Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-01-26


Wv how to spell, and who writes good
hand, to do copying in the country for two or
three months. Must remain in the employer s
house. Address in own hand, stating what salary
is expected, X, Box l40O this office
This was an advertisement | cut out
Of the Euenjng Post one spring after
noon.
In the old days | had been book
keeper for the late concern of Skin
flint, Starvehimout & Co., and while
with them [ had been getting good
salary, and, to my sorrow be it said,
lived pretty well up to it; so as [ made
nothing by the failure of the concern,
and lost my place as well. had come
down very low. / had saved little,
more by good luck than from fore
thought, and this little, used with the
strictest economy, and added to by a
few dollars made here and there in odd
ways, was all that had kept me alive
for eighteen months. However. |
didn't feel quite disposed to go to the
dogs yet, for there was always a chance
Of something turning up in a great city
like New York
As | looked around my room that
evening | realized how bare it was OF
either furniture or adornments; how
unlike. All, we'll, there was my pa
GER; and [ unfOlded it with all the
glee of q child over new story book.
There was, of course, the usual politi-
cal news, the usual number of railroad
accidents and criminal proceedings
there were items of interest to invest
Ors and theater-gOers and travellers; but
aOthing for me. had no money to in
vest, or for theaters, or travelling. So |
skipped all that and went on to the ad-
vertisements, and the only one Of them
all worth reading twice was the adver-
tisement quoted above.
| read it two or three times, and then
decided it was worth trying. So |
hunted up a sheet of paper and adj
dressed X-as follows:
~; rzeou. Mr., mo. On 1HSs a: I nouce
yaur advertisement in to-day'S issue of the Ecen-
ing Post. My handwriting you can see for your
self. My spelling, | think, is usually correct and
there is no doubt | am a gentleman. As to salary
| don't know what to say don't wish to value
my services ut more than they re worth. Should
you mean by remain in employers house. i
would be boarded and lodged at your expense, my
price that is. asking price-is five dollars a
week.
Yours respectfully,
JAMES W WoLCoTT."
The next afternoon | heard from my
friend X, who proved to be man. His
letter ran thus:
JAMES w. WoLCoTT, ESQ:
8" 1Iy Dear Sir You may be a gentleman,
write Il good hand, and know how 20 spell but
you're a fool inclose sixty-three cents. the fare
to -. You viii take the Z A. NJ. train to-mor-
morning from Grand Central Depot and
when you arrive at - ask for my carriage as
it viii be there to meet you.
Yours, etc,
Sol. HUMPHREYS"
Sol. Humphreys!-the last man in the
world would voluntarily have written
to, and for employment, too! Two
years before I had a very nice little
Irritation with pretty Mabel Humph-
reys, and it had gone so far that if the
crash in my affairs had not occurred, /
believe there might have been an I'M
derstandiug, if not an engagement
But as it was L put away all thoughts
of love making and dropped pretty
Mabel very suddenly, without any kind
of an understanding, and [ had not
seen her since. And now to think /
had fairly got myself into it againI
But, reflected, | might not see much
of Mabel after ALL So much the better.
Bread and butter was a necessity and /
must go and make the best of it.
The next morning | caught the train,
but missed my breakfast, and by the
time | reached the house | was de-
cidedly hungry.
Mr.. Humphreys met me at the door,
and [ was pleased to see he did not
seem to remember me at all. He put
up his eyeglasses, and inspected me
from head to foot
$50 you're James w. Wolcott. are
you, young man?"
| told him he was not mistaken. /
always had that name-born with it, [
believed.
And you think you're a gentle
man?"
l begged his pardon-didn't think
anything about it; it was a self-eyident
fact.
The old fellow grinned. Suppose
you come in and have some breakfast.
You haven't had any, suppose?"
| said had not.
"Well, come in and have some"
After breakfast Mr.. Humphreys led
the way into the library and motioned
me to take chair, while he explained
what my work was to be. He had
been writing history, or text book of
ferns-he was an enthusiastic botanist
and had wanted it copied for the
press. The work of rewriting the
whole thing legibly was more than he
wished to undertake so he had adver-
tiSed for an amanuensis.
After this had been explained to me,
Mr.. Humphreys started up. "Get
your hat, Mr.. Wolcott. I want to show
you around"
All through the house and all over
the place he took me, and when he got
to the farther extremity of the grounds
he paused, and pointing to huge stone
house beyond said: I'm trying to
buy that house; I'm very anxious to
get it, but my daughter objects"
| asked him why she objected.
"Well, you see, it hasn't been occu-
pied lately, and she says it's gloomy;
saws it's haunted. and she wouldn't like