Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-09-13
How Nellie Brown Became a
Printer.

I'm IN n pretty flx now! said Har-
ry Brown, throwing himself on to his
sisters lounge in the parlor.
What is it p asked Nellie quietly,
looking up from her book.
Why, Smith says he must leave
me, and will 60 tomorrow, and how
l can ever manage to be editor, type
setter and devil I can't imagine
though I feel able to play the part of
the latter individual we'll enough" and
he sprang up and paced the room.
"How shameful" exclaimed Nell,
"what is his excuse?"
He won't give the reason; though,
by-the-way, Nell, he said you could
tell" and Harry turned inquiringly to
his sister.
The color deepened on her face, but
she drew herself up haughtily.
He was impudent to me last night
down in the hall, and T."
Impudent!' broke i'll Harry; what
did he say? What"
Il don't suppose he would call it by
that name,' said Nellie: " the fact is,
he-he tried to make love to me-the
IDIOT"
Harry laughed.
/" You haven't lived long enough on
the prairies, sis, to know that every
clod-hopper considers himself good
enough to marry any lady i'll the world"
No" said Nell, with flashing eyes,
q haven't got accustomed to that yet.
But don't worry about his leaving you.
I'll help you out. The stupid!'
You" exclaimed Harry pausing in
his walk.
" Yes, I. You've no idea what 1 can
do when get roused.'
l know you can help me in my ed
itorial work, for you do that now; but
you know l have only set type myself
Il few weeks, and 1 can't begin to get
out that paper alone"
Can't you get other help?'
No, I've canvassed this blessed
town. Not a human soul in it who can
set type, or will try to learn"
Well, will! said Nell, decidedly,
and know l can do it, and know
we can get the paper out"
Well, 1 know you are plucky, Nell,
and declare 1 believe you can. I'll
snap my fingers in the rascal's face"
Let him go tonight" said Nell,
and I'll come down in the morning"
And in the morning she did so down.
The office was in the basement of the
hotel where they boarded, and was in
tended for store. It's front was en-
tirely occupied with show-windows and
a glass door-at least, it had been a
glass door-but owing to the brittle
ness of glass, and the propensity of
boys to throw stones, it was now mere
ly with boards nailed over it, to keep
out the light, I suppose-it kept out
nothing else. The windows were ele-
gantly draped with old newspapers,
and festooned with spiders webs. 1t
faced the west, and had the full ben
eft of the bowling prairie winds which
sweep over these northren wilds with
demoniacal fury.
Winter had already set in, Min
nesota Winter, too, which is cold
enough to freeze the very ideas in ones
head, where the snow is so dry it can
be used for kindling-atl least I've heard
so; where heavy sheets, hung on lines
to dry, will snap like pipe-stems, and
split into ribbons in moment.
Every individual in that amiable vii
lage had been careful to provide him
self with dry wood-the only fuel
and equally careful not to have a stick
to spare, SO Harry could get nothing
but the greenest of wood to burn, to
warm this airy room.
1t did not look very inviting as dain-
ty Nellie Brown stepped into it, that
freezing morning.
Harry was on his knees at the stove,
trying to coax the Kissing wood to burn.
It's enough to make a man swearw
was his salute; this outrageous town
There, Harry! pass over those hard
words" said Nellie; "Let's burn up
a stack of these papers. think that
will start the thing" and she seized a
bundle from the window-sill, applied
match, and thrust them before the
draft. The wood consented to be
burnt as long as the paper kept up the
blaze; so at last by timely replenisb;no