The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-26
CHAPTER I.

street. FOR the mOQeSt sum Oh Auulpcl4tS
''Top Lights" provided that enthrallins
information as to the movement of the
beau monde which is so dear to the hearts
of people whose mission in life is 10 look
on from afar and to picture heaven as a
place where everyone has ten thousand a
year and no CRATES to blacklead on Sun
day mornings. Its information as to the
doings of well-knoWn people was simply
marvellous. Did a noble dame dream OF
running away with her groom on Monday,
by Tuesday her husband knew all about
the contemplated elopement through the
medium of 'Top Lights"
Similarly, if the cases were reversed and
a man "in society" thought OF casting in
his lot with one of those delightful stage
ladies whose mission it is to amuse peo-
pie already more than sufficiently elevated,
benehcent top Lights" threw a strong
glare of publicity on the case, and furnish
ed such amusing details that the project
fell through. But all at once the infor-
nation in TOP Lights" began to lose the
charm of accuracy People could no lon
ger rely on it, and matters were becoming
serious, for the circulation fell off with
alarming rapldity.
The reason which transpired was that
a man who went everywhere and wrote
with remarkable point and skin had been
cut at a ball and requested not to call at
his hosts house any more. His offense
was that he had written perfectly in
nocuous paragraph about the ball. we
do not" said his host propose to know
IL ass.afsr n
find that they earn dishonest half-crowns
by making copy of our proceedings. We
shall have much pleasure in providing you
with half-crowns provided you give up
writing for society journals" Whereupon
the paragraph writer had reformed and
died of grief at having committed such an
error
After his death "Top Lights lost its
strongest prop until the editor hit upon the
happy idea of employing as paid members
of his staff all the ladies' maids of great
people whom he could get to commence
such an arduous literary career.
For time the scheme went we'll IN
fortunately however, the ladies maids
could not write as fiuently as they talk
ed. Their Information set down in black
and white was singularly pointless and
inaccurate. 1t required much personal
sitting and examining as to details, I'M
til the spectacled sub-editor of Top
Lights" al length hit upon the happy idea
of receiving the ladies' maids every Mon
day morning. one at time, and writing
the paragraphs red hot from their fair
lips. He was a young man, and some
times became confused at the airy light
ness of details which were given him by
his fair informants; but, by dint of hav-
ing the office boy to chaperon him, and
sitting in a, dark corner, he got through
his weekly task, though not without
clne h .7,, Mil,
a strong tendency to the ministry, had
not Providence ordained otherwise. So,
he wrote the paragraphs every week, al
though inwardly occupied with a new
theory regarding the Mosaic Dispensation,
which was far more interesting to him
than all the backstairs tittle-tatue ever
penned.
But one Monday morning a new lady's
maid appeared at the office of Top
Lights" with a bewitchingly pretty fig
ure. Her face could not be seen, she wore
a veil The sub-editor nervously played
with his pencil, and forgot himself far
enough TO wish that the corner in which
he received were not quite so dark. He
noticed, also, for, unlike most sub-editors,
and in spite of his spectacles, he was
an observant young man, that as the an
terview progressed her grammar and
pronunciation improved with marvellous
rapidity. AS she was the last of all, the
sub-editor crumpled up his paragraphs,
gave them to an Office boy and instructed
him to take them down to the printers.
Tell them to leave a quarter of a col
umn OPEN he said. I'm send down the
copy presently"
Then he came out into the middle part
of the room, turned up the electric light,
sure she was fair) TO communicate what
ever items Of feminine information she
had been able to obtain.
lin really afraid / haven't any
said the Fair Unknown, sweetly, but with
obvious embarrassment.
1t was on the tip of the tongue of the
sub-editor to ask what the etcetera she
meant by coming down there and vast
ing his time in the busiest part of the
day. Being a good young man, however,
in so far as his vocation admitted of
goodness, he did not make such an OBJ
servation. What can 1 have the pleasure
of doing for your he inquired, politely
If paragraphs are not your object, may
ask how you came to gain admission to
this morning AT Home of mine?"
The lady's maid allowed him to pause
for a minute.
yes, it's rather early for an AT Home
isn't it?' she inquired, with charming
irrelevancy. You see my M" She
stopped short in confusion.
You We're about to say" politely in
quired the sub-edtor.
On, yes, was ABOUT 10 say ladyS
maid friend of mine, told me of your
scheme for getting news. l thought /
should like to learn to write personal par
graphs, though I'm told it is very difficult"
1T is said the sub-editor, proudly;
very difficult indeed. Not more than
one man in million can do it, without
getting every bone in his body broken"
Then you must be the man or you
wouldn't be here" answered the lady's
maid, sweetly. My friend says you write
beautifully-I-I mean beautiful" and she
paused in evident distress at having spok-
en- correctly.
1t was the proudest moment of that
spectacled sub-editor's life. Never before
had he been told that he wrote "beaud-
ful''
Such a calling is not without its dan
gers he said, deprecati ngly. Personal
ly, have a strong tendency for the min
istry, and am told that the paragraph
style of preaching would make decided
hit; bur have never had the time to
train on for IT," And he did his best
not to look like a round peg Ia a square
hole.
The ladys maid sympathzed with him.
I'm sure it is very trying" she said. Pm
so sorry for you. 1t must be such beau
tiful thing 20 preach for an hour and n
quarter where no one dare contradict vol