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- Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019
In "Mr. Jacobs: A Tale of the Drummer, the Reporter, and the Prestidigitateur," Arlo Bates masterfully intertwines elements of realism and adventure, encapsulating the essence of late 19th-century America. The narrative follows a vibrant cast embodying the spirit of their time, from the resourceful drummer, the discerning reporter, to the enigmatic prestidigitateur. Bates employs an engaging prose style that mirrors the rhythm of the traveling performances and the bustling life of the era, making the story not just a reflection of its time but also a commentary on the shifting societal norms and the pursuit of identity amidst a rapidly changing landscape. Arlo Bates, an eminent figure in American literature, was deeply influenced by his experiences in both journalism and academia. Having traveled extensively and witnessed the kaleidoscope of American life, Bates's insight into human nature and society is palpable in his writing. His commitment to revealing the intricacies of character and circumstance, along with his background in literary criticism, informs the depth and richness of his prose in this captivating tale. This book is highly recommended for readers interested in historical fiction that combines entertainment with a nuanced exploration of society. Bates's careful characterizations and adventurous plot serve not only to entertain but also to provoke thoughtful reflection on the roles we play in the narratives of our own lives, marking "Mr. Jacobs" as an essential read for literary enthusiasts.
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Mr. Jacobs: A Tale of the Drummer, the Reporter, and the Prestidigitateur
Table of Contents
In spite of Jean-Jacques and his school, men are not everywhere, especially in countries where excessive liberty or excessive tiffin favors the growth of that class of adventurers most usually designated as drummers, or by a still more potent servility, the ruthless predatory instinct of certain bold and unscrupulous persons may and almost certainly will; and in those more numerous and certainly more happy countries where the travelling show is discouraged, the unwearying flatterer, patient under abstemious high-feeding, will assuredly become a roving sleight-of-hand man.
Without doubt the Eastern portion of the world, when an hereditary, or, at least, a traditional, if not customary, or, perhaps, conservative, not to say legendary, or, more correctly speaking, historic, despotism has never ceased to ingrain the blood of Russia, Chinese, Ottoman, Persia, India, British, or Nantasket, in a perfect instance of a ruthless military tiffin, where neither blood nor stratagem have been spared.[1]
[1] The editor was here obliged to omit a score of pages, in which the only thing worth preserving was a carcanet of sulphur springs.
I was at tiffin. A man sat opposite whose servant brought him water in a large goblet cut from a single emerald. I observed him closely. A water-drinker is always a phenomenon to me; but a water-drinker who did the thing so artistically, and could swallow the fluid without wincing, was such a manifestation as I had never seen.
I contrasted him with our neighbors at the lunch-counter, who seemed to be vying, like the captives of Circe, to ascertain by trial who could swallow the most free lunch, and pay for the fewest "pegs,"—those vile concoctions of spirits, ice, and soda-water, which have destroyed so many splendid resolutions on the part of the Temperance Alliance—and an impression came over me that he must be the most innocent man on the road.
Before I go farther let me try and describe him. His peculiarity was that, instead of eyes, he had jewels composed of six precious stones. There was a depth of life and vital light in them that told of the pent-up force of a hundred, or, at least, of ninety-nine generations of Persian magi. They blazed with the splendor of a god-like nature, needing neither tiffin nor brandy and soda to feed their power.
My mind was made up. I addressed him in Gaelic. To my surprise, and somewhat to my confusion, he answered in two words of modern Hebrew. We fell into a polyglot but refined conversation.
"Come and smoke," he said, at length.
Slipping into the office of the hotel, and ascertaining that there was no danger, I followed to his room.
"I am known as Mr. Jacobs," he said. "My lawful name is Abdallah Hafiz-ben-butler-Jacobi."
The apartment, I soon saw, was small—for India at least—and every available space, nook, and cranny, were filled with innumerable show-cases of Attleboro' jewelry.
"Pretty showy?" he remarked familiarly. "I am a drummer."
"My name is Peter Briggs," I replied. "I am a correspondent of the Calcutta Jackal."
