Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1882-11-16
miscellaneous.
The Maddened Quill
x J. ut Kpt TTE.

Night brUoded over the scene hAhIt
that nlght ha, betSeen the hours of sunset
anu sunrise. Duuug those hour, the sun
rarely shiue> sn our atlIuie. and night has
every thing ils Own Nay, ~Itsa clear field to
itself
Godfrey S,iehipen sat at IN. table ia the
sAnotum Of the NorHiAg TdAsboTce his idle
pencil IN his listle>s fingers. and his aching
head resting upon one weary hand. The
solitary bell ia distant stevpe has Just
tolled M There a famine Of onpy
on the hook and the cchoes Of the elamur,
Of inappe asshle oompositors came rumbling
IN ghoslly cadences down the speaking
tube, and once the sarcastic tone. OF the
forrman's voice penetrated the dismal
sanctum. conveying 10 Mr.. Suehlpen the
entirely supcIfiuous information that TIN.
was not an afternoon paper, and further
more that he would like TO 10 to pres.
before the men vent To dinner" Mr.
Site hlpen sighed heavily, and IN an abstract
ed manner turned over the closely y-wrliten
page. of his notebook.
For tweniy-t~o years he had sat at that
table and praised everything that ever came
within fifty miles Of Shawneetown. Hors-
e.. blrd-dogs, new houses, minstrel troupe,.
new goods, lectures, eminent citizens. big
radi,hes. tall corn. long jumps, speeches.
brass bands, imported cows, hne walters,
new road wagons. fancy gates. concerts,
fair.. hops, and debating sooleties. lie had
noted the uprising Of the eminent cltIEen,
and observed his lyIng down; b. watched
hi. coming and gong, and tonight he was
weary. lie had written up two speeches,
q social hop. a nIne-hundred dollar horse.
an imported pig, q neu fence, bug egg. a
seyenteen- pound tgmor, a lecture, and here
vas concert 10 be written up. lie knew
what a drlicate matter this was. lie knew
that woe waited upon his footsteps If he
failed 10 notice each performer at length
and in perfect detail Wrath and denuncia-
tions lowered above his head. ready to fall
iu one destroying deluge if he SAID anybody
sang or PLAYED better than anybody else
How could be mest the father Of the young
lady who wore the most expensive dress ON
the stage, and vet got a notice four lines
shorter than the shoemaker's daughter Who
had nothing in the world but her voice to
commend her at all to public notice. How
could he look Miss Uppercea IN the face
when in his description of her exquisite
rendition Of Monastery Bells" he forgot,
or perhaps with malice aforethought inien-
ilonally omitted, TO mention the cost of her
diamondss He sighed he remembered
how often he had been through all this.
aud here il was one O'Clock IN the morning,
his hand was tired and his head ached. and
the notes Of his one hundred and eleventh
concert were still echoIng in his brain, and
we're waiting On the pages of his own note
book for his own transcription.
He rose, and dragged from its dusty
shelf an old bound volume of the TdmbOree.
looked over some Of his old reports, with
4 view Of changing the dates and names,
and using them over, to save time and trou-
BILE as he had often done before. But his
head was heavy. and the concert of the
previous evening differed IN so many re-
spects from all It's predecessors that he was
forced TO abasdon his labor-saving scheme
so dear TO the heart of the ambitious and
painstaking reporter.
81 have praised people for twenty-five
years." he muttered, again seating himself
al his table, "and ! am tired of II. ! am
not in the praising humor tonight, sigh
for something new. Ny longing soul as
pires to originality. had rather abuse
man column than puff him ten lines. |
will write up these notes in a style that will
have, at least, the merit of originality. and
will please everybody who doesnk find his
name in the paper tomorrow.
His pencil few over the sheets Of paper
like walking match; the sarcastic utter
ance Of the foreman ceased, the distant
clamor Of the intelligent compositors was
hushed, and only now and then the muffied
groans that came sadly down the speaking
tube told tha. some printer was endeavor-
ing TO decide whether blot, long waving
line. two dots and dash was commence
ment." communion" "icineration," or
..emancipation.' Mr.. Stiehlpen laughed
hoarsely as be heard the groans-
Howl for copy. will you?" he ehuckled
de6antly. .I1l give you copy that will
make your hearts ache"
And ne wrote more wildly than ever, and
only said, "Ha, na!" when word came that
the distracted proof-resder in the next room
had hanged himself.
Next morning, while Godfrey Siiehlpen
slept, the Tamboree was opened at ttous-
and happy breakfast tables, and JOY was
turned into mourning as, amid weeping
and wailing and gnashing of teeth, the first
thing the subscribers read was as follows:
A PHANTOM Hoss.-Ben Harrigan came
all the way to our office last evening to tell
US that he had Just received an imported
inver.ebrate thoroughbred from England,
. magnificent stopper. with . record Of
225, that cost him nine hundred dollars.
Warnock, ct whose stables this natchless
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