Old Junk

H. M. (Henry Major) Tomlinson

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• Publié par: vijuj
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 39
• Langue: English

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Title: Old Junk Author: H. M. Tomlinson Commentator: S. K. Ratcliffe Release Date: May 19, 2008 [EBook #25523] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD JUNK ***

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O L D

BY H. M. TOMLINSON

FOREWORD BY S. K. RATCLIFFE

NEW YORK ALFRED ·A · KNOPF 1920 COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY ALFRED A. KNOPF, I NC . Second Printing August, 1920

J

U

N

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

To C. H. G. H. Who saw with me so much of what is in this book (Killed in action in Artois, August 27th, 1918)

These stories of travel and chance have been selected from writings published in various periodicals between January 1907 and April 1918, and are arranged in order of time.

 

Foreword

The author ofO LD  J UNK  has been called a legend. A colleague who during the later stages of the war visited the western front assured me that this was the right word by which to describe the memory left among officers and men, not so much by his work as a war correspondent, as by his original and fascinating character. A legend, too, he appears to be in the newspaper world of London: but there in a different sense, by reason of the singular contradiction between the human creature beloved of all his fellows and the remarkable productions of his pen. The first thing to say about H. M. Tomlinson, the thing of which you become acutely aware on making his acquaintance, is that he is a Londoner. "Nearly a pure-blooded London Saxon" is his characterization of himself. And so it is. He could have sprung from no other stock. In person and speech, in the indefinable quality of the man, in the humour which continually tempers his tremendous seriousness, he belongs to London. Among the men of our time who have done creative writing I can think of no other about whom this can be so precisely stated. It was in the opening years of the century that I first began to notice his work. His name was appearing in the columns of a London morning newspaper, since absorbed by theDaily News,over articles which, if my memory is not at fault, were mainly concerned with the life of Thames side. They were written with extraordinary care. The man who did them had, clearly, no competitor in Fleet Street. And he furnishes a striking illustration of the chances and misfits of the ournalistic life. When after

            some years of absence in the Far East, I was able to fit a person to the writing which had so long attracted me, I found H. M. Tomlinson on the regular reporting staff of a great London newspaper. A man born for the creation of beauty in words was doing daily turn along with the humble chronicler of metropolitan trivialities. A year or two before the war the quality of his mind and of his style was revealed inT HE S EA   AND   THE J UNGLE --of the voyage of the trampa "narrative steamerCapella,to Para in the Brazils, and thence twofrom Swansea thousand miles along the forests of the Amazon and Madeira Rivers to the San Antonio Falls," returning by Barbados, Jamaica, and Tampa. Its author called it merely "an honest book of travel." It is that no doubt; but in a degree so eminent, one is tempted to say that an honest book of travel, when so conceived and executed, must surely count among the noblest works of the literary artist. The great war provided almost unlimited work for men of letters, and not seldom work that was almost as far from their ordinary business as fighting itself. It carried Tomlinson into the guild of war correspondents. In the early months he represented the paper to which for some years he had been attached, the LondonDaily News.Later, under the co-operative scheme which emerged from the restrictive policy adopted by all the belligerent governments, his dispatches came to be shared among a partnership which included the LondonTimes--as odd an arrangement for a man like Tomlinson as could well be imagined. It would be foolish to attempt an estimate of his correspondence from France. It was beautiful copy, but it was not war reporting. To those of us who knew him it remained a marvel how he could do it at all. But there was no marvel in the fact, attested by a notable variety of witnesses, of Tomlinson as an influence and a memory, persisting until the dispersal of the armies, as of one who was the friend of all, a sweet and fine spirit moving untouched amid the ruin and terror, expressing itself everywhere with perfect simplicity, and at times with a shattering candor. From France he returned, midway in the war, to join the men who, under the Command of H. W. Massingham, make the editorial staff of the LondonNationcompany of journalists in the world. Histhe most brilliant hand may be traced week by week in many columns and especially, in alternate issues, on the page given up to the literarycauserie. To the readers of books Tomlinson is known at present byT HE S EA   AND   THE J UNGLE   alone. The war, it may be, did something to retard its fame. But the time is coming when none will dispute its right to a place of exceptional honour among records of travel--alongside the very few which, during the two or three decades preceding the general overturn, had been added to the books of the great wayfaring companions. It is remarkably unlike all others, in its union of accurate chronicle with intimate self-revelation; and, although it is the sustained expression of a mood, it is extremely quotable. I choose as a single example this scene, from the description of the Capella'sfirst day on the Para River.

There was seldom a sign of life but the infrequent snowy herons, and those curious brown fowl, the ciganas. The sun was flaming on the majestic assembly of the storm. The warm air, broken b our steamer, coiled over us in a laz flux....

t, just as likel yehm yan to . I ceen  tofseheas lif ty evsraeuB .  boovingnshrks e ghtniniepir exehe, edusri way mo eno etil eht f ehm new gna llt n Englanriting i f a olleerevyb d atthmo aor w wr ke gdem aujt  oto,edelitly ecennt rdne ni ,ebircsbus  nghou risthg in .eagimatine ivospr ht h e raominseo  f itable sense of om a slabudni er wseho wverek ork e on n no  osunwt  day d toe isther

CONTENTS

New York, Christmas, 1919.

S. K. R ATCLIFFE .

 g aas, wie ncla  ,wohs ll diw a foverse diof tity  .hTehemev r eol s hed e an ayssofs ihw i hcsi tmoc posed are of difefertny aesra dn  llew sa ,senud o b twe thh it was nortylc aitnirlls; wyaged voaste taeroob t fog ehate  meho wik  bll  eepfrcew ti hhte of thet pictur  shteiecyab tam uty  beahe pof t  sA .thgu ilmoT ot  hsslee  ro y w hlig  neflet eht uohchile none who ca w re llissimeht  f  oe i th erntetpr ory  memme abecoah sor rh rot eh sfantr nd athwid evil eb nac taht t venturwould noturu e Isnnos'f y,bl enwh ncCovaeiitci .no a ederp iaol fleabtrnepe  fo thguoht I .eg us tarioprecthe hto e ra enoneruowbrfon thf e esemos ndas w kl hti ecially ess, espyaw sag sat ehd  ej eht nas a yttn mawod vesed an kade ar n l dlerc ihuld n wod, wstan htis on wohe fotimo, on wtochat sug  oyb .eBihdn them was the im t eh nybd wocrdee fo weravesm-le  ot ,meht gnuhreovh icwh t,esor f acon eowlist . Afrail stwade on  a ,yo dn yotttej teda o  d ul ti be timeSo     pwes me          itations on the saes disgnelh ba alerut hofs al p etawis r E .ed mehp n thrn ise oe ba eof fht , s aertsonnoerftmecae  wal a ot evac egr new by their scasr .aLeti  nht a e  areew f bbru terseerhw , hcik ew rip t ehisedolgns we huttiverimiuoires ,su dehcta  An.orrlfod ans  enev rhcejttei s. They weered us esoh worb eot T .s n  oe thban esbi eht fo os'tnaig be, rewetwn eetwirgnocewi  t ,sa  greof aree,at tqa euoeuor s storeecd teonamthg   silttel hscasks  y upon one of hinldeud smecae  wnehw nialp edam  , was g itstinresifi efol es lm rolielntge'sannt ia ,sm dnedlisenrof the w ominance eaeysd iogn .hT . O ng  J LDK   UN  nis ,tot nis eh emaorganic sense, ab oo.kT ehs ekct owknl ilgit ha wm fo stf  dna ,dni  toiwhatave l, ht  oogenamikti s ti-- ips ssap egas liua, tyturi qalmh ,ti sti shrtyAnd he wimages.  a si redaer eht he, eritwra o lsehc let  lefw lithat of engehall getaoi,na dnt eh folk from congrtsal mmocoinu fI .n om crtfof  oe th oldognf  dht sna Thelow.deri sunk syawla eseht peestrefoe t noo  d crosses  wooden  filttelunbmreo thn  ol e h lo f iorevobeht peepa de e dist wt lare aw ehalecywp ahod A  k.ol fhe tofg nirehtag a ees d

 

CHAPTER    F OREWORD   BY S. K. R ATCLIFFE I. T HE A FRICAN C OAST II. T HE C ALL III. O LD J UNK IV. B ED -B OOKS   AND N IGHT -L IGHTS V. T RANSFIGURATION VI. T HE P IT M OUTH VII. I NITIATION VIII. T HE A RT   OF W RITING IX. A F IRST I MPRESSION X. T HE D ERELICT XI. T HE V OYAGE   OF   THE   Mona XII. T HE L ASCAR ' S W ALKING -S TICK XIII. T HE E XTRA H AND XIV. T HE S OU '-W ESTER XV. O N L EAVE XVI. T HE D UNES XVII. B INDING   A S PELL XVIII. A D IVISION   ON   THE M ARCH XIX. H OLLY -H O ! XX. T HE R UINS XXI. L ENT , 1918

OLD JUNK

I. The African Coast

I

PAGE 11 21 47 58 65 75 80 86 92 100 107 118 136 144 152 157 165 174 179 185 195 201

She is the steamshipCelestine, and she is but a little lady. The barometer has fallen, and the wind has risen to hunt the rain. I do not know where Celestineis going, and, what is better, do not care. This is December and this is Al iers, and I am tired of white lare and dust. The trees have sle t

d there ollo; an c lael C da onhtreerthise , eed anahs s llllejew i Jidllede caplacno ei  seher ta T .thr hed leal cnda reh ta dekool sw ohesg doapertnre I go with one od  toneracehw il wtal  mke Ie. re C e whw itenlese I doand  kno notf si ret ,gnillatho  sndmerobae  ob m dnu.yraa I i,olit wr foipTr yaw yot I f ni m d  of Barb Tripoli ever lliw yehT .ass veelmshe tallAigee nebwtes ahageCartand ers  lsilhe w trey heemocwod ot neht the folds of theN rohtA rfcinah  ev nllharnea lerdekcut ,  ni yawa manyare ers, othesn w ohI s mase w sara,s yepcilkce bicen ret not tuB .ytiucav tu  at,ghnitol ai I s  eotnw ,stdi ehte dry rowhere th ewteh ne g da b seo ri aprd geedofs  All af. the day aw sks yuo tiwht, a awfla   she tndis remmuuo ecnel                a   lld . ayeyThav hhae yldrrut  denel a e skt those.y loaelldnr  dog yahugho taswie thh a evlove su tuob he stars then sp dof rht ees.aT ur tngnier hea h ehT  eleCnitssi e ofmr s asri glei ys. A y dafortthe  sa ymrots dna krdas  aist  iseau geni otr  s atsrb ly those present,sradna ewolts rerstf  osslelu c es ehs , tub sme lorpoa boe tlit ac.letir gith A  n t  a h, inwindigh   ilooceb semeromem re otanth t I ydt  oebo tua olne, with me. Trip negos  istlae thiglA ,eyb-dooG .sts  ur ma by oeed  li llet ufnnna d t ascobed an lattahwsyh  sememosstine be ers! Celeuctrys ,igsnt  o he wI n baem. rks ,msmee ot wonk went aboard the  tIf lasl W . eh n Ighouhr thi she tsaw dniwgnilwoh  of Aour rs. lgie  gnippni ahbr t eh I takil pecxht t ea rn e southony a eltsni,emdri eeCme and ae the na yenruoj eht fo trpag ingos  iho w I a verehwrere ,omet bar the . But erta anitno.sA c able is clankingols ,ylwdna ias rsloun rnd aho s nrgtui  cxti ae e t t, demen thioingac I sgnon ees nn soea rec br,fo n, CelesAnd agairFnehc ,iteni  scae don d an wso  eronaht til  m elt ch ot eale a smiv siamekt  ohtredsenri fhe tleibg owt ruo fo pih s us giddy with  tf u s  sihhg ,utnranl ded ensc at;us aneddteb ayar beamort  goe. Iton wi  srup noo legae orlid an, erofeb shsni na  s verelaa e erb tu was therrobably  eht rad awa ni yrstaar fra f sil fAirni .a aga dnain, it ag oes nd d p sreiglA erehW d.heisan vas hca  .tiah Ibo dvres tedt haantrilqus ae a ; dni  nlpcaes, as at Oran,  ot sliaNirp eht d gelevi  pad o h wh  aefia dnasc wrfsee  to  do them twben eetmant eniliea gnlb ac euor of mand a flo hTtas ae alhcti.e e thn  iensed haecarret ecnatsidd roc oure cols of nehci  nside kop nd as,erir tas woccoroM iglA ot aveld trfromled arentire Iahna . ee sis hru t ed e M cirfs naerohot ,to show me his Aiten .eHw naet d -deluO eht fo ecan dhe tngcian drisldng ,ea owsr  andardsostcre-pp gnutcis sbilles,elra As,inot hotir curni,sh sirist tra ed of tou mote na s k s  oihgncentinnoink ly p  ot dekl a ni emhi wfécadre  hlenroo,nw eh nht eFrench sailor ta guohi thot t eb  tin ehelyar teaf e toed mwant He  lesehtC  ep iw e olp hidsenri fenop.neila yhs a rof  his viva ther for s dued nicyta dn ulconod attht  ila tegotca tnuoc ah taht draeb fo ferdaa e ik lnsrnuedih sor m as wui be?avhe Sdluoh I  W .s w tahs not hike, it iehm siat.sB tut  tiesqu, ckui qthiw ,nam krad elt litis a ! He  oilà.dV lgna nnEtli  a trtreliah h ,rbresh.usis Hho s ahril ki e c a olht oning eyes, and  na ,sehc tib a dau s t hi,  tausmot  uo sreluorswyebeaiseis rd qud an i tn ohtocllpaesnd are de deep a  raoa niht ks tad anenthur h, ry enden  o esihTre to rse, cou, ofi ereh tuB .desuo . neaiitap Cles  master is not a asliro ,htnea ll  abeionx fus Ce or tsel.eni fI  reh rogu me y. Aishlsis !hH orllih p ig she t wre anseH .gnor ta skool