Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-06-10

N Il n three months ana tnen
eN w miserably failed in Sc.
~ Oe curing anything more
substantial than half dozen mere
promises. Not yet thirty years old,
the author of several fairly successful
romances, and now he was standing
in a gloomy third story room look
ing disconsolately upon his lost green
back.
how impossible such q condition
would have seemed to him year OF
two beforel Then he was we'll estab,
lished in q thrifty publishing house as
reader of manuscripts and general ad-
wiser to the firm. Little was saved OF
his ample salary, for it had never en-
tered his clever, improvident brain
that it was wise and judicious to plan
and provide ior the future. So he had
drifted happily and carelessly along
with the tide, layishing money on
taking pretty girls TO the theatres and
operas, and paying carriage bills that
would have dismayed man of greater
means. Those were, indeed, happy
and irresponsible daysl
AS he rubbed his cold fingers over
that last and solitary bank bill, he
thought OF those good times and smiled
with gentle resignation at the ungen.
erous and ironical workings of fate.
Had he but one-half of the money that
he Lad thrown away on the pretty
blue eyed mink who laughingly gave
him the mitten and married an ugly
old vidower of fifty, he would not be
lingering that bank note with such a
deep dependency eating away his
hopes and ambitions.
Then there was Esther-Esther-
what the deuce was her other name
He could not remember; he only knew
that expensive candy and high priced
flowers were her especial joys and that
his gifts had contributed largely to
her happiness. In ow.procession a
host OF pretty girls passed before his
fanc7 and for the time lightened the
gloon of the bleak, lonely room and
chee,ed the heaYiness of his discour-
aged spirits. They were sweet. clever
witted, interesting creatures and each
in turn had been ali object Of his de-
votion. Then, among oil those pretty
faces came the vision OF one who had
been different to him; one, the memory
of whom had fingered frmer and
longer than the rest, and whom he
had always held in highest respect.
Unlike the other more frivolous young
women, she had not lightened his
purse by limiting Gbout theatres and
operas. Instead, she was interested
in his work and derlored his mac
tivity in fulfilling the promises of his
early 1omances. She begged of him
: TO put his soul info achievement into
writing great books that would earn
for him an enviable place in literature.
How wholesome seemed the vision
of this face, with its great, earnest
eyes, firm mouth and expression of
deep interest and sympathy He COM
pared it with those smiling, couquet-
tish ones. He had not appreciated
Miriam then, but he did now. Had he
but entered into the plans that her
foresight had built for him he would
not now bs fondling that very last
greenback.
He walked over to his trunk and
lifted the lid. In the top tray were a
number of manuscri pts that has gone
the rounds of the magazines and were
returned "with thanks" etc. Even
his article on the trials and viclssi-
tudes of man seeking employment
could not find purchaser. He might
have made it more humorous, he knew,
but with ouch bitter experiences for
material joking was not an easy mat
ter. He dumped the papers out in a
heap on the floor and began to sort
and arrange them. In his heart he
felt like throwing them into the fire.
less stove, but they were his entire
fortune and there was still chance of
their bringing him in some small re-
turn. So he looked them over regret
fully. Picking out several sketches
that he considered the most salable
and putting them into his coat pocket,
he walked out of the room and down
into the street.
it was almost night when Tom Far.
row returned, even more cherries and
wretched in heart than when he had
started out. The manuscripts had
been left "for consideration" but he
had received no encouragement, for
all magazine publishers were flooded
with short stories and sketches and
discussions of oil sorts and condi-
tions.
He flung himself down on the hard
bed and tried to make new plans.
How his head throbbed! It was mad
deningl There seemed little left for
him to build his hopes upon. His mis-
fortunes had come one after the other
in quick succession and almost before
he realized his own unhappy condi.
tion he found himself thus sadly situ-
ated. First came the failure OF the
publishing house in which he was en-
ployed, then the death OF his father,
whose possessions, when sold, barely
covered his debts. Then it was that
Tom began to desert the pretty girls
and wish for the money that he had so
foolishly spent in entertaining them.
After his fathers death he started out
on his ever-unsuccessful errand OF
finding employment. He did editing,
copying and all sorts of general work
connected with books. But it had
been hard row to hoe. Now and
then he sold story, and once he even
disposed OF q little novelette,, but
these pieces of good fortune were few
and far between.
After awhile he was entirely cut OF
from his old circle of acquaintances.
His clothes grew shabby and he &C.
cepted and welcomed the lowliest and
humblest positions. During this last
three months Of unspeakable misery
L. lod ,ood ,>roof cot fvpa ond