Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-08-10
EDITORIAL REWARDS,

Ho sits at IN Office desk, In the wan
ing light OF q winter afternoon, with
head bent and hrows contracted sits
aud speeds his pen, with indicative
energy, across and across the longthcn.
ing copy OF to-morows leader II Is q
savage fusiladc against the politics, the
person. the manners, and morals goncr.
ally, OF a rival editor; and he seoms TO
on Joy the writing Of II.
Personally, Pembroke Of tho Argus
and Smith OF tho Record IRE excellent
friends; oditorially, they abuse each
other like mortal foes, They have found
this sort Of thing to pay in local journal
ism.
As he drives away at his congcnial
task, il is not, perhaps, the most fclici.
tous moment in the world TO sketch his
portrait His expression is not amiablc,
and his eyes are persistently downcast
upon the crossed and blotted page bo-
fore him,-glaring, doubtless, in imag-
nation, at his rival of the Record.
When the dark-gray eyes are lifted, and
the brows unbent when the wcll.built
| figure stands erect, and the sharply cut
lips aro softened with tho genial smile
that would make any one handsome
then, il not ut present, George Pembcr-
ton, chief editor Of the Octagon Daily
Argus, may be called very good.look.
To him enters Mr.. Bminard his
second in command, with paper in his
hand, and n pen behind his ear. He
offers the present paperto his chief, and
says:-
Heres little story written by
young lady of the West Side. Think it
will do for us? It's about the right
length
This being the sole criterion by which
Mr.. Brainard judges every "articlc"
submitted to his notice.
The chief editor lays down his pen,
straightens his shoulders, and takes
breath for q moment He glances over
the neat manuscript, shifts Mt the title,
and ra';cs few cnusti", brief comments
on the subject matter; and ends b."
deciding in favor Of tho story, as
thus -
"Hum! A Hero in Private Life.
Written by young lady, of course.
Pretty little plot, -magnanimous reject
ed lovci, saves the heroine's life at great
personal risk, and heroically bestows her,
with his blessing, on the fortunate suitor.
Yes, that will do, Bminard good,
sloppy sort of thing like that is what we
want, to take the public's fancy. Heroes
in public life went out of date with wigs
and small.cloths; and magnanimity in
love affairs is as extinct as the dodo.
But the public like these things. Get
the young lady to send lis some more
of her sloppy little stories"
And Pembroke takes up his pen, and
prepares to resume his annihilation of
the Record tossing the sloppy story
back to Mr.. Brinard in rather con-
temptuous fashion. The sub-editor
smiles little, and remarks, as he turns
to go:-
80 You don't believe in that sort of
hero, George? Well, I do"
"YoI do? Name me one !"
Mr.. Brainard only laughs, and goes
into the press-room, without responding
to the challenge. Nevertheless, he has
one in his mind whom he might have
named. Given the occasion, it is his
belief, that George Pembroke would
make very presentable hero in private
or public life. Mr.. Brainard has n great
respect and admiration for his taciturn
and somewhat cynical chief; indeed, it
is feeling warmer than respect and
admiration; for Pembroke is man
much beloved of men, though he has
the poorest possible success with
women. Perhaps there is cause and
effect in these two facts.
His lieutenant being gone he recon.
mences on the slashing editorial and
presently it is finished. He leans back
with sigh OF satisfaction, wipes his
pen, and begins to turn over pile OF
miscellaneous papers which are waiting
his attention.
Suddenly he gives start, the color
changes slowly in his face, and he stares,
with strange look in his gray eyes, at
the slip of paper he has just taken up.
1t is a notice for the column of
"Wants," which has somehow strayed
in among the matter for the editorial
department; and it announces that a
lady will give instruction in the French
language to pupils at their residences,
and that her terms for such tuition will
be moderate. But it is not this very
ordinary announcement which has so
startled the editor of the Argus; it is
the advertisers name,-Mrs. Edna
French Vane.
Pembroke is thirty-three years old;
and it goes without saying that he has
not arrived at this age without an expert
ence of the heart. He was a good deal
younger, in more than years, when that
experience befell him; but he has not
yet forgotten it. He has little ofthe
romantic, disappointed lover about him,
as may well be; he does not wear his '
heart upon his sleeve; but all the more
keenly, perhaps, he remembers the 70.
nance of his youth, and the girl who
Tilted him, openly jilted him for another
man, and worthless man at that. He l
does not forget her, the shallow. faith
less little firt hut he takes the revenge
apon her sex Of believing them all to be i
faithless and shallow. SO he puts love i