Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-09-30
A HUMORIST.

W y
of city life seemed to recedo. The
librarian. pretty. plump and middle
aged placidly crocheted and read an
evening paper. A bunch OF vioets
on the low desk before her diffused q
faint odor. and Il small clock kept up
feeble tick-take. as If conscious that
time was topic scarcely worth men,
tioning there.
1t was a spacious room. furnished
with many bookcases, and in the con :
ire large. round table strewn with per-
iodicals. Here and there on pedeslals
were aged-grimed busts in plaster
of Paris. of -Cicero, Livy. Aristotle
and other classic molders of thought
These ancicnts had tho place pretty
much to themselves. 1t was day in
late autumn. but mild us late autumn
days in New Orleans are likely TO be.
window was open. and although
my eyes and mind were fixed upon
the page before mo / heard in a
sub-conscious sort of way. a fig
tree scratching itself against the wall
and the squabbling twittcr OF some
sparrows. My thoughts were brought
to sudden standstill by the fall Of II
heavy book almost at my feet and Il
quavering voice said: Excuse me; I
ask thousand pardons."
The apologist was IN old man with
faco wonderfully scanned and
wrinkled. He had sunken mouth.
a sivery stubble on his chin. and
cottony white hair like the vir.uous
grandfathers on the stage; but there
was bright blue CLEAN in his eyes
beneath their shaggy eyebrows.
With depreciating. toothless smile
he tiptoed away over the polished
floor. us If dreading tho noise a down
right footstep would make in that
vast echoing room rubbing his
withered hands nervously together and
shaking his head with n palsicd
motion.
After that | often noticed him in
tho library. He would sit at the
table reading for hours, and scribbling
in small notebook with u tremuous
hand. that seemed scarcely capable
of forming the characters. Frequently
| saw him CHANGING through the
humorous periodicals; but his I'M
smiling gravity, meanwhile did not
suggest appreciation.
Moved by curiosity. l questioned
the librarian about him.
That old gentleman" she said
with tho smile that was always ready
to appear upon her pleasant face
Ibis name is Middlewick. Joshua
Middlewick. Hes n regular visitor
quite a feature of the place"
Then you know nothing about him
outside of the library?"
'Oh. no! / don't know anything at
all about him. except what he told
m himself one day. 1t happened he
caught his coat pocket on chair
the cloth was so thin that | don't see
how it held together-a tore it; so
| offered TO mend it for the poor old
gentleman. While l was at work he
told me his name and that he is u
writer-a contributor to"-herc she
mentioned several we'll known humor-
GUS weeklies published in New York.
Il know it is really so for he brought
me paper and showed me his initials
at the end OF one OF the pieces"
Il should think his jests would be
rather archaic. | said.
Well | can't say. | don't care
much for that kind of read NO. But
the old gentleman is IL great scholar.
too she added. 'lts as easy for
him to read Greek and Latin as it is
for me to read this paper. The book IS
he reaus are mostly from that case
near the door-old old books they
are you see. suppose he likes them
because he's so old himself"
After IL few moro remarks ! moved
away. | think the librarian was re
luctant to part with me. There were
so many hours that she had TO keep
company with silence.
A professional humorist! | could
scarcely fancy the old man. with his
tottering walk and threalbare. we'll
brushed clothes in that character.
The thought occurred 10 me that an
impulse of senilo vanity might have
moved him TO take advantage o. II
milarity OF initials in order to daz-
zle tho librarian with the idea that no
was IL literary success. lie had the
forlorn. -bewildcrcd look of aged
poverty that finds itself still obliged
to keep up tho struggle for II living.
The vocation OF II humorist seemed TO
hang upon him as anonymously as a
cheap ready .mado coat upon the
shoulders OF n skeleton. But perhaps
he was merely one of those who drain
their private lives OF mirth 10 supply
the public demand. sad through the
perpetual necessity OF being funny.
When looked up some OF the quips
signed j. NJ" il vas II surprise to
find them not only spright'y. but thor
oughly modern in tone. ] felt an in =
crease of respect for tho old man.
One afternoon took advantage of
my position las - privileged visitor to
the library 10 ruinmage among Mr..
Middlewicks fayCrite works ueer
old books they wcrc--some of them
exceedingly rare, and all with bind
ings much the worse for years The
leaves were sallow. with age and ex-
hailed II musty odor; and as opened
volume after volume. and scanned
page after page. II revelation broke
upon me. ! had found the source of
Mr.. Middlewick's wit The hoary
rogue dug up his jests out OF antiquity
and meanwhile studied the comic
nan -rs TO cat Va the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES