The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-07-14
N'IMPORTE.
BY CLARENCE NJ. BoUTELLE.

| ing ana dying Wlntcf-OVer inc WORTH
and year, Within, the thick curtains
shut out to poverty and storm of exist
ence, and shut in its luxury and calm.
If the two young men who stood by the
cheerful fire moved n little closer 10 it
rs the wind sang its wild song in little
louder tone than n moment before, 1t
was not for added warmth, There was
already all the difference between with
in and without that there is between us
and the antipodes, The feet moved
nearer the hearth, and the hands were
stretched ont TO the grateful blaze in q
sort of natural and instructive homage
to the power of untamed nature which
was doing unayailng battle with SHUT
ters and windows.
Charlie Oswald and John Fame looked
contented, A strong contrast of COM
fort with the impossible to-us but near
at-hand-for-somc-one-else discomfort is
apt to make us happy, and being hap
py rs a habit leaves content written on
mans face. 1t turks in his young
smile, and will grow deep down into
his old wrinkles rs the years 60 on
And Charlie Oswald and John Fame,
contented and happy by habit, had II
good history written in the young smiles
on their faces; the young smiles that
had not furrowed the muscles, yet with
the lines that tell of Ileeting time.
These two men had reason To be hap
py. Money is a good thing, when well
used. and each had enough of it, and
had the wisdom to use it well. Good
looks, fair talents, liberal culture; good
habits, good regulations, warm friends;
they had Il these. What fortune, and
education had done for them had made
them strong men What they had to
do for themselves they did rs strong
men do things. Neither was an egotiSt,
yet each had a deep-rooted and far
reaching belief in his powers, The shall
low mind broods on what it can do; the
deep one remembers what il has done.
Neither of these men could be called
shallow. They would have wondered
at failure. Neither had ever failed.
But neither Charlie Oswald nor John
Fame could be thought of as great
man, They were only evenly balanced
men, full of bodily and mental vigor,
types of the best American manhood -
They were workers. Charlie Oswald
painted more pictures than he sold if
truth must be told; and John Fame read
Laws great deal more than he practc-
ed it.
But they were not working tonight.
There would be for them Tonight no
wcghtier arguments than those to be
cleaned from the pages of the daily
newspapers, and no more lasting pic
lures than those done in one neutra tint
which the imaginative mind cen form
from cigar smoke,
In fact, these two somewhat remark
able young men were about to smoke
and read the evening papers.
What tremendously ovcrgrown
thing newspaper is getting to ber'
said Oswald. lone has towade through
SO much for the little he wants. l
doubt if it is sign of Improvement
after all-this getting bigger and big
ger"
"Well, what would you spare? The
news from Washington, and you a strong
party manp Stock reports, with half
your fortune in stocks? Literature? Art2
And those of your friends who are dis
posed to make light Of bachelor candi-
dates for promotion to higher joys,
would certainly say society news?"
Quietly looking to the emphasis Civ
en- TO the last question. Oswald said.
"Of course want all this, but there
is lots of trash | don't want"
"Some one does
But it might be made briefer; CON
densed boiled down"
Yes it might be done, its true. But
can we, as men interested in the whole
busy world, all going on toward one
common goal, say of single item that
it has no interest for usPn
Perhaps not in the sense in which
you put it. But in selfish, personal
sense there is half the paper that has no
interest whatever for me-
"Will you try an experiment." asked
Fame.
yes; what is itP'
Iurn away from inc STOCK reports,
the news from Washington, the reviews,
and all that. Open to the page which
deals with little things, local and other
wise; shut your eyes put your finger at
random on the page, and I'll read the
item"
"All right; I'll strike something I'M
at once"
Oswald pointed, and Fame read
Among the many ladies present at
the Charity Ball last evening was Miss
Blanche Courteney."
"The Mischief said Oswald. 81
wonder who she went with? fancied
she did not return TO the city until to-
night. | should have called had / only
known"
can interesting item, already too
much condensed" commented Fame,
Fame read next,
Captain Branton arrived in the city
yesterday"
Gle ilirted n year ago with Miss
Blanche desperately, they say. Would
you like to know whether they came ON
the train together? Would you care if he
came before or after the Charity Bal?"
inquired Fame.
And poor Oswald could but answer
yes"
Again Oswald pointed and Fame
read.