；butinfact，Fulkerson’sforeheadwasgetting，ashesaid，moreintellectualeveryday；andtheyearswerepushingthemallalongtogether。

Still，Marchhadkeptonintheoldrut，andonedayhefelldowninit。

Hehadalongsickness，andwhenhewaswellofit，hewassoslowingettinghisgripofworkagainthathewassometimesdeeplydiscouraged。

Hiswifesharedhisdepression，whetherheshowedorwhetherhehidit，andwhenthedoctoradvisedhisgoingabroad，sheabettedthedoctorwithallthestrengthofawoman’shygienicintuitions。Marchhimselfwillinglyconsented，atfirst；butassoonashegotstrengthforhiswork，hebegantotemporizeandtodemur。HesaidthathebelieveditwoulddohimjustasmuchgoodtogotoSaratoga，wheretheyalwayshadsuchagoodtime，astogotoCarlsbad；andMrs。Marchhadbeenobligedseveraltimestoleavehimtohisownundoing；shealwaystookhimmorevigorouslyinhandafterwards。

Whenhegothomefromthe’EveryOtherWeek’office，theafternoonofthattalkwiththeBusinessEnd，hewantedtolaughwithhiswifeatFulkerson’snotionofaSabbaticalyear。Shedidnotthinkitwassoverydroll；sheevenurgeditseriouslyagainsthim，asifshehadnowtheauthorityofHolyWritforforcinghimabroad；shefoundnorelishofabsurdityintheideathatitwashisdutytotakethisrestwhichhadbeenhisrightbefore。

Heabandonedhimselftoafancywhichhadbeenworkingtothesurfaceofhisthought。“WecouldcallitourSilverWeddingJourney，andgoroundtoalltheoldplaces，andseetheminthereflectedlightofthepast。”

“Oh，wecould！”sheresponded，passionately；andhehadnowthedelicateresponsibilityofpersuadingherthathewasjoking。

HecouldthinkofnothingbetterthanareturntoFulkerson’sabsurdity。

“ItwouldbeourSilverWeddingJourneyjustasitwouldbemySabbaticalyear——agooddealafterdate。ButIsupposethatwouldmakeitallthemoresilvery。”

Shefalteredinherelation。“Didn’tyousayaSabbaticalyearyourself？”shedemanded。

“Fulkersonsaidit；butitwasafigurativeexpression。”

“AndIsupposetheSilverWeddingJourneywasafigurativeexpressiontoo！”

“Itwasanotionthattemptedme；Ithoughtyouwouldenjoyit。Don’tyousupposeIshouldbegladtoo，ifwecouldgoover，andfindourselvesjustaswewerewhenwefirstmetthere？”

“No；Idon’tbelievenowthatyoucareanythingaboutit。”

“Well，itcouldn’tbedone，anyway；sothatdoesn’tmatter。”

“Itcouldbedone，ifyouwereamindtothinkso。Anditwouldbethegreatestinspirationtoyou。Youarealwayslongingforsomechancetodooriginalwork，togetawayfromyourediting，butyou’veletthetimeslipbywithoutreallytryingtodoanything；Idon’tcallthoselittlestudiesofyoursinthemagazineanything；andnowyouwon’ttakethechancethat’salmostforcingitselfuponyou。Youcouldwriteanoriginalbookofthenicestkind；mixuptravelandfiction；getsomelovein。”

“Oh，that’sthestalestkindofthing！”

“Well，butyoucouldseeitfromaperfectlynewpointofview。Youcouldlookatitasasortofdispassionatewitness，andtreatithumorously——ofcourseitisridiculous——anddosomethingentirelyfresh。”

“Itwouldn’twork。Itwouldbecarryingwateronbothshoulders。Thefictionwouldkillthetravel，thetravelwouldkillthefiction；theloveandthehumorwouldn’tmingleanymorethanoilandvinegar。”

“Well，andwhatisbetterthanasalad？”

“Butthiswouldbeallsalad-dressing，andnothingtoputiton。”Shewassilent，andheyieldedtoanotherfancy。“Wemightimaginecominguponourformerselvesoverthere，andtravellingroundwiththem——

aweddingjourney’enpartiecarree’。”

“Somethinglikethat。Icallitaverypoeticalidea。”shesaidwithasortofprovisionality，asifdistrustinganotherambush。

“Itisn’tsobad。”headmitted。“Howyoungwewere，inthosedays！”

“Tooyoungtoknowwhatagoodtimewewerehaving。”shesaid，relaxingherdoubtfortheretrospect。“Idon’tfeelasifIreallysawEurope，then；Iwastooinexperienced，tooignorant，toosimple。Iwouldliketogo，justtomakesurethatIhadbeen。”Hewassmilingagaininthewayhehadwhenanythingoccurredtohimthatamusedhim，andshedemanded，“Whatisit？”

“Nothing。Iwaswishingwecouldgointheconsciousnessofpeoplewhoactuallyhadn’tbeenbefore——carrythemallthroughEurope，andletthemseeitintheold，simple-heartedAmericanway。”

Sheshookherhead。“Youcouldn’t！They’veallbeen！”

“Allbutaboutsixtyorseventymillions。”saidMarch。

“Well，thosearejustthemillionsyoudon’tknow，andcouldn’timagine。”

“I’mnotsosureofthat。”

“Andevenifyoucouldimaginethem，youcouldn’tmaketheminteresting。

Alltheinterestingoneshavebeen，anyway。”

“Someoftheuninterestingonestoo。Iused，tomeetsomeofthatsortoverthere。IbelieveIwouldratherchanceitformypleasurewiththosethathadn’tbeen。”

“Thenwhynotdoit？Iknowyoucouldgetsomethingoutofit。”

“Itmightbeagoodthing。”hemused，“totakeacouplewhohadpassedtheirwholelifehereinNewYork，toopoorandtoobusyevertogo；andhadaperfectfamineforEuropeallthetime。IcouldhavethemspendtheirSundayafternoonsgoingaboardthedifferentboats，andlookinguptheiraccommodations。Icouldhavethemsail，inimagination，anddiscoveranimaginaryEurope，andgivetheirgrotesquemisconceptionsofitfromtravelsandnovelsagainstabackgroundofpurelyAmericanexperience。Weneedn’tgoabroadtomanagethat。Ithinkitwouldberathernice。”