People said of the new journal, Good Humour--people of taste and judgment, that it was the brightest, the cleverest, the most literary penny weekly that ever had been offered to the public.
This made Peter Hope, editor and part-proprietor, very happy.
William Clodd, business manager, and also part-proprietor, it left less elated.
"Must be careful," said William Clodd, "that we don't make it too clever. Happy medium, that's the ideal."
People said--people of taste and judgment, that Good Humour was more worthy of support than all the other penny weeklies put together. People of taste and judgment even went so far, some of them, as to buy it. Peter Hope, looking forward, saw fame and fortune coming to him.
William Clodd, looking round about him, said - "Doesn't it occur to you, Guv'nor, that we're getting this thing just a trifle too high class?"
"What makes you think that?" demanded Peter Hope.
"Our circulation, for one thing," explained Clodd. "The returns for last month--"
"I'd rather you didn't mention them, if you don't mind," interrupted Peter Hope; "somehow, hearing the actual figures always depresses me."
"Can't say I feel inspired by them myself," admitted Clodd.
"It will come," said Peter Hope, "it will come in time. We must educate the public up to our level."
"If there is one thing, so far as I have noticed," said William Clodd, "that the public are inclined to pay less for than another, it is for being educated."
"What are we to do?" asked Peter Hope.
"What you want," answered William Clodd, "is an office-boy."
"How will our having an office-boy increase our circulation?" demanded Peter Hope. "Besides, it was agreed that we could do without one for the first year. Why suggest more expense?"
"I don't mean an ordinary office-boy," explained Clodd. "I mean the sort of boy that I rode with in the train going down to Stratford yesterday."
"What was there remarkable about him?"
"Nothing. He was reading the current number of the Penny Novelist.
Over two hundred thousand people buy it. He is one of them. He told me so. When he had done with it, he drew from his pocket a copy of the Halfpenny Joker--they guarantee a circulation of seventy thousand. He sat and chuckled over it until we got to Bow."
"But--"
"You wait a minute. I'm coming to the explanation. That boy represents the reading public. I talked to him. The papers he likes best are the papers that have the largest sales. He never made a single mistake. The others--those of them he had seen--he dismissed as 'rot.' What he likes is what the great mass of the journal-buying public likes. Please him--I took his name and address, and he is willing to come to us for eight shillings a week--and you please the people that buy. Not the people that glance through a paper when it is lying on the smoking-room table, and tell you it is damned good, but the people that plank down their penny. That's the sort we want."
Peter Hope, able editor, with ideals, was shocked--indignant.
William Clodd, business man, without ideals, talked figures.
"There's the advertiser to be thought of," persisted Clodd. "I don't pretend to be a George Washington, but what's the use of telling lies that sound like lies, even to one's self while one's telling them? Give me a genuine sale of twenty thousand, and I'll undertake, without committing myself, to convey an impression of forty. But when the actual figures are under eight thousand--well, it hampers you, if you happen to have a conscience.
"Give them every week a dozen columns of good, sound literature," continued Clodd insinuatingly, "but wrap it up in twenty-four columns of jam. It's the only way they'll take it, and you will be doing them good--educating them without their knowing it. All powder and no jam! Well, they don't open their mouths, that's all."
Clodd was a man who knew how to get his way. Flipp--spelled Philip--Tweetel arrived in due course of time at 23, Crane Court, ostensibly to take up the position of Good Humour's office-boy; in reality, and without his being aware of it, to act as its literary taster. Stories in which Flipp became absorbed were accepted.
Peter groaned, but contented himself with correcting only their grosser grammatical blunders; the experiment should be tried in all good faith. Humour at which Flipp laughed was printed. Peter tried to ease his conscience by increasing his subscription to the fund for destitute compositors, but only partially succeeded.
Poetry that brought a tear to the eye of Flipp was given leaded type. People of taste and judgment said Good Humour had disappointed them. Its circulation, slowly but steadily, increased.
"See!" cried the delighted Clodd; "told you so!"
"It's sad to think--" began Peter.
"Always is," interrupted Clodd cheerfully. "Moral--don't think too much."
"Tell you what we'll do," added Clodd. "We'll make a fortune out of this paper. Then when we can afford to lose a little money, we'll launch a paper that shall appeal only to the intellectual portion of the public. Meanwhile--"
A squat black bottle with a label attached, standing on the desk, arrested Clodd's attention.
"When did this come?" asked Clodd.
"About an hour ago," Peter told him.
"Any order with it?"
"I think so." Peter searched for and found a letter addressed to "William Clodd, Esq., Advertising Manager, Good Humour." Clodd tore it open, hastily devoured it.
"Not closed up yet, are you?"
"No, not till eight o'clock."
"Good! I want you to write me a par. Do it now, then you won't forget it. For the 'Walnuts and Wine' column."
Peter sat down, headed a sheet of paper: 'For W. and W. Col.'
"What is it?" questioned Peter--"something to drink?"
"It's a sort of port," explained Clodd, "that doesn't get into your head."
"You consider that an advantage?" queried Peter.
"Of course. You can drink more of it."
Peter continued to write: 'Possesses all the qualities of an old vintage port, without those deleterious properties--' "I haven't tasted it, Clodd," hinted Peter.
"That's all right--I have."
