The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-10-03

| sion on the part of DR.. Alderman is at
once an argument against and Il rehukn
| of my disreSpectful tone further back to-
ward classical learning, but it don't mai
ter. thiSeis only IL drifting chat and no
argument is meant. If anybody has 9th
| er views from those expressed here,
don't care, or rather / yield any Opn-
| ions in preference to having any aTgu-
ment; l am too old, and, it is too hot.
| said / don't care-I take it back-be
cause not long ago / heard man say
he didn't care for public opiniOn;" an
other, clever young woman, promptly
| upped and asked, why then do you
brush your hair or wear crayatT
| There was no answer, because the man
was squeched, as every man is, accord
ing to Henry Ward Beecher, when he
| is silenced.
But rs to those balanced sentences in
writing--some one will say Macaulay
used them and he was a hummer. All
right. So a young man said to me in
Durham a number of weeks ago. He
might have fiuked as a Reporter. This.
young man was saying that he wanted to
go into the newspaper business, starting
as a reporter, and asked me if did not
think the balanced sentence style a good
one. i replied that | was yet learner
only and could not answer, but | added:
Il knew young newspaper man in New
York from Southern State who starv-
| ed nearly to death on balanced SEN
fences" | was about TO go into particu-
lars whenI had to catch the train, but
I'll tell him now more about this young
man, as / intended to do that night
Certainly, par parenthese, balanced
sentence is a stately thing-as stately
as one of Uncle Sans new white bat
tle-shps, and a newspaper sentence, to
be catchy, is as curt and contrary q
thing as one of those fussy, screamy.
squirting, gossipy little steam-launches
that go hither and thither between the
battle-ships and the shore: it simply
gifts" there, any way at all. There is
no use, however, in wandering off here
into what may or may not be newspa-
per style--the subject is large and | don't
: know any more about it than my gentle
reader. But / was talking about that
young man who nearly starved on bal
anced sentences. A noble spirit and how
wonderfully well he put his work up.
, With what appropriateness his style APP
peared in treatment say of the Boring
sea question for a Sunday paper. And
so it turned out that he could get nothing
to do except in the way of Special
stuff for Sunday papers where his essay
work in the supplement attracted atten-
ton. But newspaper men know about
the Sunday special" stuff, if it be kept
over Sunday, and a poor fellow hap
pens to miss his money for that week.
So it was with this young man, whose
mind was not trifling and frivolous e.
/ unnuh for RI hot dailu
work. Well, what about him? That
young chap had not tasted morsel of
food for three days-except free lunch
es and few OF them; for he had to buy
), a glass Of beer-or he was too proud not
to do it--every time he partook of free
lunch-all this l learned afterwards He
was down to his last nickel. 1t was
Christmas Eve night. The big feathery
snow-fiakes danced in cruel kind of
; glee about the skeleton trees
Of Park Row and City Hall
Park, where the electric light flushed
} the great storm with cold color while the
= drifts grew deeper and deeper Let's
cali him Brandon.
A group of Southern working news
paper fellows of the New York dailies,
, this Christmas Eve, were sitting abcali
4 round-table for dinner in heavy. low
, pitched wein-kelar near Printing House
! Square. They were making the best of
things and We're, at least, externally jol-
ly. In the midst of the mirthfnl semi
tones Of those at other tables there seem
!, ed TO be that spirit of minor suggestion
that one hears in the last note of wind
!, through winter trees-God knows we all
have heard it-and yet the wines flowed
and there was movement of figures in the
cosy glow of this underground "Cave
|, Of Harmony" or maybe Fred Bayham
would call ii Haunt" Let's get
through with it. A tail igure-of desc
late bearing-buffsh spring oVer-coat too
short-collar turned up-seeves TOO
short-red wrists-a sprinkle of snow
flakes on shoulders-a rim of snow in
the hat-hrim turned down in front
shoes to match--a hint of chatter from
a lean, yet tough wiry face of vigorous
line.
He entered, went to the counter not
with a step too confident-beer-the low
er down-free lunch.
Brandon, BY Jove!" exclaimed one of
the ChristmasE vers.
"What! Surely not! The dear chap
seems to be in tough luck" Other ex
pressions followed.
A touch ON Brandon's elbow startled
him.
mo, 1 couldn't think of it." replied
Brandon, 81 dined this evening at Ma
ria's with Francisco ian artist we al
knew)
This lie was terribly tangled up with
nobility. Untangle the lie, We men
: truth!
: A glass of champagne! Brandon's eyes
| had strange light in them. Oh! if
he had not taken that wine, hear some
good man say. Pardon me / am not
telling of man who might have been:
l am telling Of a man who was.
Was it not natural those after-dinner
toasts of home? The wine was not dull
neither were the toasts. forget all of
; Brandon's. We were mysteriously con
SciOuS that this man had heen CIR ffor;nx