Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-10-18
Mr.. NELSON'S WILL
BY III. RIDER HAGGARD.


Now mark you, my masters: this is comedy
OLD PLAY.
Everybody who has any connection with
Birmingham will be acquainted with the
vast publishing establishment still known
By the short title Of Nelson's" which is
perhaps the most remarkable institution
OF the sort in Europe There are-or rather
there We're, at the date of the beginning of
this hlstory-three partners in Nelson's
Meeson himself, the managing partner;
Mr.. Addison, and Mr.. Roscoe people
III Birmingham used to say that there were
others interested in the affair, for Nelson's
was company Qimited).
However this may be. Neeson & Co. was
| undoubtedly commercial marvel. It en-
JloyeSmore than two thousand hands, and
its works, lit throughout with the electric
light, covered two acres ard a quarter Of
land One hundred commercial travellers,
at three pounds week and commission,
went forth east and west, and north and
south, to sell the books OF Meeson (Which
were largely religious in their nature) in
all lands; and five-and-twenty tame au-
fhors who were illustrated by thirteen
tame artists sat-at salaries ranging from
one to five hundred year-in vault-ike
hutches in the basement, and week by
week poured out that hat-work for which
| Nelson's was justly famous. Then their
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 at Nelson's
all the employees of the great house were
Known by numbers; personalities and per-
sonal responsibility being the abominat1on
of the firm. Nor was it allowed to any one
having dealings with these items ever to
see the same number twice, presumably for
fear lest the number should remember
that he was man and a brother, and his
| heart should melt toward the unfortunate,
and the financial interests of Nelson's
| should suffer. In short, Nelson's was an
establishment 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 it should be, in
this happy land of commerce. After all
| 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 a
wonder even in ancient Babylon, and
would have excited admiration in the cor
ruptest and most luxurious days Of Rome.
Where could one see such horses, such car
riages, such galleries of sculpture or such
collections Of costly gems as at the palatial
halls of Messrs. Meeson, Addison, and Ros-
coe?
'And to think" as the mighty Meeson
himself would say, with q lordly wave of
! his right hand, to some astonished wretch
of an author whom he had chosen to over
whelm with the sight Of this magniicence,
''to think that all this comes out of the
| brains of chaps like you! Why, young
man, tell you that if all the money that
has been paid to scribblers like you since
the days of Elizabeth were added together
it would not come up to my little pile; but,
| mind you, it amt so much fiction that has
done the trick-it's religion. It's piety as
pays, especially when it's printed"
Then the unsophisticated youth would
go away, his heart too full for words, but
bordering how these things were, and by
and by he would pass into the Meeson
melting pot and learn something about it,
| One day King MeesCn sat in his counting
| house counting out his money, or, at least,
! looking over the books of the firm. He was
| in very bad temper, and his heavy broWs
were wrinkled up in Il way calculated to
make the counting house clerks shake on
their stools. Nelson's had branch es-
tablishment at Sydney, in Australia, which
establishment had, until lately, been pay
| ing-it is true not as well as the English
one, but, still, fifteen or twenty per cent.
But now wonder had come to pass. A
| great London publishing company had
! started an opposition house in Melbourne,
| and their 'cuteness' was more than the
of m n
| ish an edition of the works of any standard
! author at threepence per volume, the oppo-
| sition company brought out the same work
! at twopence-halfpenny; did Nelson's sub
sldlze a newspaper to puff their undertake
| ings, the opposition firm subsidized two to
cry them down, and so on. And now the
results of all this were becoming apparent
for in the financial year just ended the Aus
| tralian branch had barely earned beggar-
ly net dividend of seven per cent.
| Nc wonder Mr.. Meeson was furious, anG
no wonder that the clerks shook upon their
stools
This must be seen into, No. g." said Mr.
Meeson, bringing his fist down with bang
on to the balance sheet.
No. 3 was one of the editors; a mild-eyed
little man with blue spectacles. He had
once been writer of promise, but some
how Nelson's had got him for its own and
/ turned him into publishers hack.
Quite so, SIR" he said humbly. "It, is
very bad-it is dreadful to think of Nee
sons coming down to seven per cent.-sev-
en- per cent? and he helped up his hands.
Don't stand there like stuck pig, No.
! 8" said Mr.. Meeson, fiercely; ''buG suggest
! something"
''Well, SIR said No 3, more hurnbly
than ever, for he was terribly afraid of his
employer; Il think, perhaps, that some
BODY had better go to Australia, and see
what can be done''
81 know one thing that can be DONE"
said Mr.. Meeson, with snarl; ''all those
fools out there can be sacked, and sacked
they shall be; and, what's more, I'll go and
sack them myself That will do, No. B
that will do;' and No. 3departed, and glad
| enough he was to go.
AS he went clerk arrived and gave a
card to the great man.
miss Augusta Smithers," he read; then,
with grunt, ''show Miss Augusta Smith
ers M
Presently Miss Augusta Snlithers ar
rived. She was tall, well-formed young
lady of about twenty-five, with pretty gold
en- hair, deep gray eyes, fine forehead,
and delicate mouth; just now, however,
| she looked very nervous.
well, Miss Smithers, what is it?" asked
the publisher.
81 came, Mr.. Meeson-I came about my
book"
"Your book, Miss Smithers'" this was
an affectation of forgetfulness; ''let me
see' forgive me, but we publish so many
books. Oh, yes, l remember; 'Jemima's
Vow Oh, well, believe it is going on