Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-08-15

MtTy Degdu W lOOh III tuc puUllSHcT
column and amongst the reviews, as if
she expected the book to burst into
bloom at once, and to receive a flatter-
ing notice. His letters didn't tell us
much except about dinners and sup
pers, until l began to think that
authors ate their way to fame much
as barristers eat their way to the law.
In little while he wrote to borrow
money. had expected that, aud sent
him what / could spare. At last the
book was announced. You can
imagine the excitement there was in
the house and in the town when half
a dozen beautifully bound volumes
found their way down to us. Mary
never paid SO many visits in her life as
she did in those days, and wherever
she went the first topic was always
my cousins book of poems She
carried them about with her every
where, and read selections aloud, un-
til l used to wonder she ever found
any one at home when she called.
She recited them, too, from memory;
but | noticed sometimes if she missed
whole stanzas here and there, the
sense didn't suffer much. But then /
only liked the old-fashioned poetry,
which one can understand. Certainly
the book was published, and no one
could know that he had paid every
farthing himself for the cost of print
ing, publishing and advertising.
The next thing to do was to search
the papers for criticisms. In some
there appeared a very few lines of
faint praise, in others a few of con-
tempt, but in the majority there was
utter silence. About this time the
neighbors began to return Mary's
visits, and it was wonderful how many
newspapers they seemed to have seen,
and how carefully they had read them,
and how very sympathetic they were
about the harsh notices. Mary, how
ever, was not to be discouraged.
:" He has his foot on the first rung
CT the ladder. she cried; he will never
rest till he has climed to fame and for
tune
Then am very much afraid there
will be another Wandering Jew on
earth, thought.
Presently there came another ap-
peal for money. had expected that
too, but this time l was obliged to re-
fuse. didn't mean that all the little
savings which l had destined for him
and Mary and their children should 90
to make waste paper. Poor Mary
would have sent every farthing she
possessed, only luckily SHE didn't
possess any.
The next letter | received con-
tanned some very surprising intelli-
gence. Augustus was going to be
married. He said very little about the
lady's beauty or accomplishments,
but only mentioned that she was the
daughter of the head partner in well
known publishing firm. Poor Mary!
she had fallen victim to the genius
of which she was so proud, had sat
my mind on the boys marrying her.
and l believe he was really fond of
her; but what aspiring author could
resist publishers daughter! Here
was an opportunity of never again be-
inc declined with thanks Fancy the
reams of rubbish that father-in-law
would swallow. What go-between
a loving wife and daughter, and per-
haps eventually sturdy grandchild.
l could hardly blame Augustus.
Mary did not say much, but she left
off eating as far as was consistent
with keeping alive; and she put away
the books of poems and ceased to sean
the newspapers. Indeed, she lost her
interest in everything. Her only COM
fort seemed to be in singing broken
hearted little ballads, always about a
a desolate girl who forgives her faith
less lover, and never reproaches him,
but rests her weary head upon the
sympathetic bosom of his mother.
Zone day | was startled by Mary