The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-05-04
OUR NEWSMAN.


OUR NEWSMAN.
His name was Ellis Marston; this
learned without any special desire to
know it, from the bill which he rem
dered monthly for the daily papers that
NE delivered at my house. The bill it.
self, being for a small amount, was one
of the sort that man last remembers
when in the humor for paying bills, so
] saw les makers name several times
before paid it,
One morning our servant told me,
while | was at breakfast, that a gentle
man, who desired to see me, was in the
parlor; he had not given her his card
and she had not fully understood his
name. | found the early caller to be
Ellis Marston. my newsman, but 1 was
not at al surprised that the servant had
unhesitatiugly admitted him, and an
nonced him as a gentleman, for he
had a refined face and good manners,
while his clothes, although far from
new, fitted him well, and were of taste
full cut.
In paying his bill / made rs many
apologies as / would have done to any
gentleman whom l had subjected to de-
lay and annoyance. As while waiting
for me, he had opened a volume of
Browning that lay upon the table, and
had not closed it up to the time that
entered the room, | promptly assumed
that he had more literary taste than the
generality of men in his business, and
a moment or two of conversation, be-
gun haphazard, upon the book in his
hand, satisfied me, not only that L was
right, but that he knew far more than
/ about modern English poetry.
fbat T,apfiT,ra lov. bC1t,. INV fir,,a vvo =
precious, and my mind crowded with
interests temporarily more precious
than poetry; so to express in some
way, and quickly, the respect which
the man 5 manner had exacted, l in
creased my order by asking him to
serve me with several Weeklies and
monthlies that / had been in the habit
of purchasing ut whatever newsstand
] first saw them on, and his pleased eX-
preston rs lie made note of my order,
and bowed himself out, put me on very
good terms with myself for the re
mainder of the day.
So seldom had L seen a man who
seemed superior to his position in life,
that Ellis Marston's face presented it.
self frequently to my memory during
several days thatfollowed; so one even
ing, obtaining his address from his bill
A'''@Naf Il NAA' ~ - NeAA " AttlAAy my CAtAA
osity about the man.
| found him in a little shop, fairly
filled with periodicals and stationery,
with a small circulating library on
shelves at the rear.
An order for Il foreign review was the
excuse foIethe visit, which ] prolonged
by offering him a good cigar, which he
lighted with evident satisfaction, and
we soon engaged in u pleasant chat
about bookss + |4
looked over the titles Of the volumes
in his circulating library, aud expressed
my smpriso that the general public read
works of character so high; he replied,
with sigh, that the public did notread
them to any extent; that they were the
bulk of his own library, and he loaned
them for whatever they might bring.
rather than leave themuntouched on his
shelves at home.
While we were chatting, a very pref
ty, well-dressed lady, whose face was
rather vacant, except for an express
sion of Impotence, entered the store,
and Marston hurried forward to meet
her.
She did not seem to want to purchase
anything. but conversed rapidly and in
low tone With Marston, and departed
after he handed her some money
She looked utterly unlike any ordi-
nary business creditor, and / suspect
some wonder expressed itself in my
face, for, as the proprietor reioined me,
he explained, very quietly, in just two
words;
Mrs Marston."
Then | saw in an instant that Marston
had made a very unfortunate marriage,
but, after the untruthful manner Of So
cicty, complimented him on his good
fortune in having SO slightly a compan-
ion, and he acknowledged my felicia
tions with fine dignity, but not a sign oil
enthusiasm.
it was very evident to my mind, rs
sauntered homeward that evening, that
Marston's wife must be extravaganza and
unreasonable, and that her husband
would never save money with which t.
enter a better business, unless he haC
some help; 50, for several days l sys.
tematicaIIy tortured publishers among
my acquaintance TO make n place fol
our neEvsn an. But / soon learned thai
Marston's present position was not tina
in which he had begun business. IL,
had been n respectable bookseller in tn,
interior where he married beautiful
girl who longed 10 live in New York. 81
he sold out and re-established himself
in the metropolis. Everybody hkeC
him. bnt everybody said he ruined hi;
credit, and then his business, by failing
10 pay his bills promptly. l found s
general supposition that he secretly in
dulGed 2 passion for gambling; one solid
oldfellow though, suggested that nc
man could maintain his business ii he
gratified all the whims of woman like
Mrs, Marston.