The Red Cloud chief., 1882-01-26
GROOM Ed WAYS,

4'.IaAf' - 7 alfi'a. al ' u8A>Ae
-iaI'i UDEt Gtgo Zinr.
CROOKED WAYS.
Like 4 GOOD many other younr men
and women too, for that matrcr-I
WA once badly afflicted with cacD,ttes
sr-'.yaa. or course greater evils might
h.Er ic.a,irn me: | might have been
seized with 4 passion Tor whisky or
wambllu" but, still. my cdrocth,S SRI
n44fj wl- serious enough. Durin" my
rolIc@c days the symptoms showed
themselves plainly; but the malady did
moi really assume lis true and awful
proportions until after ! had taken my
degree. Then, forSoOth, IL fastened
upon mc like a lccch, and before many
months had elapsed II overmlStcred me
completely. In accordance with nv
mOthcrs wish, I went to Dundas,
u~'cu-i.iy 10 read law with my IN
ric, hut it WAS "A mere prctensc of law
reading, for the mornings that | ought
{" have -irnt over blackstone were de
voiced Ia the composition of a novel ami
The afternoons 10 the polishing of some
poems. Uncle Dick shook his head
ufaEr.y and demonstrated, sometime in
Tsl.tA' - aiid DDIlIfk4llltN III dli-tl.
That Sarihhlin@ will never amount
e. ANYTHING lac would say. contempt
uuu-.l. TINS was hard To- bear: but my
lofty aspirations sustained me, and, firm
IN mv belief of ultimate success, | scrib-
hiri on and ever. and bombardrd all
the magazines in the country with my
manuscripts. The magazines did not
open their columns To me, and | tell
har. 81 last upon the weekly n"wspa-
pcr~. and especially upon the Boston
Vraif ialilj,yr. The journal printed
my ESSAYS. and certain assistant edit
80. whose initials were " +. l.. s." sent
pa" lFu..t. notes from time 10 time. II
Ms r"rlrth NJ to see nv productions
m print. 1T would have been more
? hpd these productions once in Il
vh4lc brought IN Il check. But
the never did; tine, elected only
i"iic olr from +. Il. s. FINALLY.
wIul.a letter 10 the assistant editor
urou the subject, and hV return post |
received a reply. Ii WAS sent To my
private box a the Post-oilic". but. to
rE "Tuai amusement. WAS directed tn
Jane He'll, instead of ''.Iohu.' My
IHUdwrifiur was not very dist net, aul
perhaps 4 triilc feminine. and the sig
uatarr. upou which | rather pr.1",l my
sell. certainly left it an open question
whether john or Jane were meant.
Tie note. too, began
MI ErIT: Inrcply Ia your question,
would -iy HAT this journal pays "nly IT.
Ty.lEtI rurr~ 90 writers. W" are glad L.
Ir,tINc your articles, and perhaps LATER NAV
u.h" adequate compensation therefor; hui,
a~ a vulu- writer, IL would he wiser Tor you
3 - - -~-..as ..Nr - 80 y o n -
bold. NnU have an excellent chance Of sue
GEES m the end; but much patience j. neccs-
saw 1.-THE outset.
"Iir.-r ~ty whether | shall direct future
COMMUNICATIONS t. John Rel, Mis- Bell, or
Nj. I-.l. Al present | do not venture 10
-Ihr loH any title. Very truly yours,
=. l.. S~CITNEN.'
This letter NJ once amused and piqued
nc. II WAS Pheasant and rather cncour-
ag.ng. hut 1t WAS plain the writer set me
down aS an impecuniouS Young woman,
whereas the truth WAS l had Il yer fair
income Of NV own, and was a ~SiN-foot,
mouStachcd specimen of ~ma>culInIty.
The idea of PLAYING the role of Miss
lame Fell ticklcd nav fancy. and there
fore. giving nav imagination free rem,
uruu the spur of the moment | sat down
and wrote ~ follows:
p u. - slA M Present 1 Al~t Ill
IN a gUauiary, for | ii" mol know whether /
ou.lj To- address y"u a. Madame, Monsieur
ar N4ltm.l>rIlc. The last title l. mine JUL
now. although OF course | feel al liberty
10 change il when | choose, or rather
when Ihc proper opportunity Offers
ito,tf. Perhaps mairimony would 10"
a more profitable speculation than iItcri-
iurr. lo not, however, supp">" that
am Gcpcndcut on my pen for nav bread
and butter. In that ease, | fear, the butter
wuuii hc N'Ty ihIn, indeed. No; the tate>
have -ilru uc most Il the Injuries al litr:
In. these. uC course, 10 nri satisfy me. The
reason why | wrote A. | did about payment
for ,hr rr.iels~ wl> simply because l
thcu.lt II they were GOOD enough To print
they we're -"nl enough 70 be paid for. II
seems l Wa mistaken; hut To show Won
that | Ak Nour advice, | send You another
c>-ty. viii Al least try Ia secure 4 foot
hold. and pray that greater success may
follow.
lam, dear Madame, Monsieur or Mad
Cmui~ciiH >CrcNcn.
sincerely yours.
''JAtF BELL"
Laughing in my sleeve, | sem this
communication oil. and planned that,
tine assistant e ltar sent me Il friend
Ivrruly. would open a correspondence
!, IN NV ra'. uf VI - Jane Bell and fool
7. T.. Sc-ryou as never man had been
ltPath ita'a'- 'AiIet. llith. Va IA "'H
NAV when I received a letter in what |
knew w9> S~creNcnS writing. bat not
writtenon Office paper, and signed Fran
Cc- Icvtr:m Scrrycn. A by
.Icyc"" | vxcia mel there and then III
the p~n>I-oilicc. whereby a small boy,
whn W3> standing ni1h, nearly Swal-
lowed IN a,,oni>hmcnt the postage
stamp he was carefully licking. L
thrl,S, the letter in my pocket and did
not read il until | WAS Sately at home.
Thus the mISSlve ran:
"pFNE Miss BELL: Your piquant letter
prompts M" Ia write you a reply, not as an
assistant editor. hut ~ a woman Ike YOUR
s.lf. who l. Ioiling mp the steep path that
leads - parna>,u>. | might have known
ven were a woman. and A young one atthii.
because. although there l. a touch OF mas
cuiIac strength IN Hour essays anu poems.
St!li there Is, too, ~ sweetness that Is only
feminine. THINK that women more often
have this flavor Of masculinity than men
have ANYTHING. OF that tenderness whieh l.
essentially and purely feinlhihe- were l
in a position OF authority, should
ycrv soon dismiss the ~cut-and-drled hack
writers whose contributions. although
smooth and polished, lack the FRESHNESS, Inc
suontareity. which is characteristic OF the
combinations we sometimes receive from
..In[,n writers. and notably from Won.
H,t Nou see. | am merely an assistant ed
;tor. and = person Of 40 consequence II all.
xrcnt A. | am useful TO do the work. ALI
~ ,tIory Of which goes 10 the distinguished
indiIiduals whose names e~kINoned at
The head of the paper. iac.e.N SOUNDS
hittcr. | am afraid; but my dear Miss Bell,
~ f,,cs have not been so kind 10 me a. 10
ro, and IL j. not for fame | write, but for
80 yherewithal to keep me fed and clothed.
What makes it perhaps harder Is that have
Known what il i 10 have mr bread and bnt-
Ser fresh and sweet-ay, and honey with IL.
&op-and, therefore, the thin slices that are
6Soled out TO me low taste the dricr hv COM
,Parison.