The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-06-13

always postpOning things to that golden
Utopia. We had in imagination spent
and respent dozen Grasses" 1t cost
little and was better than running in
debit
kissed her goodbye and started to
the office. When / reached the street
she raised the window to call after me:
''Be sure and decide upon your subec
Jack, as we must commence it to-inor-
row."
My usual hour of reaching home was
3 A. NJ. This time it was after 4. A
second edition had kept us. walked
the three miles too tired in body and
mind to think of my story or anything
else. was just then more interested in
the character of a powder-mil explosion,
as related to newspaper reports, than IN
literature; and the fact that an expected
promotion of the city editor TO the GIN
tellcctual department. of the Neptune,
with besowal of his long and honor
ably worn shoes on someone else,
might lead to the lettering
of my position, kept me
closely to the practical side of life. |
went to sleep almost before | was un
dressed, and forgot to give even dream
to the subject that had grown very close
to the dear little heart at my side.
All day and evening sessions of the
National Society for the Organizing of
South African and East Indian Missions
held me close for the next week, and the
mere mechanical labor of following long
drawn speeches and copying voluminous
reports and resolutions with many
"whereases" so used up my mental and
/ Al, 7 1 a., l..
for nothing else. | lost some of the best
points in my projected story, and was
compelled to explain the plot in full to
my wife, lest | should lose it altogether
before the long deferred time of placing
it on paper should dawn upon us.
perhaps we can get few hours rest
on Sunday" | said, land then we will
take off our coats and go at it. OF course,
can't expect to strike the fifty-dollar
class, with the time at my disposal, but
we will be satisfied to go in at forty, eh,
little one ~
"Of course we will, my DEAR" she said,
brightly. cone can get fair chamber
set--but guess we will have to let that
go until your salary is little more, and
we will put the forty dollars into the
book case you have wanted SO long Is
it bargain Z"
1t was, signed, sealed and delivered
with kiss.
Sunday came, and with it scattering
of the reverend gentlemen who had par
ticiDated in the mission deliberations and
debates, to the various pulpts of the city
and suburban churches. "Follow them
around, said the city editor on Saturday
night, ''and get something Of the services
held by dozen of the best of them
When that is out of the way drop over
and get old General Snodgers' opinion on
the debate He has been in Washington,
and ought to have something fresh. And,
by the way l am going out of town, and
| wish you would come around about 8
O'Clock and run the local work for the rest
of the night"
When Mary called me on Sunday morn
ing, l dressed slowly and put off a square
look into her face as long as l possibly
could. knew she had been out on Sat
urday looking at book cases, and had set
her heart on seeing that story dashed into
with vigor and energy before 3 NJ. and
perhaps whipped into shape by evening.
When | drew up to the table, she
moved the sugar-bowl and milk pitcher
to one side, gave me half.hopcful and
half pleading look, and simply said:
"Well!n
temporized.
MARY, we ought to have new set of
curtains for our sitting-room.'
Yes, bat they can wait"
"Twenty-ive dollars would buy them
and hang them"
81 know it, but the $2j."
"Oh, that's all right. I tell you the
plot is too deep to work up in the time
we have. Suppose we lay aside the
story on hand and reel off little sketch
that will strike the twenty-five dollar
grade, You know that | can do that at
any time. Shall we do it,
"Whatever you think best, Of course.
We do need the bookcase, but the cur
tains would add greatly to the appear
ance of the room. When will your sketch
get itself commencedIn
"That's easy enough. I'll give it
sendoiT tonight, after my other work is
out of the way, and will show ii TO YOU
in the morning. 1t will hinge on an Old
farmer who thought he had seen ghost
in the ravine into which the Ashtabua
railroad bridge went tumbling on that
awful winters night.
Il don't Like ghost stories, said Mary;
"but then, am not on the committee OF
award. Suppose you run into Stems
tomorrow and price the curtains"
That night the Great Arcade block
burned to the ground. The city editor
was away, one reporter was sick, and
several others busy on matters that could
not be neglected. cut the missionary
j gentleman oil with as few words as pos
sible, and allowed General Snodgers and
the tariff question to rest in the dim
region of uninterviewed security. All
our energies were bent on making a re-
port of the fire that would do the paper
credit, But nothing seemed to go right
In the first place, old Anthracite, the
chief editor had just come home from
trip to the South, and being afraid that
his efficient managing editor was getting
too much credit for the prosperity of the
paper, decided to show the reporters
that he was still master of the situation.
An hour after the fire was under way,