Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-03-19
Tale of a Typewriter.

Raymond Rose sat in his comfort
! able er-breakfasL chair reading his
terbreakfast newspaper. All his
surroundings denoted comfort He
was bachelor of 35 years. His dark
and rather large face beamed with the
kindness which comes of being thor
oughly comfortable. He was neither
thin nor stout-his frame had just
contrived to hit that happy medium
which is styled comfortable"
He felt himself suCcess-in litera-
ture. At 35 his position was assured,
so he must, ct any rate, have been a
moderate success. He wrote when and
what he pleased. Just now he had
completed volume of short stories.
In fact, Raymond was one of those
felcitous men who have in their life
everything that they want-save one
thing, and they don't know what
that is.
SO Raymond Rose read his morning
paper, glanced around his own COM
Portable apartment, sighed and
frowned. Then, bethinking himself
of his volume of short stories, turned
again to the newspaper and studied
the advertisement sheet.
| Typewriting done for authors and
others at the rate of Sd per 1000
words; paper found. Apply to Miss
G. Ramsay, NCthercourt Terrace,
N. w.
Cheap" muttered Raymond, dis
tinctly cheap! Think III try it,"
Then he began to wonder in his us
ual way, as to what Miss G. Ramsay
looked like, and whether Nethercourt
Terrace was stability genteel or dirtily
slumlike.
ITS almost like sweating" he
murmured. Il suppose she is hard
up. Wants work badly, perhaps. The
price does seem learlully low all the
same. All! It's the same for me as for
any one else"
From which it may be deduced that
If Raymond's talents were little
aLove the average, his philanthropy
mean. No one ever thought of calling
him that Only his enemies dared to
tell him that he was close" He was
merely the ordinary English business
| man.
| He peuned note, which he ad-
dressed to Miss G.. Ramsay OF Neither
court terrace. The missiVe contained
request TO &c informed whether Miss
Ramsay could undertake to typewrlte
Mr. Roses "Noiumc of Short Stories
for immediate publication.
Then, with eased mind, lie proceeded
to forget all about Miss Ramsay
Nethercourt Terrace, and the eXigen-
cies of the hard pressed typist. Some
letters had to be answered, proofs cor
rected and one newspaper article writ
ten.
Having accomplished these various
tasks, he partook OF a light luncheon
walked little by way of exercise
smoked, and finally, as evening drew
on, settled himself comfortably in his
comfortable chair and locked over his
manuscript stories.
One or Two required more alteration
: and addition than hC had given them
! Indeed, he thought, would have 10 be
/ rewritten. The rest We're good enough
for his purpose which, after all, was
to make an income, so he told himself
They We're no. great works Critics
would style them fair wholesome
mcdoerity" Friends would smile and
/ prophecy their descrVCdly popular re-
ccpton
and slept the sleep of the highly re.
spectacle AS has been before OBJ,
served, he was Il comfortable man
rocking ot the future and not ut all Of
the past Unrealized hopes, ambitions
aspirations We're nothing to him
They are fulfilled" IL would have
told himself had he recalled them
which he didn't, land because they
are not fulfilled in the precise way il
which | then hoped that they woul.
be, | cannot sincerely grieve, Circum
stances mould the man. He is 4 mer'
puppet. swuyed by their force II
am less than | should be, blame fiat
: terry and fortune, not nc, | am bu
, an instrument of their hands. Which
Is the way in which many sophistica
} persons avoid similar ConsCienCe-prick
ing difficulties
The next morning he got up, break
tasted and read the morning paper, a
was his won't Then he turned one
more to his short stories.
Did he feel scedy his morning
Had the weather depressed him? 0
what was the matter? Certainly hi
work seemed far less satisfactory tina
he had ever previously found il. I
mis- senses. refreshed by a nights res
these stories appeared weak and dull
, WHY had he never noticed these thing
: before? Or. rather, why should h
have noticed them now. at the eleN