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Mother-Part2_Owen Wister(1860-1938)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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stranger. He very kindly consented to be my adviser. I was well pleased



to find how much I had underrated the interest-bearing capacity of my

windfall. 'Four per cent!' he cried, when I told him this was the extent



of my expectations. 'Why, you're talking like a trustee.' And then seeing

that his meaning was beyond me, he explained in his bluff, humorous



manner. 'All a trustee cares for you know, is his reputation for safety.

It's not his own income he's nursing, and so he doesn't care how small he



makes it, provided only that his investments would be always called safe.

Now there are ways of being safe without spending any trouble or time



upon it; and those are the ways a trustee will take. For example,' and

here he arose and unhooking a file of current quotations from the wall,



placed it in my lap as I sat beside him. 'now here are Government three's

selling at 108 3-8. They are as safe as the United States; and if I



advised you to buy them, it would cost me no thought, and my character

for safety would run no risk of a blemish. That is the sort of bond that



a trustee recommends. But see what income it gives you. Roughly speaking,

about twenty-eight thousand dollars.'"



"'That would not do at all,' said I, thinking of Ethel and October."

"'Certainly not for you,' returned Mr. Beverly, gaily. If you were a



timorous old maid, now, who would really like all her money in her

stocking in gold pieces, only she's ashamed to say so! But a young fellow



like you with no responsibility, no wife, and butcher's bill--it's quite

another thing!'"



"'Quite,' said I, 'oh, quite!'"

"Richard," interrupted Ethel, "do you have to make yourself out so



simple?"

"My dear, you forget that I said I should invent nothing, but should keep



myself to actual experiences. The part of my story that is coming now is

one where I should be very glad to draw upon my imagination."



"Mr. Beverly now ran his finger up and down various columns. 'Here

again,' said he, 'is a typicaltrustee bond, and nets you a few thousand



dollars more at present prices. New York Central and Hudson River 3

1-2's. Or here are West Shore 4's at 113 5-8. But you see it scales down



to pretty much the same thing. The sort of bond that a trustee will call

safe does not bring the owner more than about three and one-half per



cent.'"

"'Why, there are some six per cent bonds!' I said; and I pointed them out



to him."

"'Selling at 137 7-8, you see,' said Mr. Beverly. 'Deducting the tax,



there you are scaled down again.' He pencilled some swift calculations.

'There,' said he. And I nearly understood them. 'Now I'm not here to stop



your buying that sort of petticoat and canary-bird wafer,' continued Mr.

Beverly. 'It's the regular trustee move, and nobody could criticise you



if you made it. It's what I call thoughtless safety, and it brings you

about 3 1-2 per cent, as I have already shown you. Anybody can do it.'"



These words of Mr. Beverly made me feel that I did not want to do what

anybody could do. 'There is another kind of safety which I call



thoughtful safety,' said he. 'Thoughtful, because it requires you to

investigate properties and their earnings, and generally to use your



independent judgment after a good deal of work. And all this a trustee

greatly dislikes. It rewards you with five and even six per cent, but



that is no stimulus to a trustee.'"

"Something in me had leaped when Mr. Beverly mentioned six per cent.



Again I thought of Ethel and October, and what a difference it would be

to begin our modesthousekeeping on sixty instead of forty thousand



dollars a year, outside of what I was earning. Mr. Beverly now rang a

bell. 'You happen to have come,' said he, 'on a morning when I can really



do something for you out of the common. Bring me (it was a clerk he

addressed) one of those Petunia circulars. Now here you can see at a



glance for yourself.' He began reading the prospectus rapidly aloud to me

while I followed its paragraphs with my own eye. His strong,



well-polished thumb-nail ran heavily but speedily down the columns of

figures and such words as gross receipts, increase of population, sinking



fund, redeemable at 105 after 1920, churned vigorously and meaninglessly

through my brain. But I was not going to let him know that to understand



the circular I should have to take it away quietly to my desk in Nassau

Street, and spend an hour with it alone."



"'What is your opinion of Petunia Water sixes?' he inquired."

"'They are a lead-pipe cinch,' I immediately answered; and he slapped me



on the knee."

"'That's what I think!' he cried. 'Anyhow, I have taken 20,000 for



mother. Do what you like.'"




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