Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-03-12
Stltttt0 Storp.
Concerning a Certain PF0dlgaL.

Tne hrs: time encountered the late
N0sH B45bitt, journeyman printer. he
s,rucS me. as they saJ on the frontier, for
a loan Of no dollars L. was in toe
saGc,um OF the Commercially news
paper ~ Topeka. lie aad dIined in from
hls haoitual waderiugs ouiy yae dAy bo-
lore. and been put on IS a sub, with
the customary promise 0i"regnisr eases
as soon IS a vacancy should occur This
particular night hc was cot :, work
AID alJey the last ol The ioaIers lad gone.
and ShIe sat running ny pencil over
Ie..y,J proof bu;IietiY. and vexed
with ;hs h-s. aud The OLzzing OF insects
so01, The IsnP-shaIe-ii VAS s fervlj
Angus. ash,. remember, with not air
enough 10 disturb lbs exchanges lying
loosely ia ,ae open w.Ddow-he tapped
ne taniliary ON the shoulder and sid 4:
esp, tina, leader of yours Yesterday
on the labor question was 80 awiul good
thing; you sounded the keynote, and |
want 10 Cor gratuiate YOU"
TL,rcupon we shooS hands with ex-
uayagant warmth, though with = reserv-
auon OF mutual dis.rust. l think, and
then we tell 10 taking on variety OF
topics ranging IRON pauperism to the
doctrine OF the s,ouemeat.in ,hsl candid,
positive and encyclopedia, bal picturesque
and superficial, STYLE common to news
paper Ctiices the world over. So much
did the fellow inteIes, me, that, weary
rs | Was with The nights work, found
myself, after Two hours, patiently listen
iGg to him, as The town clock struck tour
in the morning, In spite OF my hrSt in
stinctiye misglvings, be made me like
him. He seemed 50 frank aud seli-cOn-
ident, so observsnt, so quick witted and
so heroically cOntented; and then, did
be not dill every luli in the conversation
with s t4ttering reference TO my editOri-
ais? All, right well be knew, the calcu'
lating wretch, that be, too. had sounded
q keynote with that introductory con
graduation! Bat /. was not until aftel
we had finished our talk, and l was max.
ing Iesdy TO leave him, that he asked NE
i hsrdly know how, il was done sc
dex,erously-to favor him With a"eouplt
OF dollars till SATURDAY. D. course kt
got it. though | needed not TO be tolC
That wilh the borrowing printer, It'll
Salurday"is q measure OF time that span:
eternity and then he walked with me
nm-ir-srm, 10 the Old Crow saloon
whore he would not permit me 10 avoiC
Joining him in a glass OF ale. and as
turned to 20, saw him hand my two
dollar bill over the bar with sn air o
complscenee that really touched me likt
personal kindness.
After this we were frequently together
and came d be quite cordial, DOT to SAL
confidential, in orr relations. Every
night, almost, when | was waiting TO
the cabalisiic 80" that ended the tele
grsphic news report, or after the ina
proofs had been corrected and the com
posi,ors bad pasted their strings h'
would come slipping into my room will
,ha, soit. cJo ,lCerAts tread peculiar L
printers waen entering an editoria
ssnclum, aud We would talk ther'
al alone as IL our first meeting
or if the weather was pleasant, would q
forth into the night and walk the broad
smooth streets until the moon wen
down. Ay friend was a eonhrme'
"banneIite," as The printers term it
careless, shiitless. strolliug vagabond
here to-day and there Tomorrow, with
out home OF kindred, and treating lie a
farce lull of amusing checks and ba!
ances. with death closing it all, at lsst,i
q sind OF uoguessed conundrum. HI
had walked thousands OF miles over tn
country. He always walked when h'