The Press., 1893-12-07

| the habits and customs of publishers "We are charmed with the book. We desire to publish tito buy it. If you will kindly tell Mir. Bud that wish to talk to him about it." He desired to make it very plain to this little country girl, for he now thought her understood that she had been sent down to inter- view him, to defend her father-it might even be her. grandfather-from intru- sion. Such 8 genius was probably ec- centric. But when the author knew that an appreciative person with practi- cal intentions awaited him he would l surely appear.
 II have come from New York;" he said, slowly and carefully choosing his words, ito see MT. Bud in regard to the | purchase of his admirable novel. Kind ly give him my card" He took one from his pocket. 'Mr. R. Bud," he re- peated.
 "I told you there wasn't any MT. Bud,' said the young mother, looking in at the window. "You sit there staring jest like stuck pig, Rosy. Why don't you speak up?" The girl in blue blushed violently.
 ''I don't know how to begin to talk" said she. '.I have sold 8 load of hay and a head of cattle, but I couldn't even think about selling book. I've been told they give quite good prices, but am ignorant of all that. You must talk to me. don't know what to say first. IT leave it all to you. You know what books sell for better than do." Gregory looked at her in astonishment.
 But the author" said he, ''can 1 not see himT'
 R. Bud," said she; "you mean R. Bud?"
 He bowed.
 "Well," said the girl, II am R. Bud Rose Bud. It is such a foolish little name that I only wrote R. on the manuscript"
 5..tYouv' said Gregory. ''You! he waited awhile and looked at her. 'You do not mean to tell me that you wrote the bookT'
 The sister put her head in at the win dow once more. "If she won't, will" said she. "Wrote it? I should say so Dig, dig, dig, morning, noon and night, up there in poor Humpty Dumpty's old room. Dig, dig, dig-not minute to help me, only forever scratch, scratch, scratch. For goodness sake,' used to say to her, what do you think kin come of itp Writel Why look here, Rosy, if you let him have it for less than $1O, you're an idiot" At this instant the baby began to scream, and the mother disappeared, turning it over as though it were a pancake and grooming ''there, there, there" that, mingled with the baby's yells, finally vanished in the dis tance.
 And you wrote that?" said Gregory. "You are R. BudY'
 ''I am R. Bud" said she. It was though a sparrow had spoken and said: Behold me! am an eagle"
 He looked at the little Madonna face, the slender girls shape, the long faxen braid tied with its bit of blue ribbon and shook his head.
 T did dig away at it, as Lizzie says" said the girl. "And went up to the garret because it's the quietest place. A boarder we once had died there, and the neighbors think it's haunted, so nobody ever came to bother me, as they would in the sitting room"
 ''The person your sister calls Humpty Dumpty?" asked Gregory.
 ''Yes," said Rose. II never do and never will. She should not do it. It is wrong. Yes, wrote there, and some times I used to fancyI heard him behind me. He was lame-you know that step of his-but I was not frightened. n% 0so lamp, and up here people go to bed at 9. Oh, we are very countrified up here!" she laughed.
 As for Gregory, he was steeped in amazement. He looked at the girl, and his fancy gave her face thousand new expressions that he had not seen before.
 Do you know" asked he, ''that the book you sent us is a very wonderful thing?"
 ''You think it interestingly said she Would you have liked it better if it had ended well?
 ''I would not have it altered" said he.
 "That is lucky, for could not alter it" she answered. ...-.s.s
 "Your artistic feeling would prevent" said he.
 "I just couldn't" said she, ''but l thought it would have been better. A book ought to cheer you up, not make you cry"
 II am afraid yours will make people cry,'' said Gregory.
 ''Yes," said she, ''I cried over it my self. Oh, please, if there is anything to say, say it before Lizzie comes back. She doesn't understand even as well as I about such things. Our boarder talked to me, you know, and taught me to speak and to use better English, but even don't know thing about selling books, not thing"
 Then Gregory, who began to believe that the day of miracles was not over, commanded himself to make the girl the