Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-12-02


the courteous request. But Jack was too
high to eat much. He handed every
thing within his reach to his absent
Iminded neighbor Brown, to watch his
puzzled look and finally succeeded in
exchanging Browns plate for a plate of
crackers, without attracting his attention,
and then accused him solemnly of selfish
gluttony. He recited off-hand the first
chapter Of his new sensation novel, to be
entitled, "The Bloody Fork; or, The
Madman's Midnight Meal" wherein the
pirate captain (who, he remarked, wasn't
essential to the plot, but required by the
rules of art) said. "Oho, my diamond
hiltel spy-glass !" no less than seven
times; and all the principal characters
were poisoned at the outset, "to give full
swing to the tragic" as he said. ''Noth-
ing like appeasing the mucker element
when you write" he said. What does
the mucker element delight in? Blood"
He set the table in such a roar. that
the steward had to stop him, and advise
him to retire; which he did sidewise,
with covered face and uncertain step,
after the style of the rejected lover in
comedy.
After supper a crowd of fellows went
round to Jacks room, as usual. But to-
night he refused to try his hand at chess,
and even dropped challenge to be
CLEANED out" in the most rapid and
mysterious of games, California Jack,
and went to reading intently. One of
the others looked over his shoulder, and
read aloud -
"'Many an evening by the waters did we watch the
stately ships.
And spirits rushed together at the touching of the
lips.
beautiful - murmured Jack.
There was General laugh as the
reader SAID, bad symptom, to appreci-
ate that"
"Well" said Jack, Its safe thing
to read. any way. The hero behaves in
a sensible manner He knows that one
love lost doesn't prevent his trying again,
and that he may yet have chance to
pass down that neat little property which
he calls Alltheages to the next heir.
detest those French writers who make
their lovers stand in the sea till the tide
comes over them. If | couldn't get up
more rational hero than that, I'd never
write a novel. Why, it's all imagina-
sion. any way. When fellow finds that
all Is over, anu HU Iuuou pow,
be rover, to the serious detriment Of
his heart, and all that, you don't sup
pose that there isn't somebody else that
would do Just as we'll for him, if not
better? 1t doesn't injure any thing vi
tai in him, as it does when you shoo
him. A man may die of imagination, i
YOU can make him believe that he's sick
Just so man may suffer mentally from
diseased imagination and he neve
sees till afterwards how foolish that i'm
agination is. The practical Englisl
novels, in which everybody behaves ex
actly like very ordinary persons in rea
life, are better though, to be sure, som
of them grind along rather slowly"
1.-The trouble isn't so much that tn
novel-mill grinds slowly, as that it grind
exceeding small, said Bob. but don
you see that you reduce all our affection
and griefs to one dead level of empt
imagination p
Just so,' said Jack. ''There ism
any thing real about it; and almos
everybody sees it so, once or twice
his life, and then tries to forget it. y
..If you're going into the Diogent
line," said one of the visitors. GIVE g
tub I'd like to sell you. The botto
isn't sound, but the sides are strong
and that's all you want for roof. Yc
could keep it tight by taking a bath
it occasionly. By the way, if the O.
Athenian had used his tub for that pu
pose occasionally, perhaps he would
have been SO misanthropic. think
philosopher in tub, in some good pos
tion, say the corner between Harva
and Hollis, would be an interesting fe
!, ture of the yard. Think how delight
to have the ladies put up their glasst
and say, Was the dear disgusting o
fellow once student here? How int
esting Do tell us all about him y
81 shall certainly have to get a NJ
o. tub" said Jack. entering heartily in
: the project II never could live in I
tin hat-tub. Just think how the lit
muckers would make it ring with stone
But then | could use that impractical
seat to keep my reasons in.
The idea seemed to restore him to
height of good humor; and he lay in
customary position. on the crippl
, lounge, gently kicking with his top-bo
as before. when a loud knock was t
! lowed by the entrance of a youth got
= in gorgeous style
well, Charley, what's up? 5;
: Bob.
Been to make my party call on
:, Smooth said Charley; land he's 0
thought I'd drop in and tell you Il
now's your time to call.
Il lA.lI