The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1896-01-17
STORIES OF EUGENE FIELD.
fales OF the Poet That Arc Told Among
His Chicago Friends.

His Chicago Friends.
During one financial crisis that
was especially severe Eugene Field
could see no way out of his difficult
ties except to ask for a raise of sal
ary, and that was as abhorrent to
his fine nature as it would havo boen
to do mean action. Several days
in succession he came to the Office
resolved to make appeal to Mr..
Stone, and each day he went homo
having failed to 0erve himsclf up to
the speaking point. Finally he
formed a thoroughly characteristic
resolution, and for week was not
seen in the Office at all Then one
afternoon ne marched into Mr..
Stones Office followed by four of his
littlo children, the fivo 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 in rags and
tatters from head to foot; tho chill.
dren's toes were sticking out haro
through holes in their shoes; their
faces wero unwashed and their eyes
red, as if they had been crying.
Field himself was in 10 better
plight, and there tho five stood in
front of Mr.. Stone, speaking not n
word, but looking at him with ap-
had been carefully rohearscd by
Fiold 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 so full of human kindness,
and said:
''Do you think you can SEQ your
way, Mr.. Stone, to raising my sal
ary?"
Needless to say he got tho raise.
Fields ocoentricity showed itself
In the books he purchased, many of
which had no possible bearing upon
his work and indecd had small in
trinsio value. my liDrary." he
used to say, lis full of fool books"
and there was some truth in this.
For example, he had hundreds Of
volumes containing tho works of
unknown and or tho most part un-
worthy poets. Nothing pleased him
moro than to buy some littlo volume
of exoorable verse prodnced by
poet in Peoria or Coldwater or any
other insignificant place, and theso
ho would range proudly with tho
others and sometimes turn over tho
pages "just to see how bad they
wore" He said that things had to
be either worry good or very bad in
ordor to please him.
One of tho queer things ho did at
The News ofi!co was the Csta bliShing
of what ho called tho Field mo-
mortal window" really q pDg Oh Of
q glass door over which he had an
artist draw a cherub with the ortho-
doX wings attached to bis own head
and face. Under this clcrub head
he took delight in pasting all the
disagreeable clippings ho could cath
or from newspapers and periodicals
regarding any one in tho Off 20 and
especially about himself. This Win
dow came to be regarded as rcga-
lar bulletin board of spleen, and
many quiet chuckle Field would
have watching the long faces of his
companions rs they read sarcastic
or facetious remarks about them.
Field never cared how much fun
was nado of him, and ho was tho
first to applaud when the laugh was
ut his own expense. Now York Sun.
Ho DodEed.
"Be suro your sin will find YOU