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authorship of circulars and leaflets in behalf of life…insurance； and
would give play to the literary talent which Mr。 Hubbell had brought to
the attention of the management； his salary would be nearly as much as at
present； but the work would not take his whole time； and in a place like
New York he could get a great deal of outside writing； which they would
not object to his doing。
Mr。 Hubbell seemed so sure of his acceptance of a place in every way
congenial to a man of literary tastes that March was afterward sorry he
dismissed the proposition with obvious irony； and had needlessly hurt
Hubbell's feelings； but Mrs。 March had no such regrets。 She was only
afraid that he had not made his rejection contemptuous enough。
〃And now；〃 she said； 〃telegraph Mr。 Fulkerson； and we will go at once。〃
〃I suppose I could still get Watkins's former place；〃 March suggested。
〃Never！〃 she retorted。 〃Telegraph instantly！〃
They were only afraid now that Fulkerson might have changed his mind； and
they had a wretched day in which they heard nothing from him。 It ended
with his answering March's telegram in person。 They were so glad of his
coming； and so touched by his satisfaction with his bargain； that they
laid all the facts of the case before him。 He entered fully into March's
sense of the joke latent in Mr。 Hubbell's proposition； and he tried to
make Mrs。 March believe that he shared her resentment of the indignity
offered her husband。
March made a show of willingness to release him in view of the changed
situation； saying that he held him to nothing。 Fulkerson laughed； and
asked him how soon he thought he could come on to New York。 He refused
to reopen the question of March's fitness with him； he said they； had
gone into that thoroughly； but he recurred to it with Mrs。 March； and
confirmed her belief in his good sense on all points。 She had been from
the first moment defiantly confident of her husband's ability； but till
she had talked the matter over with Fulkerson she was secretly not sure
of it； or； at least； she was not sure that March was not right in
distrusting himself。 When she clearly understood； now； what Fulkerson
intended； she had no longer a doubt。 He explained how the enterprise
differed from others； and how he needed for its direction a man who
combined general business experience and business ideas with a love for
the thing and a natural aptness for it。 He did not want a young man； and
yet he wanted youthits freshness； its zestsuch as March would feel in
a thing he could put his whole heart into。 He would not run in ruts；
like an old fellow who had got hackneyed； he would not have any hobbies；
he would not have any friends or any enemies。 Besides； he would have to
meet people； and March was a man that people took to； she knew that
herself； he had a kind of charm。 The editorial management was going to
be kept in the background； as far as the public was concerned； the public
was to suppose that the thing ran itself。 Fulkerson did not care for a
great literary reputation in his editorhe implied that March had a very
pretty little one。 At the same time the relations between the
contributors and the management were to be much more； intimate than
usual。 Fulkerson felt his personal disqualification for working the
thing socially； and he counted upon Mr。 March for that； that was to say；
he counted upon Mrs。 March。
She protested he must not count upon her； but it by no means disabled
Fulkerson's judgment in her view that March really seemed more than
anything else a fancy of his。 He had been a fancy of hers； and the sort
of affectionate respect with which Fulkerson spoke of him laid forever
some doubt she had of the fineness of Fulkerson's manners and reconciled
her to the graphic slanginess of his speech。
The affair was now irretrievable； but she gave her approval to it as
superbly as if it were submitted in its inception。 Only； Mr。 Fulkerson
must not suppose she should ever like New York。 She would not deceive
him on that point。 She never should like it。 She did not conceal；
either； that she did not like taking the children out of the Friday
afternoon class； and she did not believe that Tom would ever be
reconciled to going to Columbia。 She took courage from Fulkerson's
suggestion that it was possible for Tom to come to Harvard even from New
York； and she heaped him with questions concerning the domiciliation of
the family in that city。 He tried to know something about the matter；
and he succeeded in seeming interested in points necessarily indifferent
to him。
VI。
In the uprooting and transplanting of their home that followed； Mrs。
March often trembled before distant problems and possible contingencies；
but she was never troubled by present difficulties。 She kept up with
tireless energy； and in the moments of dejection and misgiving which
harassed her husband she remained dauntless； and put heart into him when
he had lost it altogether。
She arranged to leave the children in the house with the servants； while
she went on with March to look up a dwelling of some sort in New York。
It made him sick to think of it； and； when it came to the point； he would
rather have given up the whole enterprise。 She had to nerve him to it；
to represent more than once that now they had no choice but to make this
experiment。 Every detail of parting was anguish to him。 He got
consolation out of the notion of letting the house furnished for the
winter； that implied their return to it； but it cost him pangs of the
keenest misery to advertise it； and； when a tenant was actually found； it
was all he could do to give him the lease。 He tried his wife's love and
patience as a man must to whom the future is easy in the mass but
terrible as it translates itself piecemeal into the present。 He
experienced remorse in the presence of inanimate things he was going to
leave as if they had sensibly reproached him； and an anticipative
homesickness that seemed to stop his heart。 Again and again his wife had
to make him reflect that his depression was not prophetic。 She convinced
him of what he already knew； and persuaded him against his knowledge that
he could be keeping an eye out for something to take hold of in Boston if
they could not stand New York。 She ended by telling him that it was too
bad to make her comfort him in a trial that was really so much more a
trial to her。 She had to support him in a last access of despair on
their way to the Albany depot the morning they started to New York； but
when the final details had been dealt with； the tickets bought； the
trunks checked； and the handbags hung up in their car； and the future had
massed itself again at a safe distance and was seven hours and two
hundred miles away； his spirits began to rise and hers to sink。 He would
have been willing to celebrate the taste； the domestic refinement； of the
ladies' waiting…room in the depot； where they had spent a quarter of an
hour before the train started。 He said he did not believe there was
another station in the world where mahogany rocking…chairs were provided；
that the dull…red warmth of the walls was as cozy as an