The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-07
The Unfinished Manuscript.

Literary men have, somehow, received
a kind of social black eye; that is, no
one believe that they are quite as good
husbands or as good fathers as they
should be; and from the observatory of
casual view, this is correct. Few peO-
pie know to what extremities literary
deed, know how they court the so-called
muse of inclination. The man who
handles the drawing knife or plane can.
if he be in physical condition, do his
work creditably; but the literary man,
though he may be in robust health. and
though he may not have an ache or a
pain, is frequently unable to do aecepta-
BILE work This is curious freak
which no student of metaphysics can
explain, for the mind OF man, although
it is constantly becoming clearer
and more capable of comprehension, is
still something which Newton cannot
define, nor a Bacon perfectly explore.
A mans mind seems to have but little
to do with his affections, for, although
his heart may be warm, his words are
sometimes cold.
Il want You to go to bed, - said Mr..
Mecklamore, the well-known novelist,
to his little girl Every night when |
sit down to work you persist in snort
ing around. Go 10 bed, I've got work
to do
''She't can't understand you,' said
Mrs Mecklamore, II don't think that
she is we'll"
"She's always i'll when want to work
She seems to study the time. What do
you want to snort that way fors You
are enough to drive a man crazy!''
Robert, / dont't think the little girl
can help it, the wife replied. She is
too young to know anything about the
importance your work. p"
well, it's time she was learning"
the author exclaimed, turning, with an
angry air, "Other people can work
without interruption. don't see why I
should be imposed on. I'll 60 down
town. can write there without inter
ruption, and he gathered up his papers
and left the house.
Quietly. and without the slightest in
terruption, he worked for several hours
Occasionally. while his mind was deep
in the moulding of character, he would
see little anxious face, and hear an eX-
clamation of gladness, but he waved
aside the vision and worked on. Late
at night boy came with note. The
message ran:
Il am very uneasy about Dora; L
think she has the diptheria. -
MY work is done for tonight, he
unused; and, arranging his paper with
| discontinued air, be went home. He
found the doctor there. The little SUI
| ferer smiled at him when he entered.
She tried to say something, but ''papa's
come" was all he could understand.
An unfinished manuscript stared at him.
is it a very violent attack he
asked of the physician.
Yes, very"
The mother sat ON the edge OF the
| bed. The father approached He
couldn't see the lines Of the manuscript
now. The little girl choked, and they
lifted her up. The father put his arm
under her head. The unfinished manu-
| script was dim.
She has been ailing for several days, |"
said the mother, but we did not think
that there was anything serious the mat
ter with her. She has been SO gay and
so full of frolio that we didn't think any
| thing could all her
The sufferer looked at her father and
tried to speak, but failing, she put her
hand into his and smiled. The untin-
ished manuscript Was dim. With 8
struggle she said:
Am | bad?"
mo, angel" whispered the father.
do you want me to GO bede'
| No, darling" The unfinished man.
uscript was fading more and more.
''She is past all help" the doctor
said
The mother hid her face in the win.
dow curtain The father took his child
in his arms. She looked at hiin and
was dead. The unfinished manuscript
had faded -Opte Read, in TeraS st}t
| f991s