The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-03-03
THE AMATEUR COLUMN

Inc eultOr OF Jn0 Weefty CtdTaOn na0
been caught mapping! After a five
years struggle with the inhabitants OF
Sleepy Eye. he had placed his paper on
a firm footing and was enjoying the
fruits of his labor, living comfortably
and establishing home for his old age.
Prosperity setteth a snare for the fool
ish, while adversely instructeth the
wise )" and thus had success beguiled
this unwary editor into publicly stat.
ing that he would start an amateur de.
partment for the benefit of young writ.
ers, and the encouragement of home
talent.
The very next day Silas Marvin
brought contribution from his niece
at boarding-school, and as Mr.. Marvin
was an old and paying contributor, and
a useful friend, Dempster felt obliged
to accept the article, though he would
not have chosen it as an introduction to
his new department.
The following Saturday morning the
Weekly Clarion appeared as usual, but
rumors of the new departure had flown
al over the town, and several chronic
borrowers had even bought copy for
the sake of seeing home talent in
print. Dempster felt that he had am.
pie cause to congratulate himself upon
the new idea.
Amelia Marvin was young woman
of advanced ideas, and quite practical,
therefore it was not surprising that she
should try her" prentice hand" on so
grave subject as civil service reform.
She had studied political economy and
read social sciences until municipal
government had become her hobby,
and she almost fancied that she could
run small town herself. Amelia was
not person who would "let the grass
grow under her feet" so she promptly
accepted the chance of showing the
town its duty-as seen through her
spectacles. She called attention to the
unsavory pigstye in Deacon Smiths
yard on Main street named some OF
The owners of stray cattle that were
pasturing in the streets, alike at public
expense and public peril; showed
how the roads might be improved in.
stead of being neglected; denounced
the loafers, and suggested organizing
them into company and compelling
.hem to clean the streets.
Suffice it to say that Amelia Marvin
stirred up genuine hornets nest in the
town, and for once Sunday was not a
hull day, for all the residents of Sleepy
Eye were discussing the unusual arti.
Gle, which they unanimously denounced
AS "unheard-of impudence."
Monday brought deluge of poor
poetry, some ambitious essays, and a
sensational story. Dempster thought
he story remarkably true to nature and
decided to publish it. 1t looked very
we'll when set up, and certainly was
spicy reading. The sales for that week
were phenomenal, and the press was
run to its utmost capacity to meet the
demands for extra copies. Dempstex
again congratulated himself upon pleas.
ng the literary taste of Sleepy Eye, and
assured himself that there could be
nothing to offend in story, and good
one at that.
At five o'clock Lawyer Pettigrew
burst into the room, almost breathless
with Indignation.
''W-w-what do you mean by publish.
ing such libel on me?" he demanded.
"Don't you know better than to slander
4 well known citizen and one of your
best paying subscribers?"
Rapidly he unfolded copy of the
Weekly Clarion, and pointed out certain
passages in the story that had specially
excited his anger. All thefunniest and
best points had evidently been taken
from life, and Lawyer Pettigrew had
posed as the model. Sad to say, the
most interesting portions of the story
reflected no credit on the hero, and this
was what had enraged Pettigrew.
"Confound the fellow, he roared, she
might have skipped that. There's old
Deacon Smith, who has a deuce of a
memory for such things; he will recog.
lize tine circumstances in a minute, and
t will be all over town tomorrow. Oh,
I ought to sue you for slander!" And
Pettigrew pranced about the room in an
ecstacy of rage.
After much questioning, the bewil-
lerad editor discovered that the story
representeda an unworthy episode in Pet
;igrew's early life which was unknown
TO the residents of Sleepy Eye gener-
ally, and most embarrassing to have
recalled against model citizen, as
Pettigrew's neighbors fondly deemed
him. AS Dempster looked upon the
crows feet and gray hairs of this portly.
elderly Adonis, and recalled the hand
some scape grace of the story, he in
voluntarily burst into hearty fit OF
laughter. This was indeed too much