Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-08-11
Mr.. Nelson's VIII.
By h RIDER HAeeARD.
CHAPTER /.

AU0U6TA AND HER PUBLISHER.
Everybody who has any connection
with Birmingham will be acquainted with
the vast publishing establishment still
known blythe short tito Of "Meeson's,"
which is perhaps tho most remarkable
institution Of the sort In Europe. There
re-or rather there were, ct the date of
the beginning Of this history-three part
ners in Meeson's-Meesoq himself tho
managing partner; Mr.. Addison and MI.
Roscoe-and people in Birmingham used
to soy that there were others Interested
pany" Qimited).
However this may be-. Meeson + Co.
was undoubtedly Q commercial marvel;
its works. lighted throughout with the
ter Of land. One hundred commercial
sion, went forth east and west, and north
and south. to sell the books OF Meeson
(Which were largely religious In their nat.
ure) in all lands; and dve.and-twenty
tame authors (who were illustrated bythir.
teen tame ARTISTS sat-at salaries rang.
ing from e1OO to $500 Q year-in vault
like hutches In the basement, and week
by week poured out that hat work for
which Nelson's was Justly famous. Then
there were editors and vice editors, and
heads of the various departments, and
sub.heads. and financial secretaries, and
readers, and many managers; but what
their names were no man knew, because
ct Nelson's all the employees Of the
great house were known by numbers,
personalities and personal responsibility
being the abomination of the firm. Nor
vas 1t allowed to any n having deal.
ings with these items aver to see the
same number twice, presumably for fear
lest the number should remember that he
was q man and o brother, and his heart
should melt toward the unfortunate, and
tho financial interests Of Nelson's should
suffer. In short, Nelson's was an estab.
lishment created for and devoted to
money making, and the fact was kept
studiously and even insolently before the
eyes Of everybody connected with it
which was, Of course, as 1t should be, in
this happy land Of commerce. After al
that has been written, the reader will not
be surprised to learn that the partners in
Nelson's were rich beyond the dreams Of
avarice. Their palaces would have been
o wonder even in ancient Babylon, and
would have excited admiration In tho cor
ruptest and most luxurious days of Rome
Where could n SEQ suoh horses, suct
carriages, such galleries of sculpture, o.
such collections of costly gems as at the
| palatial halls Of Messrs. Meeson, Addison
b Roscoe7
One day King Meeson sat in his count
ing house counting out his money, OF, al
least, looking over tho books Of the firm
He was in . very bad temper, and hi!
heavy brows were wrinklcd up in q wa,
calculated to mako tho counting hous
clerks shake on their stools. Meeson'
had q branch establishment ut Sydney, II
Australia, which establishment had, unit
lately, been paying-it Is true not as vel
as the English ono, but still Is or 20 pc
cent. But now a wonder had come t
pass. A great London publishing com
pany had started an opposition house i
Melbourne, and their '~'cuteness" wa
more than the 'cuteness" Of Meesor
Did Nelson's publish an edition Of tn
works Of any standard author at three
pence per volume, the opposition compan
brought out the same work at twopenc
h%alfpenny; did Nelson's subsidize a news
paper to puff their undertakings. th
opposition firm subsidized two to cry ther
down, aud SO on. And now the results Q
all this were becoming apparent: for tn
financial year just ended.the Australia
branch had barely earned Q beggarly ne
dividend Of 2 per cent.
No wonder Mr.. Meeson was furious, On
no wonder that the clerks shook upo
their stools.
'"This must be seen into. No. g." sol
Mr.. Meeson, bringing his fist down wit
q bang on to the balance sheet.
No. 8 was n Of the editors-a mil
eyed little man with blue ~spectacles. II
had nee been a writer Of promise, blu
own and turned him into q publisher
hack.
"Quite 80, sir." he said, humbly. 81
is very bad-it is dreadful to t6ink o
Nelson's coming down to Z per cent
Don't stand there Ike a stuck .pia
No. g." said Mr.. Meeson, Hercely, 'bu
'' sNsl. ss si9." safa No. 8, more hupbl
than eyer. for: be =, N tsi.ibly .ttaia 4. .
somebody had better go to Australia, an
j. zee what can be done.r
'Tnow one thing that can be done,
said Mr.. Neeson. witha snarl; ''Gll thoa
fools out. there can be sae&ed, and sscke
they shall be; and, whatis more. ri &
and sack them myself. That will do, NJ
! 8. that win do" and No. 8 departed, IN
glad enough he was togo.
As he went D clerk arrived and gave
card to the great man.
':4iss Augusta 6mithers." he reai
then. wtth'a grunt: ''show Miss August
!. SmithaG4 in"
Presently Miss Augusta smithers q
rived. Ghe WA o tall. we'll formed youu
lady Of about %. With pretty golden hal
deep gray eyes, . Ane foSehead, and
delicate mouth; Just now, however, d
looked Very nervoue. .
"Well. Miss Emithers, what - 81
) sSksd the publisher.
II came, Mr. Meeson-4 came ahout q
book"
"Your book, Miss Smithersf"-this n
an alienation Of forgettnlness. '.Iet !
see. Forgive me, but NO publish 90 ma
books. Oh, yes, I rsme1nber; :JeEptml
Vow Oh, we'd. ! beNsve II Is going
g., fairly"
70 II saw you advertised the sixteen
10 thousand the other day" put in n
ID 6mithers. spoiogetical1y.
Il. ibid we-didw wet Al, then, youkn,
10 more about It than I do" and he looh
ct his visitor in o way that convey