The herald., 1896-11-29

at the titles of the new books and oc-
casionally taking a glance at their con-
tents.
On this particular morning he dug up
from the pile of recent books Bill Nye's
post-humorous work, A Guest at the
Ludlow and Other Stories. 1t was not
the first time he had seen it. Indeed, he
has given more care and attention to the
bringing out of this last work of hi;
dead friend than he usually does to the
mechanical and business details of his
own books, and he had read and re-
read everything in it before it was given
to the public. Yet he spent nearly an
hour in loving examination of the vol
ume, reading again with thorough enjoy
ment number of the sketches. The
friendship that existed etween the
poet and the gentle humorist was one of
those remarkable bonds of sympathy
that few men are fortunate to find in
life, and those who do seldom find it
more than once The same keen sense of
the ridiculous, the same slyness of hui
NOR in conversation, the same gentle
ness Of spirit and the same tender anX-
iety to tighten each others cares weld
ed this bond of sympathy that lasted to
the death of the one and will remain
through life happy memory to the
other.
These stories are more like him than
Mr.. Riley, sauntering over to the desk
of the literary editor and exhibiting the
volume. They breathe the spirit of Nye
in almost every line. Just listen to this
And in his inimitable way he read an ex-
tract from the volume.
RILEY'S STORIES ABOUT NYE
1.-THE quaintness and whimsicality of
Mr.. Nye's humor," said Mr.. Riley, as he
closed the little volume gently and held
H. ls- IL L.
about him. 1t was unaccountablo upon
any particular theory. 1t just seemed
natural for his mind to work at that
gait. He recognized the matter of-fact
view others took of the general PROPOSE
tions Of life and sympathized with it,
but he did so with native tendency to
surprise and astound that ordinary state
of mind and vision. ae could say ri
diculous thing or perpetrate ridicu-
lous act with face like sphinx, know
ing full well that those who saw or
heard would look to his face for some
confirmation of their suspicion that it
was time to laugh. They had to make
up their minds about it unaid - by him,
however, for they never found any trace
Of 1evity in his countenance. AS he
would say, he did his laughing else
where"
"One day in midwinter the train
stopped at way station in the west.
Nye's rowing eve had discovered that the
plush leather pillows Of the sofa in the
smoking compartment of the car we
were riding III were unattached. With
out a word heApicked up the leather
cylinders and placed one under each arm
with the tassels to the front He was
an invalid in looks as we'll as in strength,
and when he appeared upon the platform
thus equipped the astounded natives
watched him with silent, sympathetic
curiosity as he strodc up and down,
apparently seizing the opportunity for
a little much-needed exercise. The rest
of US had to hide to keep from explod-
ing. but he was utterly oblivious to the
stares and comments until he returned
to the car. No explanation was vouch-
sailed. and the primitive inhabitants of
that town are proba bly, still wondering
what horrible malady compelled that
individual to wear those outlandish
cushions.
"a favorite amusement with him was
the reading of imaginary signs at the
stations when We were travelling. When
the train would stop and that hush
would come over the car with half the
people wondering who their fellow pas
sengers were and the other half viewing
the little grocery on one side of the
stAtoa. restaurant. or billboard on the