The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-07
How He Learned It.
tExchAnge.l

A~-~~-@~-tANA
 The famous novelist started in life as reporter. He learned shorthand by the old clumsy methods that were the fashion n h,s tune, It was as serious business as learning Greek and committing to memory the whole of the lliAd." Bat Dickens worked at it and stuck to il through thick and thin, nll faAlly he mastered it. In later years be became very wealthy, and the most renowned story writer of his time. Bat he never ~ould have done if he had not worked just as hard at writing as he did at learn Ing shorthand. Have some of our boys and girls though, that they would like to become stenogaphers HerS is how Charles Dickens learned it. He says:
 |" bought an approved scheme ot the noble art and mystery of s,en ogrAphy winch cost me ten-and. Sixpence), and plunged into a sea ot perplexiy that brought me ,n few weeks to the confines ot distraction.
 The changes tha, were fung upon dots, which in one position meant one Ih,nR. and iu another position somethtng else ; tne wonderful vsHaries that were played by circles; the unaceountable conse- quences that resulted from marks like l fly legs; the tremendous effect from a curve n wrong place, not only troubled l my waking hours, but reappeared before me in my sleep.
 When had greped my way btiniiy through these difticult and had mas tered the alphaoet,' which was an Egyp' tan temple itself, then there appeared a procession of new horrors called 'aroi rary characters the most desp ,uc characters have ever known--whieh in. sisted, for instance, that the inE !i .e the beginning ot a cobweo me Int 'exoecta. ton, ana that a pen .and-lnk sky rocket meant 'disadVantageous'
 When had fixed these wretches in m, mind, found that they had driven every thng else out of II. Then, beginning aga,n, forgot them. Then, while l was picking them up. dropped the other fragments of the system. ln short, it was almost hearlbteaking
 He was very young at this time to be so peIseverlng. He was mere boy re- porter when at last he go, the thing learned. He continues:
 wen, into the gallery of the house of commons as parliamentary reporter | t--l can hardly believe the memorable truth nigh th,r,y years ago ; and have pursued the calling of a reporter under cir. cumstances of which many of my bIetf . ren here, and my brethrens successors, can form no adequate conception.
 "l have often transcribed for the prin- ter from my shorthand notes important public speeches in which the strictest ac. ouEacy was required, and a mistake in which would have been to young man severely compromising, writing on the palm oi my hand by the light of dark lantern, in a post-chaiSe and four, gal loping through wild country through the dead of night, at the then surpTisiDH \ rate Of fifteen miles an hour.
 " The very last time l was at Exeter strolled into the castle yard there to lden ufy, for the amusement ot friend, the spot on which took au election speech of my noble friend, Lord Russell IL was in the midst of lively fight kept up by all the vasahonds in the vicinity. and un der such pel,ing rain tha, 1 remember two good natuIed cole gues, who chanc cd to be a, leisure, held pocke, handker. chiei over my note book, after the man ner of a state canopy in an ecclesiaStical procession.
 "I have worn my knees by writing on them on the old back row of the house oi commons, and have worn my feet by standing to write Tn prepos,ero1s pen in the old house of lords, where we used 10 be huddled like SD many sheep"