Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1892-02-28

and so passed on rapidly till I struck
saw any one feel sadder than Field did
over that, for he never could bear to-
give any one needless pain.
Once he left hotel in Denver and
went elsewhere because, as he said TO-
the proprietor, he had thoughtlessly,
while asleep, rolled over on several little
creatures in his bed, crushing the life
and lights and fragrance out OF them,
and he would pay his bill, please, and
go elsewhere, where he would not give
pain TO the smallest or smelliest Of Gods
creatures.
So he went away to another place, for
Field has a tender heart.
Mr.. Stone, who used TO own the Nclcs,
but who is now a banker and has pleas
ant relations with dividends and first
mortgage bonds and preferred stock,
said that three little boys hung around
his-office once for several days, attract
ing his attention by their brightness and
their pathetic and hungry look, Till at
last he inquired about them, for they
were handsome boys, and yet their poor
little blue toes stuck out OF their little
red and broken shoes, while the blast
outside seemed at times almost 10 out
shrek the blast that Mr.. Stone was CIV
ing the corrupt city government al that
time.
Finally he called the boys 10 him and
asked them whose children they were
IL they had any father. One of the lads
rubbed his purple foot against the calf
OF the other leg and said in a pathetic
child treble, while his little chin quiv-
cred, 1--WE are Mr.. Fields little boys"
That settled it with Mr.. Stone, for he
has kind heart. ais IL possible" he
said 10 himself, "that we are accepting
the wonderful work Of this wonderful
man, yet failing 10 pay him enough to
keep his family from want?" On the
following day Genes salary was In
creased, and patting the little boys on
the head that evening he complimented
them on the way they had created the
part" and he gave each OF them nice
candy cane over five feet in length.
Three years ago, on professional
trip with Mr.. Riley, and while my wife
was with me bound for the coast, we got
word at Kansas City that the children
had been attacked simultaneously with
scarlet foyer, and so IL was necessary 10
give up the Californian trip.
Our manager hated TO give up the tour
entirely, and In order 10 make IL moro
impressive wired that / was III, which
was all right for manager, but would
not do for anybody else. He sent the
following message, totally unpunctuat-
ed, to Field:
KANSAS CITY, April 20, 1850.
Eugene III ID, NclCS, Chicago,
Nye very III west OF Missouri what
would you take for sixty nights with
Riley? POM.
Eugene did not seem TO understand
the telegram, | Judge, for be wired
back:
CHICAGO, April 81, 1899.
j. y. Pond, Kansas Guy.
also am sick west OF the Missouri,
but do not know what would take.
EUGENE FIELD.
Mr.. Field Is an erudte scholar and a
great collector OF antiques. have prom
ised him n joke OF mine to put with
bookworm which he has In bottle OF
alcohol.
In his Office while at work once he
was interrupted by a very raw visitor
who wanted 20 see how he thought his
thoughts. "Do you think them easily?'
he asked. "Do think them between
meals, or how2"
"Oh, never know when 10 will at
tack me-" Field said. This divine
racket is liable to catch me at any mo-
mcnt." He then looked far away and
his symmetrical limbs began To jerk.
Excuse me moment" he said; ~
must write a poem" He then put his
feet on the table, with one heel In VEN
tIlator over his head, and wrote that
beautiful and pathetic little thing that
has spoken with tenderness and tears In
many lands. the story Of Little Boy
Blue" The visitor did not know that
Gene had already written IL In his mind
aud only wanted little leisure to put
IL on paper just as the visitor came In,
but it happened so, and now he reports
In his home in Egypt, Ills, that Mr..
Field has times when he can no more
help writing a poem than a man can
avoid feeling Of freshly painted letter
box.