The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-07-04
A RIVER STORY.

WAS fain to supplement- my income,
pending the time when my learning,
eloquence and acute instructive grasp
of difficult eases in all their bearings,
should have brought the British solicit
tor to my feet-with such literary work
rs could obtain.
Having an uncle an editor, and two
college friends successful journalists,
my efforts were not doomed to that dis
appointment which awaits the vast ma
jority of young men and women, who
are tempted by some early magazine
acceptance to engage in that great,
never-ending competitive examination,
comprised in the endeavor to earn a
living out of periodical literature, and
got rs much occupation for my pen
as could perform without neglecting
my legal studies and prospects. Among
other pickings, received u guinea
week for an article in the BldnE ReUiesc.
Ostensibly it was the review of book,
but in reality the said book was the ex-
cuse or text for an essay which was in
tended to be witty, but was too often,
fear. merely tiippant.
Il do not care for dull account of
the book you review; all want is
paper" said the editor. And did my
best.
One of my most facetious papers,
remember, was written apropos of a
little volume of poems issued in the or
thodoN green cover, and entitled
Echoes of the Heart by dora"
did not take the trouble to read them,
but just dipped in here and there with
out even cutting the leaves, to get
points for funny ''copy." 1 found one
couplet, for example, in which girl was
made to rhyme with curl, whereupon 1
spelled girl. CURL, throughout the article
Icalled Dora" a CURL, drew an imagin-
AIRY picture of her as gushing young
thing of fifty, with spectacles, and an ink
stained thumb, and suggested that her
proper occupation was the artistic
cooking of a sleeps heart, rather than
writing nonsense about the echoes of
her own. inquired how heart can
have an echo, and insinuated that the
Curl Of the Echoing Heart must be a
ventriloquist: with a great deal more
flippant stuff of the same kind, winding
up with an affectedly serious diatribe
againt pOetasters of both sexes, and the
publishers who print their illusions; q
disgraceful article which was exactly to
the taste of the nil atlnairari class, from
which the readers of the Blank Review
were principally recruited.
1t was during this early period of my
career and at the season when London
is dullest, that l met my old college
friend Sinclair in the Strand and natur-
ally asked what brought him to town in
the autumn.
IL have been ordering dog-cart in
Long Acre. he replied; "but why are
you not out for holiday?'
II have nowhere particular to 90 to,
and no one to 60 with me. AS has
been often said, London when empty
has more people in it than any other
place has when FULL" said l. ssBe-
side if went out l should be paying
for my empty chambers all the time as
well as for my temporary lodgings"
LAY, ay; but still breath of country
air does man a world of good. And
YOU can afford it, you have made a
start, and l expect the two ends meet,
ch?'
"Yes, but 1 am waiting till they
overlap before l indulge in luxuries. :"
look here" said Sinclair, after a
pause, 81 wish you would come back
with me to Aitcham this evening"
You live at Aitcham now?''
Yes, have taken a furnished house
there till the end of September. Rather
pretty place on the banks of the
Thames; lawn sloping to the edge Of
the river; perch and pike, they say
have never caught any: boat house and
%l,o% NJ, ,s,sfo <o~1y foroxy f, tho
place, and it is just the same to me as
any other until the hunting begins"
s.ls it far?''
"Oh, no, near Pangbourne; we shall
run down in a couple of hours. It is
not any compliment to ask you, own,
for we are monstrous dull. But you
have as good as owned that you have
nothing to keep you in London, and il
would be very good-natured if you
would come and take an oar"
''Take an Oar?"
Yes; l am rather tired of scullinG
those two about every afternoon BY
myself. Some of the girls in the neigh
borhood have taken to rowing them
selves, and letting their husbands
brothers, etc., steer, but my women
folk don't seem to see it.
"You speak in the plural"
Eyes; my wife, you know, must have
some one to speak to-"
"She has you" ~
"PoOh! it is easy to see that yor
have no experience. Why, we hav,
been married nearly two wears! I cam
talk of furbelows, and my wife cam
talk of hunting. She wants anothe
woman to talk to and SO Miss Filme
is staying with us. And want maj
to talk to, and you will be he, won
you? There is . quiet little room
opening out into the garden, wher
you shall do any reading and writin,
you want, undisturbed all the morning
Come"
He led me to my chambers, made m
pack my portmanteau, and had m
down to the station and in q railwa
carriage almost before he'd made u
my mind whether l would 20 or not.
"Y0u have not forgotten how {
row, have YOUR he asked, as we rushe
through the country.
"N0, fancy not; but I'm not !
the condition I was when we rowed !
our first boat during the May race,
What time do you dine, by the wayP
1--WE never dine"
"Nor'
mo. We breakfast and lunch. an
60 on the water when the latter me-
has been digested, and come back to
cold spread when we have had enoue
mist and moonlight. It is very r
mantle, / assure you" ama
mo doubt" said l., thinking that
would have pressing engagement
tear me back to town very soon. "I
you know what nightmare isP''
"Not very well; saw . picture
one once, In an old almanac, I think.