The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1895-10-03

. ono mas good, strong common sense; her
article showsi il. How old Is shot"
only fou'tcen."
$50 young, and yet do her work SO well
II she has proper cultivation and pcrsever-
ancc she may make her mark in the world.
Do you take the paperi"
"Oh, yes; ! subscribed when We first
commenced it."
Tell your daughter that viii always be
glad to have any thing from her pen, and as
soon az um able to do 20, will pay her for
her contributions"
"Much obleegcd to ye, Mr.. Edtur, I'll
tell her, and Sarah'n be right down glad to
know it, fur she's nightly sot on writin', I"
said the old man, IS he left the Office,
There is true genius in log cabin"
said Allen, gazing at the manuscript.
There is modesty associated whit. What
a contrast between the modest little coun-
try girl, and the ambitious Miss Hopkins or
Toncy Barnes. For her there is u bright
future, for them nothing but envy jealousy
and grumbling at hard-hoartcd editors. But
who would have thought that SO many peo-
pie were turning their attention to litera-
turc and journalism. | supposed these to
oe avocations which were demanding follow
ers, but instead, the professions are over
crowded. 1t seems as if the whole world
was going into literature People living in
the most remote parts of the earth seem to
have caught the inspiration to write"
Toney Barnes at this moment entered
with the freedom of popular author whose
services were Indispensable to his publisher,
and throwing himself carelessly on chair,
said
"Well Mr. Gray, I've got something
grand this time. 1t beats Poe's Raven"
Fame and fortune are within your grasp,
thenp
"Well, I've got it. The great success of
Poe's Raven was that nobody could ever un-
derstand'it. Now I've got something here
that can't be half so well understood as the
Raven"
Allen had read several of his productions
that were superior TO the Raven on those
grounds. In fact, all of Mr. Barnes poetic
illusions were difficult of solution.
"Just let me read this to YOU" said Toney,
81 am very busy-leave it"
mo, no, no, its not long, and viii read
fast"
$50 ahead, then"
Toncy read
"Once in deep, dark. lonely swamp await
ing, al alone,
While The dew of even damp lay upon the
stone"
"Did the dew lay only upon the stonesl"
the editor asked.
"Oh, no-wait and you will see how it all
comes out, and he contiued
"The night was dark, the sun was down.
And all around me rose
Ten thousand fancled gobbl rs bold
Ten thousand mortal foes.
Alone searched the forest DER,
Alone searched the forest wild,
When suddenly heard cry
Proceeding from some wandering child.
FOR hours ! searched valnly on,
For hours | searched the forest round.
| When suddenly horrd ghost
Arose bleeding from the ground.
Its head was eyeless, hair on fire,
Food dripping from the sockets down.
On this horr thing | cast u glance,
| And then fell senseiess to tho ground
| "Now, SIR" cried Toney, triumphantly
"can you tell me what's in that poem"
mo, sir give it up, nor do thinl
there's a man living that can" Allen un
hesitatlngly answered.
THAT speaks well for ii" said Toney,witt
o wild ecstatic laugh. This poem will
give me wealth and fame. How much vii
you give me for III"
AT present do not feel able to buy it.
"Oh, you might make big profit on It,"
ayes, but am not able TO purchase It,"
"Who do you think could."
"The Harpers might"
"Ill send 1t to them by the very mex
mall" said Toney, quite enthusiastically
Allen never knew what the fate of thi
weird unnatural poem was. Though he ha
been a constant reader of Harper's period
icals from that day down to the present, h
has never seen it in any of them.
Next day the editor was hard at work II
his Office when MIR, Strong entered. Tha
look of distrust and uneasincss on Mr.
Strong's face was deepening,
"Well. Gray, they ar tellin some hare