The Portland daily press., 1876-10-03
From Blackwood's Magazine ]
Johns Hero.

From Blackwood's Magazine
Johns Hero.
CONCLUDED.
After his fist interview with the great Mr..
Damon my friend was in state of excite
ment and exaltation. Again and again he
burst forth into praises of his masters silent
influence. He was so great ard calm.
About him was an atmosphere of culture, and
to breath it was education. In such an air,
and under such royal eyes, John felt that he
too would become wise and good. He aspired
to be channel through which the sweet
waters of culture, springing in the bosom of
Mr.. Damon, might be carried abroad into the
thirsty land. His plan of educating himself,
that he might bepeft others, seemed already
accomplished; and for one evening he enjoyed
future at once sure and noble.
The next morning, exactly at eleven, he
walked across the dusty road as one who trod
the air, and entered the opposite house.
His host was ready to receive him, and
stepped forward as he entered. "This is
we'll; this is friendly;"he said, and he contin-
ued to shake his VISITORS hand slowly, as he
added, 81 have been thinking how we can
get on best. We must not be too wide, eh
There must be some central point; some
thiDg-in fact, something to come back to-"
Something for me to work at ?" suggges-
ted John, making a slight and respectful eff
fort to become master of his own hand Mr..
Damon opened his large fingers and allowed
the imprisoned hand to fall. 81 have had
that trunk brought down here" he said: sit
contains some papers written by me at various
times on various subjects. You might look
over them if you like"
s'Of course 1 should like it."cried the dis
ciple. 'sShall put them in order?'
perhaps that would be best"
sand tell you what is in them?"
81 don't see why not And then we might
talk them over, ehp"
sand then you can make up your mind
what to finish and what to publish. May
begin at once?'
81 don't see why not" said the sage: and
added after a pause, "there are some
sketches. think, and studies of character
made when was planning work of fiction
some time ago. was in fact, was a
younger man them"
'Oh, why did not you finish it? asked my
friend in tone of regret. "It would be such
great thing for us to see the world as you
saw II when you were young"
Mr.. Damon shook his head. "My critical
labors," he began, and then stopped, as his
eye wandered absently to the old trunk.
John regarded him in silence, afraid to break
his train OF thought. Presently the great
man sank into an easy chair and took up a
book. John glanced at him, and then at the
trunk. Its lid was open, and close beside it
was table and on which paper, pens and
ink were placed. Concluding that the prepar-
atoms were for him, and that he need not
disturb his master, be stepped lightly across
tho ooofod htpocolf at fh., oh
lifted q handful of loose papers from the
trunk. For an hour he worked steadily,
reading, considering, and classifying. Sud-
denly 1t occurred to him that he felt slight
oppression. BE raised his head and looked
about him. He perceived that the great man
had not stirred. He glanced at the windows,
and saw that they were both shut. He would
have liked to open one of them, but he felt
that 1t was not for him, who had been ad-
mitted to the enjoyment of privilege, to sug-
gest an alteration in his benefactor's habits.
He gave himself a shake to clear his head and
turned again to bis work. He was on the
track of his friends great novel, and had
already found two sketches of the plot, which
differed In many particulars. Now he came
upon complete chapter kept together by an
old boot lace, and now upon coverless book
full OF witty or pretty things and fragments of
dialogue. A plan of the heroine's character
was disinterred from under a massive essay
on evolution, and some suggestions for a
comic man were found among the crumpled
pages of an analysis of Mills Logic. The
interest of the searcher was kept alive partly
by the excitement of the chase, and partly by
some of the passages which he read. Never
theless he found it unusually hard to keep his
attention fixed, and was annoyed with him.
self for allowing his thoughts to wander to
trivial matters. He found himself waiting for
his friends periodical cough, and wondering
why 80 great a man had acquired the habit OF
clearing his throat at such regular intervals.
At the same time he became more and more
conscious OF a faint furry smell. Presently,
as he stopped for another bundle of papers,
he connected that strange odor with the
trunk, which was of a species now happily
rare. He observed that the hair was general
ly loose, and had left several bald places.
His nostril twitched, but be steadied himself
and picked out a bundle. He opened large
sheet of foolscap, and saw that it contained.
not only the outline of Part III, of the novel,
but also large obloDg grease-spot-a shiny
and transparent place. He looked at the
windows and then at Mr.. Damon, who was
still reading and did not meet his eye. Then
he said to himself that it was weakness to be
disturbed by triaes; and then he laid down
his pencil, leaned back in his chair, and
pressed his hands to his forehead, which was
beginning to ache. He languidly thought of
last nights enthusiasm, and his lips began to
mutter phrase which he had used so gibly,
''the atmosphere of culture" He looked
with dull eye at the hair trunk. Presently
he started at the sound of his masters cough,
shook himself impatiently, and leaning for
ward again, spread out his papers with an air
Of stern determination.
Two hours had passed since John entered
the room, when his friend laid down his book,
rose slowly, and stood beside him. He sup
ported himself by the back OF the young
mans chair, and, as be bent forward to look
at his work. he pressed so heavily on mis-
shoulders, that the active youth had much
ado to save himself from being flattened on
the table. The man of culture was certainly
too big for the room and John caught him
self thinking that this hero, whom he had
praised as 30 great and calm, might be called
by scoffer only fat and lymphatlc. He dis
missed the idea. To him this man, even
though be leaned SO heavily on his shoulders,
was really great and calm. He would believe
in bis greatness. What better proof could
there be than indifference to the petty details
of life, to the perfume of an old hair trunk, 10
the oiliness of bit of paper, to an unbrushed
coat? For it could not be maintained that
the coat, which was pressed against the
back of Johns head, had been brushed that
morning. Short, perhaps too short for a
stout wearer, In color faded purple, it be-
longed to that class of garments which are
worn by sedentery men only in their studies:
John is fond of simplicity, ard be wished
that that coat had never been adorned with
silk facipgs and velvet collar. There was
more recent decoration. When the man of
culture moved round to the side OF the table,
his friends attention was caught for the Sec
oDd time by spot OF grease, and he began
with some earDestness to compare the one on
the coat with the other which shone on the
foolscap before him.