St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-10-26
The Unfinished Manuscript.


From the Arkansas Traveller
Some time AGO the writer visited
Professor Cabinet of Little Rock, Ark,
and while sitting in the library, en-
gagged in conversation with the enter
tniniu~ gentleman, observed roll OF
manuscript tied with a strip of black
cloth. We asked him if it was some
thing designed for publication.
1T will never he published. he SAID,
and benan to unroll it. "Scc how it
ends" and glancing at the bottom of
the last page we read the following ::
.Whilc hc sat alone, deeply musing, Il
hcarsc PASSED the house, and here
the Sentences broke off. Requesting,
almost imploring. the professor to tell
MS the history of the curious manu-
script, he finally consented.
Il came to Arkansas when | was a
Young man. One night | sat III my
library writing II story for magazine.
| was in GOOD health and had cause to
feel rlatcd over the success had Just
attained by the publication of Il small
volume of sketches, hut still felt the
heavy weight of melancholy dcpreS
sion. | arose and walked out, but
soon returned. not experiencing any
change. bent myself to the work of
writing drcarv story and worked with
surprising rapidity until | wrote, a
ncarse passed the house and Here |
stopped. 4 strange preScntlment told
me that | would never finish the sell
trncc. Next day took up my pen to
finish it, but had not touched the pa
per with the pen when piercing shrek
caused me to spring to my feet ana
rush from the room Just in time to see
Il horse attached to Il buggy, daShIng
wildly toward my gate. y frightened
women was in the buggy and | rescued
her. put my manuscript away and
devoted myself to my new acquant-
;tncc our friendship grew into love,
and finally we married. Then followed
ten years of happiness. did not tell
my wife of the unfinished manuscript,
but one day she found it and begged
me To finish it. did not like to con
f'eSs my foolish fears, and finally | told
her that would. The next night, af-
ter my wife had gone to bed, took
down the story and read it over.
would finish it for her sake. took up
the pen and was Just i'll the act OF
touching the paper when my wife called
me. | ran ~ llA-l anu ltlNtll'l lifl III Il
diving condition. having been attacked
10y rheumatism of the heart"
"Havc you ever attempted since tn
finish it ?"
"Ne~. After my wife had been dead
for several years | determined ont
night to finish the story. went t,
the desk, hut no sooner dipped my pei
into the ink when noise in an adioin-
ing room attracted my attention. Hur-
ryiug into the room | found my sou
living on the floor dead. He had al
ways been in wrctchcd health and had
committed suicide.
''Do you ever expect to finish the
story 2"
II expect to try again. 1t is impos-
Siblc for me to remain superstitiOuS
even though have Il powerful caus,
for doing 50. OF course all this wOuld
have happened even if had not begun
the story. | think that next Tuesday
night, if feel like it, shall devot,
myself to the completion of the work
for desire to see it in print. Come ii
and see me start it off,
We were busy when Tuesday night
came, and -cowardly confession
not sorry that something kept us away
Early Wednesday morning we hurried
to the house where for years the pro
f-Ssor had lived. The horrible thought
seized III that he had taken up his pen
tu finish the story and had fallen dead
Some time elapsed before we had til,
courage to knock at the door. At las
we raped.
No answer.
Another ran