Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-10-15

could write. Didn't L Julia?" he
would ask his hungry wife; and she
would try to smile and saya YeS
/ dear"
Nell Tennyson's played out now
and he ought to step out aud lot some
one else be laureate. There was only
two could ever handle that Job in this
eentury-only two Julia and them's
me and Tennyson"
III there was one supreme source of
J Joy in Potiphar's life which almost if
not entirely elualed that begotten Of
sending poems to Queen Victoria, it
was that he experienced in the receipt
of her majestys Acknowledgements of
said poems
They were generally worded thus:
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, London.
Sir-I am commanded by her majesty to
state that she, has received your poem Of
the - instant, and that she thanks you
for the s4me.
Ihave, sir, the honor to be your obedient
/ servant, THOMAS BIDDULPH.
TO Potiphar Baggs, Esq. San Francisco.
Read it Julian he would exclaim.
after that good woman had aIrea ly a
dozen times perused the cheering
missive. ',Read it Julia, From Sir
Thomas Biddulph himself. and he
commanded commanded mind you
by her Ma .esty's own self TO write to
me. And then his calling me Esquire
and signing himself my oBedient SER
vantg'
Mrs. Baggs would smile again and
say: Yes dear; why shouldn't hep
and Potiphar would lean back in his
chair and dream sweet dreams of
happiness.
She was proud bit was the poets
wife but then Emily's cough hacked
her so much; and-well Harry Selby
wanted to marry her but with that
horrid cough of hers Emily was
afraid to accept him and yet they re-
garded him as one OF the family.
When January came along that
year things were in bad way gem
orally with the Baggs. and Emilys
cough was worse.
Don't you think you could keep
the poem for little while Pohphar.
dear?" asked Mrs Baggs when her
husband started out one morning on
route for the consups Office.
Inn afraid it's impossible, Julia.
I'm sure it is in fact You know. the
Duke of Connaught has had bad
cold and Prince Henry of Battenberg
I has got that new ailment-the grippe,
you know-and then Tennyson's very
i sick and If he were to die it would be
I so much better to have one OF INV
| poems come in just then. so that they
would remember the address at once
and give me the job before some
other chap was made laureate through
outside influence.
s No. Julia; simply must send off
that poem. Never mind about any
dinner for me- You know. as long as
l have good poem on hand l never
can feel the least bit hungry. You
must see this one too. It's on violet
satin trimmed with silver and printed
oh. simply magnificently. I'll bring
it home to mig hit dear. and we'll post
it in the morning"
And Potiphar Baggs was gone.
Emily was feeling very weak that
evening. Her white cheeks had red
spots in them that burned. and her
eyes shown like hot Goals. She had
sausages for dinner sausages and
milk. The doctor had ordered beef:
but there was nothing in the house
but sausages Yet sick though she
was she could not help feeling fright
ened on her fathers account when
she saw the old man come into the
room his hand shivering as though
palsied and his face livid with excite.
ment
1--we sent it. I've sent IT," he cried.
i've sent the poem. and Teunyson's
dying at last! Look here. Julia
dear. My eyes feel all blurred. and l
cant see the type. But ] know it 3
there on the front page-a small
little paragraph. Do you see it.
dear?r
His wife took the paper. The par
agraph was there plain enough: but
she had not even had sausages aad
milk and she was feeling too weak to
get excited. Nevertheless she read
the two lines "A dispatch from
COwes Isle OF Wight says that Lord
Tennyson is down with la grippe.
Owing to the poets advanced age his
/ doctors are uneasy about his chances
I of recovery.
1t was bound to come. dear. twas
bound to come. He'll die now sure.
and I'll be poet laureate of Englandr'
That evening while Emily lay in
her bare little room. tossing in one OF
those wretched night sweats of
phthisis her mother entered herroom.
Emily darling" said she. your
papa is very i'll. I'm afraid he's got
the grippe. l wish we could get a
DOCTOR"
III go and wake Mr.. Selby. moth
er. I'm afraid | dare not go out my
/ self"
And the girl got up and dressed
herself and knocked at the door Of
the telegraph operator
Three days later Emily did not 20
down to the telephone office The
doctor had told Selby everything the
night before 1t was pneumonia not
] gripDe that had attacked the mot