The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-01-16

&5E ''a' l'n'aa' 49, :
During one financial crisis that
was especially severe Eugene Field
could see no way out Of his Difficult
ties except to ask for q raise of sal
airy, and that was as abhorrent to
bis fine nature as it would have been
to do a mean action. Several days
In succession he came to the Office
resolved to make appeal to Mr..
Stone, and each day he went home
having failed to nerve himself up to
the speaking point. Finally he
formed a. thoroughly ,oharao teristio
resolution, and for q week was not
seen in the office at all. j. Then one
afternoon he. marched into Mr..
Stones Office followed by four Of his
little children, tho five of them pre-
senting such q pitiable appearance
as would have wrung tears from his
employer had his heart and his name
been synonymous, which was far
from being the case. Father and
children were dressed ID rags and
tatters from head to foot; the chill
dren's toes were sticking out hare
through holes in their shoes; their
faces were unwashed and their eyes
red, as II they had bean crying.
Field ;hinsslf was ssin rs better
plight, and there the Ave stood in.
front OF, Mr.. Stone, speaking not a
word, but looking at him with ap-
pealing glanoes. All this Of, course
had been carefully rehearsed by
Field during the week Of conspiracy,
and the result was simply over
whelming. At last Field broke the
silence, looking at his employer, who
was also his best friend. out Of those
big eyes sorfull Of human Kindness,
and said: ,...-, ,,,,......., ,..,., =.
q "Do you think you can SEQ your
way, Mr.. Stone. to raising my SAL
ary?" >('T ','' .'.'
Needless to say he got the raise.
Fields eooentrioity showed itself
In the books he purchased, many of
which had no posi- bic bearing upon
his work and indeed had small in
trinsio value. my library he
used to say, lis full of fool books y
and there was some truth In this.
For example, he had hundreds of
volumes containing the works of
unknown and or the most part un.
worthy poets. Nothing pleased him
more than to buy some little volume
of exeorable verse produced by o
poet in Peoria or Coldwater or any
other insignificant place, and these
he would range proudly with tho
others md some turn over the
rAges s.tsstS to 1 IA how hads they
were" He said that things had to
be either very good or very bad in
order to please him.
One of the dneanr things Hai did at
The News officeswaai The osta blisbing
ofa&hath 10 gcslled the Field mo-
mortal Window really d portion Of
q glass doorsiovsr which no had an
artist draw oherub with the ortho-
dox wings attached to his own head
and face. Under this oherub's head
he took delight in pesting all the
dissgreeable clippings he could gath
or from newspapers and periodicals
regarding any one in the Office and
about himself. This win
dow came tosbe regarded as aregu-
lar bulletin board of spleen, and
many q quiet chuckle Field would
have watching the long faces Of his
as they read sarcastic
or faoetious remarks about them.
Field never cared how much fun
was made Of him. and he was the
arst to applaud when the laugh was
It his own 1rsnss New York Sun.
II aS ESN az ss $@gS 3&Sk !