St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-02-16
Srlrttrn Story.
WHAT THE CAMERA DID.

d;ecusslUN between several
Ii oentlemcn concerning mod
cam ne3tions and che marvellous
ern nces Of science, James Beau
app' = great, brown, boyish fellow,
T"u.' merrier countenance than is
wi. W.T." considered to be becoming
E'"( professor Of mathematics, was
lo,od 70 tell in his turn what he
'%"uoht was the most useful dis
avery of the human mind.
what you dare to pretend that
oreatest wonders of modern
% are steam, explosives, cleo
,.;rity. and | know not what! AS
= II we're a pleasure 70 travel so fast
at Won cannot enjoy the scenery
'''' yher hand: to speak through
". telephone to a person. whose face
,on cannot see; or TO nave your
n,h 1ulled out, even without pain,
~. wad of some mysterious chem
come from God knows where.
H. truth. o gentlemen, though YOU
are reputed to be very wise, appear
"a me very foolish
The paradoxes OF the Young pro-
h.snr caused a general smile, but
lanes Beaufranc continued impertur-
badly:
xiv own idea is that inventions
are valuable only in direct ratio to
the happiness which they procure.
That is why l find your railroads
odious. your cannon monstrous,
vonr dynamite absurd. And for
cotber reasons | find but one lauda-
br modern discovery, one which is
universally beneficial, a science
which is also an art"
and what is It?
photography
There was a great shout OF laugh
Ter. Decidedly Beaufranc had not
his equal for pleasantly.
However, with astonishing cool
ness the Young professor continued
Yes. photography, which does no
harm to any one, but, on the con
u.ry. much good which makes to
i've again at our tireside, immortal
a., their memory, the cherished fea.
ture, OF relatives long departed
which consoles in the absence of the
dearly beloved and to which, be.
sides, | owe my marriage
There was a great silence at TIN,
point, and intense curiosity was de
octed upon the countenanceS o
Be%auiranc's hearers.
II bought" ne continued, "as soor
as they appeared, n of those in
.,qntaneous cameras. 1t is ne
larger than an alarm-clock, and per
tctly light and portable. You cal
hide it under your %overcoat, unde.
your arm, within your waistcoat
almost anywhere. When you wish
YOU touch a button, and presto
everything before you is found i'm
printed upon the film Tor all eternity
How many times have oppose
to the denial of scholars, complain
Ing Of the injustice OF punishment,
photograph taken at the momcn
their arms were raised to hurl at NJ.
head the paper missile. But | mus
come to the story OF my marriage.
Il was a professor in Ambervill
College. and | lived in a little apart
mcnt on the ground-hoor. Opposit
my house was the large, ornamente
syn of Mr.. PradouX the notary, t.
Gay my iather-in-law. Close besid
h> desk, the window OF his librar
opened opposite mine, and acros
the very narrow street could set
rs well as in my own room, all tina
passed in the house of my neighbol
lnieed, from the first day | could st
but one thing, his daughter Waller
tine. She came and went all da
long, for she attended to the hous'
keeping, Mr.. Pradoux being
widower. She animated with he
CHEEKY smile and her fresh gayet
that paper-strewn interior in a wa
that was truly adorable.
Pardon this panegyric upon m
wItc-but she was then in the marve
lous brilliancy OF eighteen year
Her first appearance was to me
blow from which my heart never r
co%yered-a blow that only tho,
psychologists deny who have nev'
experienced it.
Alas from the first day this il
>urmountable love seemed to II
what it must have seemed to an
reasonable being, foolish, senseles
and doomed to perpetual dlsa.
pointment.
Mr.. Pradoux was rich, vel
rich, and | had, to offset h
money.bags, only thin diploma
and appointments yet thinne
There | was, shut up alone wit
my love, silent as in a san
tuary, satisfied only to look wit
innocent and distant alteration II
on the beautiful Miss Valentine.
One day the audacious idea can
to me ofinstautaneously photograp
ing her, and at least preserving n
image. | carried my little machi'
to the window-sill, and care!essly,
the most casual manner, | pilot
graphed my pretty neighbor, at Il
precise moment when she was er
hracing her father. AT another tin