"Certainly not in that sense. We publish a dozen magazines and this kind
of thing doesn't fit any of them. We entertain the public--we rarely
instruct them."
"I see. I'm obliged to you for your trouble. I'll try the _Atlantic_."
"Bring in some stories, light, entertaining stuff with a snap, and we
will take them."
"Thanks! 'Fraid that isn't in my line."
Jarvis went over to the Public Library and deliberately studied the
style of stuff used by the various monthly publications, making notes.
For the next few days he worked all day and a good part of the night on
things he thought he could sell, according to these notes. Then he began
a campaign to peddle them. The _Atlantic_ refused his drama articles,
and he tried them elsewhere, with no success. The other things were
equally a drug on the market. He saved postage by taking them to the
editors' offices himself, and calling for them in ten days or so. He
always found them ready for him. He took a cheaper room, and got down to
one square meal a day. Finally, an opportunity came for him to review
some books for a literary supplement of a newspaper. Confident that his
luck had changed, he proceeded to demolish three out of the four books
assigned to him in the most scathing reviews, whereupon the editor paid
him half price and dismissed him.
The week when things reached the lowest ebb he was summoned by a postal
from an acquaintance, made during one of his night prowls, an old
English cabman. When he arrived at the address indicated he found the
old man sick in bed with rheumatism. He wanted Jarvis to drive his
hansom for a week, on a percentage, until he could get about again.
There was no choice. It was that or the park benches, so Jarvis
accepted. Old Hicks fitted, or rather misfitted, him in a faded blue
tailed coat and a topper, Jarvis looked like an Otto Gushing cartoon of
Apollo in the attire, but he never once thought of that. He hitched up
the bony old horse, mounted the box, with full instructions as to
traffic rules, and headed for the avenue. He found the new trade
amusing. He drove ladies on shopping tours, took nurses and their
charges around the Park. He did not notice that his face and manners
caused many a customer to stare in astonishment. When one woman said
audibly to her companion, "Good heavens! what a handsome creature!" he
never dreamed she referred to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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