Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-10-05
IEE TRAVELLING ryPE sErrvr

III" walked SILENTLY ~. We knew
hin th" minute We raised our eyes
and saw him standing tt.rr In
fact, "" hal been expecting him, La
nearly always comes when We arr ia.
just such n strait ard n~cding him.
| III" alWaNg wears the same siyle ~
| cioth". coat ~ one kind aud pants
81 another; ho hasn't any vest his
shoes M" worn out aud run down nj
the heels and hi- hR; ~ battered aud
| dusty There are spots ~ ink about
his shirt, winch hangs over his waist.
band. and his now paper collar IL tho
only fresh. white thing about lin,
and 1t looks ~ though he had Just
put IT ON with soIled fingers. He IL
pale. weak eyed and promaturely
gray haired; he looks as though he
had never known regalar houru,
either Tor eating or sleeping, and he
must have come thousands of milce,
| and been coming ever since he was a
boy. His starting point was 40 far
away, and 40 long ago, that hs has
almost forgotten when or whers u
was; bnt we have an idea that u
must have been when his mother
buttODed his little blue shirtbapd
around his white, hoyish throat, put
Oh his little white hat, aud sent him
To work in the printing Office. How
proud lac was when he went home
that first night and showed his bew
brass rule. aud tells mother he had
learned all the boxes. aud has free
ticket Ia the circus next week. and
the editor gave him n big piece of
wedding cake, part of which he had
brought home for the baby. and il he
sets up q column in one day next
week hc can 20 fishing on Saturday.
Yes, somewhere about there was the
commencement 81 his long journey,
and here ho ~ now, Perhaps two
thirds on the way lilo asks What's
the show for sltf" We give him
case, and by and by he says he feels
faint, and asks IL We can't lend him
"a quarter, he hasn't had any break
fast yet We know his weakness,
and, ~ We need his work. we 70 down
with him and order some breakfast
Tor him at tho nearest restaurant
" hen he comes back he looks hap
pier aud better able TO work. In the
evening. when he goes 10 distributing
his case, he recounts the history of
his late places OF employment. He
knows the circulation and amount Of
business Of every paper in the State,
and just why tho Dispatch suspended
and why the Advocate sold ont TO tho
Courier. He in well acquainted with
the unknown editor Of the Thunderer,
and has friends on the editorial force
of all the leading journals Of the
country. BY and by he whistles low
an air from the Italian opera, and In
reply TO a question answers with q
Latin quotation. lie stays with M q
week, and we grow TO like him more
and more every day, he has read
everything from Shakespeare aud
Ruskin TO Mark Twain and bill Arm,
he knows more about our laws. ma
tional and State, than the best Law.
Yer in the city, he 10 well acquainted
with the life ofevcry eminent pessou
OF his age, and il a perfect encyclo-
pedia OF current events. But We
cannot afford 10 keep him any longer,
so we pay him of, and again he starts
on that long road that leads--not 10
home, for he has none; not 10 the
society Of intelligent people like
himself, for outside OF tho printing
Office he is unknown; maybe back TO
night work on some city daily; or, IL
too worn and old for that, a rapid
descent from one country ctiice ~
another, with whisky and laudanum
for companions, 10 an unmarked
grave by some lonely wayside.--
Palestine (Tcxas) Advocate.