Surviving as a Writer in the British Empire - Surviving as a Writer in the British Empire chapter 68

＜ Keeping Little Kevin’s House (3) ＞

the West Texas Military Academy.

“Doug, come and see.”

The boy lifted his head from the book and jumped to his feet with an unbelievably disciplined manner for a 15-year-old boy. The boy, neatly dressed with dignity, approaches his mother.

“Mother, did you call?”

The tone of the soldier calling for the company commander was so sharp that I wondered if it would be more affectionate, but his mother, Pinky, didn’t care. As for each catch, she added more.

“We have succeeded in contacting the MP Teobald Otjen.”

At that moment, the boy’s eyes sparkled. Members of the House of Representatives themselves are of little importance.

important thing.

“You’re giving me a chance to go to school. However, they say they will decide the final recommender through a test.”

“I will definitely pass.”

“Yeah, but that’s why I decided to bring in the principal of Milwaukee High School. As he is a person who cannot be easily served, you should never neglect his teachings.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“and······.”

Mom, Pinkie, pointed to something on the table.

Doug turned his head quickly, but not frivolously. But his eyes couldn’t help but shake.

There was ＜Guarding Little Kevin’s House＞. That’s up to the recently released 2 volumes.

Why do you do this?

For a boy who had learned to ride and shoot before he could read or write, or even walk or talk, almost at the same time as he was able to walk and talk, the mere presence of such a children’s book in his home seemed like a Gestalt breakdown.

“Read.”

“But mother. I’m sorry, but I don’t know if this is a book I can read.”

Of course, he also heard of the book’s reputation. Isn’t that the best seller that’s hitting the US right now?

The person who wrote it is Mark Twain, a great writer who is praised as the father of American literature.

Even the boy had read his books as part of his education. Of course, not ＜Tom Sawyer＞ or ＜Huckleberry Finn＞, but something like ＜The Gilded Age＞.

He tried to read the former as well, but the fairy tale was… no matter how much he thought about it, it was too soft for him to read. That’s why I didn’t read ＜Little Kevin＞ either.

Of course, I wanted to read it if I wanted to read it or not.

I thought I was jealous of my friends reading books, experimenting, or making traps, but…!

Anyway, I’ve been putting up with it because I thought it would go against the dignity of a soldier!

“Recently, this is a book that has become a hot topic in the Army.”

“Then you should read it.”

The boy spoke so quickly that he was embarrassed to even think about it.

Fortunately, the mother was only puzzled for a moment, but did not think that the desire hidden deep inside the boy was revealed.

“Right now, only a few units are doing it on a trial basis, but it is highly likely that all units will soon introduce it as a doctrine once its efficacy is proven.”

“If, even if not….”

“Most soldiers will come with this book to learn basic survival knowledge, so it would be good to read it to empathize with them.”

Of course, she herself did not like the fact that such works were in vogue.

Even at the meeting she had already gathered, a few similar mothers gathered and exchanged overlapping kits, and an ‘exchange meeting’ was held, and seeing the behavior of second-hand transactions knowingly was heartbreaking.

However, all of this is a skirt to raise her son not to be ashamed of as a ‘general’s child’.

The ‘general’s wife’ was prepared to do anything for it. The son also said the same to his mother.

“All right. I will do my best to learn and learn, and go to West Point without fail. mother.”

“I believe.”

Douglas.

The mother called her son by name and nodded.

***

Bondi, Texas is the southernmost state of the United States.

It borders Mexico, and is a fertile agricultural area that ranks first in the United States in terms of livestock and livestock product production and profits, and is the center of Dixie and white supremacist conservatism, to the extent that the word ‘Texas cowboy’ is talked about until the 21st century. one of these weeks.

What do you mean by this?

I mean, I hate Mark Twain as much as Lincoln.

“Little slaves, traitors who defend their wives!!”

“A guy who joined the Confederate Army and deserted without firing a shot is the father of literature!!”

“Still, writing is good…”

“Are you a Northern Yankee!? Hang!!”

It’s only been 30 years since the Civil War ended.

There were still countless old cotton field owners gnashing their teeth, saying that if they had time to rebut that blacks and women should be given the same one vote, they’d rather stick lead bullets in them.

It wasn’t much different from the city dwellers.

After so many slaves are freed, where will they go after they came out of the f*cking cotton field?

In urban areas such as Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth, it was natural that there were many blacks among low-wage manual workers, and talk of exterminating them, comparing them to cockroaches and rats, was openly spoken among urban whites.

However, the enemy, Mark Twain’s new work – ＜Guarding Little Kevin’s House＞ hit them hard.

From noble mtl dot com

“what is this? Did this traitor, Mark Twain, write again?!”

“Nothing to see! Boycott the bookstores that stock the books!! No, burn it!!”

At first, as usual, I resisted fiercely.

But not all Texans are white.

At first, black bookstores bought the books of great writers who were grateful for taking their side, and then some white people who were friendly to blacks bought them.

And, from the whale, the dam broke out starting with such holes.

“Is that… is there any fun?”

“Somehow, black guys have been going out to work lately, but was it because of this?”

“It is useful. With this, I can leave my child and go see the farm.”

“Hey, don’t read!! Don’t be funny!!”

Texas whites are fiercely conservative racists, but they are also the Americans who retain the most of America’s early frontier spirit.

If it wasn’t for those who had a common sense desire to pioneer the West, how would they have come to this land where hordes of Mexican pirates are rampant?

It was needless to say how ＜Little Kevin＞ was accepted by such people, who embodied the ‘frontier spirit’ and taught them that scientific knowledge, which they hated for being complicated, could become useful common sense.

The Texans naturally had no choice but to give Kevin a corner of their hearts.

“Oh, by the way, this Kevin’s mother. Seeing the wolf head break with a shotgun shot, it looks pretty good, doesn’t it?”

“Isn’t that so…? Kevin’s uncle is also a nigger, but he’s trustworthy.”

“Crazy, crazy!! Are you crazy?!”

“Mark Twain’s Thought Pollution is taking over Texas! We need to burn this damn book right now!!”

“Oh, then you guys teach me how to make booby traps!!”

Although the hatred of drinking and spitting up is cool, it has not changed that they are anxious parents who have to leave their children and go to work when they wake up.

After all, this is Texas. The holy land of pioneering in the West, a neighborhood where hordes of Mexican bandits and tornadoes are home and farms, and are about to wipe them all out.

In a town like this, it’s strange that ＜Little Kevin＞, which allows individuals to defend themselves, is not in the limelight.

Even with the release of the 2nd volume of ＜Little Kevin＞ and the addition of the enclosed random experiment set, the sales volume increased almost 3 to 4 times, even though the price per volume almost doubled.

“It was troublesome to find what I needed, but it’s so convenient since everything is included.”

“exchange? Do you need to be such a b*tch? You can make two small ones and buy more when you have time!”

······Of course, it seems that there is also a rapid increase due to the unique macho culture.

Anyway, this soon led to a positive image of Mark Twain.

Of course, even so, it ranged from ‘a traitor to be eaten’ to ‘a traitor who is still useful’, but an increase is an increase anyway.

“Huh, the atmosphere in this town is out of control.”

And William, a bank clerk who had just moved to Houston, shook his head while laughing.

Until yesterday, I have vivid memories of criticizing Mark Twain, but today, public opinion has risen to such a level of likes and dislikes….

His friend, real estate agent Richard, shrugged.

“What, doesn’t it matter? Thanks to that, the number of noblemen with swollen livers has increased. Even in unexplored lands that were not sold, if you say ‘Explore the unknown with ＜Little Kevin＞!’, it will somehow sell out.”

“Isn’t that a scam?”

“How are you? In fact, I’m giving away books too. This is conscientious enough!”

That’s 75 cents more. William smiled and shook his head.

Anyway, he had nothing to say.

It was partly because he was a foreigner who had immigrated from North Carolina, but for a more fundamental reason—.

“So, how are you these days?”

“yes?”

“I heard you’re having some fun without pretending?”

It’s worth plugging in.

Richard chuckled and patted William on the shoulder. William, while breaking out in a cold sweat, kept his words in line.

“Ah, what. I was promoted because I developed a new financial product.”

“I saw it too. Did you look okay? Profits are high, and creditworthiness is high for early investors. I heard you’re already making money?”

“That, that…”

Because it’s a structure that has no choice but to do that.

But William just nodded and said.

“That, yes. First of all, we are recruiting the 4th investors.”

“Seriously, if you have something like this, shouldn’t you be talking to me too? Aren’t you despising me for failing to be the governor?”

“Cool, big. Could it be that?”

how should i talk William, who rolled his eyes for a moment, somehow made up the words and made a desperate excuse.

“Well, no matter how profitable it is, this is an investment after all. I couldn’t put my benefactor in danger.”

“Ha ha ha ha ha. I get it, I get it. It was a joke.”

“ha ha ha.”

“Thank you for caring for me. William.”

So, saying it was time for work, Richard returned to his real estate agency.

After seeing off the guest in a sweat, William sighed deeply and entered his room with shimmering steps.

In his eyes, articles clipped from reports related to the ‘Bearings Scandal’ from England last year filled the room.

He walked between them and sat down at a desk with a detailed report on the bill being prepared by the British financial authorities and ＜Vincent Villiers＞, which was enshrined like a shrine.

—Listen, Potter. This is from a report submitted by the author of this book when I was on the London Stock Exchange, and one shot of this could get us all this week’s wealth! I mean, we can live happily ever after!

“Yes, this one. If you make this bowl properly large and fall out, I will…!”

A black light flashed in both eyes.

William Sidney Porter, a bank teller at the First National Bank of Austin, couldn’t escape the temptation of getting rich.