The Colored citizen., 1894-10-22
THE LAST FORM.

-,
35 years or better and had stood over an
imposing stone when all sorts and descrip-
tions OF news were coming in. None Of II
affected him. News was news, and type
was type, and the news had to be put into
type at a certain time, and the type had
% go TO press at a certain time-that waa
all there was Of il.
When the story came from the battle
field OF Antietam OF the great loss of life
that both sides had suffered, the night edi.
tors chief anxiety was that the news
should be properly displayed. 1t was the
same a month before at the second Bull
Run, and the same nearly year after
ward at Gettysburg. The surrender at APP
pomattoI, the wonderful disbandment OF
a great army, the assassination of Lin
coin, the tragic fate of Wilkes Booth and
all the events that were crowding close
together in the period when the republic
was passing through the greatest crisis OF
its history found him calm and cool,
ready and alert TO seize the salient fea-
ture of every dispatch and anxious to get
il before the great reading public as quick
ly as possible Just this and no more. He
never stopped TO moralize or conjecture
when Slug was coming up rather slowly
or when the man at the stone dropped a
handful of type. On these occasions his
remarks had no connection with the char
acter of the news whatever.
IL was therefore with some misgivings,
knowing all this, that the foreman OBJ
served the old man reading every proof
slip of the catastrophe in the Concmaugh
valley with feverish anxiety and OCCASION
ally shaking his head and signing The
next night word came from down stairs
that the old editor was ut home with brain
fever and mightn't be back in the COM
posing room for month. They made
up" that night without him and were 90
minutes late, besides committing the un-
pardonable sin of leaving out 20 line
"ad."
The old man had been in printing Of
fee so long and SO steadfastly that it was
part of his life He was typical of all
good men in the place, good natured and
joyial from to IL O'Clock, quieter and
more active from IL to l2:45, and from
l2:45 to press time as nervous and ddgety
as hen with borod Of ducklings. He
hann't saved much money-just a triae
for a rainy day, and, as he laughingly OBJ.
served, he needed an umbrella about once
a week. He had buried two children-a
girl and boy. The boy fell at the battle
Of the Wilderness, and his father saw the
name in type one night as he leaned over
the forms.
When the foreman went up the next aft
ernoon, he found the old editor In delir-
ium. At the bedside, gently tanning
him, sat his dear old wife-one OF those
sweet faced women who seem to be on
earth simply to bear burdens for Others
and to lend comfort to the Ill and distress
ed.
docs he seem any betterS" was the
whispered inquiry. The boys miss him,
I tell you"
Il very much fear he is not" was the
quiet, resigned reply. His mind Is on
the paper all the time. He has not spoken
of anything else since the doctor was here
an hour ago. He seems to think-there
now, father, it's all right-yes, yes, we
will do just as you WISH"
The sick man had interrupted the first
part of the remark. He was resting on
his elbow as his wife spoke.
Never mind that, Joe," he half NUT
tered. Then, raising his voice to deci-
sive tone: Get that galley. I'll railroad
1t now. That's the dirtiest proof ever
saw in this office. Dump 1t in here. We've
only eight minutes to get this form down.
Who's setting that Johnstown headr'
Hes thinking of hard week we had
in the office the time Of the Johnstown
food" whispered the foreman as he gazed
sor-owfully on the flushed face and the
feverishly bright eyes. There was mo-
ment's pause, and the old man cried out
again:
Joe, Joe, whats the matter with your
Is the office full of subs tonight! Chase
up K6, will you? I never saw anything
like it since the snakes were driven out
of Ireland. Here you are, standing around
like lot Of Stoughton bottles, and
can't get that hole filed to save my neck.
WHAT don't care il you're five columns
overset. Get that plea cap line changed
to cap and lower case, and let's get this
form away. Only two minutes-only two
minutes, joe"
The old editor fell back on the bed ex-
hausted
"He is all broken down." said the faith
ful partner of his joys and sorrows as the
tears coursed down her cheeks, 'and the
doctor gave mo no hope at all. He said it
was question Of few hours, and"-
The patient was on his elbow again.
is that you, motheri" he asked feebly.
"Oughtn't to be getting up!"
The lucid moment was gone like flash.
The fever began to talk, but the unnat-
ural strength 1t lent was gone. The breath
ing was labored, and the words were ut
tered at long intervals.
Tell 'em to send that second page
back, Billy" whispered the dying man.
III make over, instead of on the sixth.
Tell 'cm they will get this last form in 10
seconds. Keep your shirt on, boys; keep
your shirt on"
The breath became more stertorious.
"All right, joel No. Put athicker quad
in there. Now she'll go, Joe. Holler down
there, Joe-this Is the lastl''
The foreman drew the sheet over the
dead mans face.-Mail and Express.
Promising Pupil.