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！
Mowgli and the bandar…log。
QUINCYTrueI didn't think of it。
MIFFLINI'd like to get you fellows' ideas about advertising。 There
was a young chap in here the other day from an advertising agency； trying
to get me to put some copy in the papers。 Have you found that it pays？
FRUEHLINGIt always payssomebody。 The only question is； does
it pay the man who pays for the ad？
MEREDITHWhat do you mean？
FRUEHLINGDid you ever consider the problem of what I call
tangential advertising？ By that I mean advertising that benefits your
rival rather than yourself？ Take an example。 On Sixth Avenue there is
a lovely delicatessen shop； but rather expensive。 Every conceivable kind
of sweetmeat and relish is displayed in the brightly lit window。 When
you look at that window it simply makes your mouth water。 You decide
to have something to eat。 But do you get it there？ Not much！ You go a
little farther down the street and get it at the Automat or the Crystal Lunch。
The delicatessen fellow pays the overhead expense of that beautiful food
exhibit； and the other man gets the benefit of it。 It's the same way in my
business。 I'm in a factory district； where people can't afford to have any
but the best books。 （Meredith will bear me out in saying that only the
wealthy can afford the poor ones。） They read the book ads in the papers
and magazines； the ads of Meredith's shop and others； and then they come
to me to buy them。 I believe in advertising； but I believe in letting
someone else pay for it。
MIFFLINI guess perhaps I can afford to go on riding on Meredith's
29
… Page 30…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
ads。 I hadn't thought of that。 But I think I shall put a little notice in one
of the papers some day； just a little card saying
PARNASSUS AT HOME GOOD BOOKS BOUGHT AND
SOLD THIS SHOP IS HAUNTED
It will be fun to see what come…back I get。
QUINCYThe book section of a department store doesn't get much
chance to enjoy that tangential advertising； as Fruehling calls it。 Why；
when our interior decorating shark puts a few volumes of a pirated Kipling
bound in crushed oilcloth or a copy of 〃Knock…kneed Stories；〃 into the
window to show off a Louis XVIII boudoir suite； display space is charged
up against my department！ Last summer he asked me for 〃something by
that Ring fellow； I forget the name；〃 to put a punchy finish on a layout of
porch furniture。 I thought perhaps he meant Wagner's Nibelungen operas；
and began to dig them out。 Then I found he meant Ring Lardner。
GLADFISTThere you are。 I keep telling you bookselling is an
impossible job for a man who loves literature。 When did a bookseller
ever make any real contribution to the world's happiness？
MIFFLINDr。 Johnson's father was a bookseller。
GLADFISTYes； and couldn't afford to pay for Sam's education。
FRUEHLINGThere's another kind of tangential advertising that
interests me。 Take； for instance； a Coles Phillips painting for some brand
of silk stockings。 Of course the high lights of the picture are cunningly
focussed on the stockings of the eminently beautiful lady； but there is
always something else in the picturean automobile or a country house or
a Morris chair or a parasolwhich makes it just as effective an ad for those
goods as it is for the stockings。 Every now and then Phillips sticks a book
into his paintings； and I expect the Fifth Avenue book trade benefits by it。
A book that fits the mind as well as a silk stocking does the ankle will be
sure to sell。
MIFFLINYou are all crass materialists。 I tell you； books are the
depositories of the human spirit； which is the only thing in this world that
endures。 What was it Shakespeare said
Not marble nor the gilded monuments Of princes shall outlive this
30
… Page 31…
THE HAUNTED BOOKSHOP
powerful rhyme
By the bones of the Hohenzollerns； he was right！ And wait a minute！
There's something in Carlyle's Cromwell that comes back to me。
He ran excitedly out of the room； and the members of the Corn Cob
fraternity grinned at each other。 Gladfist cleaned his pipe and poured out
some more cider。 〃He's off on his hobby；〃 he chuckled。 〃I love baiting
him。〃
〃Speaking of Carlyle's Cromwell；〃 said Fruehling； 〃that's a book I
don't often hear asked for。 But a fellow came in the other day hunting for
a copy； and to my chagrin I didn't have one。 I rather pride myself on
keeping that sort of thing in stock。 So I called up Brentano's to see if I
could pick one up； and they told me they had just sold the only copy they
had。 Somebody must have been boosting Thomas！ Maybe he's quoted
in Tarzan； or somebody has bought up the film rights。〃
Mifflin came in； looking rather annoyed。
〃Here's an odd thing；〃 he said。 〃I know damn well that copy of
Cromwell was on the shelf because I saw it there last night。 It's not there
now。〃
〃That's nothing；〃 said Quincy。 〃You know how people come into a
second…hand store； see a book they take a fancy to but don't feel like
buying just then； and tuck it away out of sight or on some other shelf
where they think no one else will spot it； but they'll be able to find it when
they can afford it。 Probably someone's done that with your Cromwell。〃
〃Maybe； but I doubt it；〃 said Mifflin。 〃Mrs。 Mifflin says she didn't
sell it this evening。 I woke her up to ask her。 She was dozing over her
knitting at the desk。 I guess she's tired after her trip。〃
〃I'm sorry to miss the Carlyle quotation；〃 said Benson。 〃What was the
gist？〃
〃I think I've got it jotted down in a notebook；〃 said Roger； hunting
along a shelf。 〃Yes； here it is。〃 He read aloud：
〃The works of a man； bury them under what guano…mountains and
obscene owl…droppings you will； do not perish； cannot perish。 What of
Heroism； what of Eternal Light was in a Man and his Life； is with very
31