The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-01

| friend than he usually does 10 the me-
| Chanical and business details of Als OWL
| books. and he had read and rercad cN-
| crything i'm il before IL was given 10 the
public. Yet be spent nearly an hour
ln loving examination of the volume,
reading again with thorough enjoyment
| a number of the sketches. The friend
| ship that existed between the poet and
the gentle humorist was one of those
remarkable bonds OF sympathy That few
men are fortunate enough to ind in life,
and those who do seldom find u more
than once. The same keen sense of the
ridiculous. the same shyncss Of numor
in conversation. the same gcntlcncss or
spirit. and the same tender anxiety 90
tighten each others cares welded TINS
bond of sympathy that lasted 90 the death
of the one and will remain through lie
d happy memory TO Che other.
These stories arc more Ike him than
any he ever published while alive said
Mr. Riley. sauntcriug over to the desk OF
the literary editor and exhibiting the vol
umc. They breathe the spirit OF Nye in
almost every line. Just listen 20 this.
And in his inimitable way he read an cN-
tract from the volume
RILEY'S STORIES ABOUT NYE.
"The quaintncss and Whiinsicaity OF
Mr.. Nyos humOr.' said Mr. Riley. as De-
closed the little volume gently and held
ID i'm his lap. was the notable thing about
him. 10 was uuaccOuntable upon amy
particular theory. 1t just seemed natu-
Ial for his mind 10 work at That gait.
lie recognized the matter-of-fact view
others took of the general propositions oi
life. and sympathizod with IT, but he did
$50 with "a native tendency TO surprise
and astound that ordinary state Of mind
and vision. Hc could say a ridiculous
thing or pcrpeWate ridiculous act
with n face like a Sphinx knowing fun
well that those who saw or heard would
look TO his face for some confirmation Of
their suspicion that ii was time 10 laugh.
They had TO make UP their minds about
il unaided 10y him. however. for they
never found any trace OF levity IN his
Countenauce. AS he would say. he did
his laughing elsewhere.
cone day in midwntcr the train stop
ped az a way station i'm the West. and Zee
had five minutes 10 wait MIR. Nye's row
ing eye discovered that the plusn-leathe-
pillows of the sofa IN the smoking com
partment OF the car We were riding I'm
were unattached Without word he
picked mp the leather cylinders and placed
one under each arm, With the tasscls 10
the front lie was an invalid in looks as
well as i'm strength. and when hc appear
GO upon the platform thus equipped the
astoundcd natives watched him with sic
lent. sympathetic curiosity as be strobe
up and down. apparently Selling the op-
portunity Tor little much-nceced eNer-
cise The rest of as had TO hide TO keep
from exploding. but ne was utterly oh
Mvious TO the stares ana comments until
mo returned TO the car. no explanation
was vOuchs8fed and the primitive inhab-
itants IF that town are probably stll
wondering what horrible maiady COMPEL
ed that invalid 10 wear those ouuandish
cushions.
"a favoritc amusement with him wa5
thc reading OF imaginary signs at thc Std-
tions when we were travelling. When
the train would stop and that hush would
come over the car. with half the people
wondering who their fcllow-pass eneers
We're and the other half viewing tine little
grocery on the side or the station res
taurant or billboard on the other Mr..
Nye would break forth and begin 10 read
the billboard aloud. soda water, crack
crs-highest prices paid FOR hides and tall
low-also ice cream. golden syrup ana
feathers The passengers across the
aisle would perk their ears then rise and
come. craning ,hcir noCks, TO find the
words be was reading from the billboard.
or finally some old fellow would come mp
10 the seat and declare that he could
not ind where il said that In quiet
way this would tickle Nye beyond meas
urc-away down in the deeps OF his sad,
pathetic spirit
Ellis conferences with the train boys
have often nearly given me commissions.
when the boy handed him book Nye
would ask with great interest what II
Was about. and listen patiently 20 all the
boy knew OF It's contents. Let's see IT,
and hc would open the book and read
aloud. in a monotonous sing song. "A lot
Of purest nonsense. drawn from his i'm
agination. 1t was done so seriously that
the boys eyes would begin 10 hang out
as the reading went on. Finally Nye
would shut the book M with a snap
losing the place. and hand Il back 10 the
boy with a puzzled air. as II he did not
understand why the young man had lied
so about its contents. We could find that
boy for an hour afterwards searching di-