Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-02-18
HOME READING.
HIS CURE,
BY X II. NEwcoMB


and most Of the reporters had returned
from covering their evening assign
ments. TIE religious editor was seat
cd at his desk cutting down the manu-
script of an eminent divine, swearing
glibly here and there when some para
graph or other failed TO yield itself
easily to his nanipulations, The re-
porters that had finished writing their
COPY discussed, with their feet on the
tables and with their pipes in their
mouths, such topics as were suggested
varlously to their attention. The
hoarsc rattle of the copy-boX sounded
ut intervals as the local copy was start
ed ON its perilous Journey through the
hands of the night editor to the COM
posing-room. The steady clicking of
the Instrument on the associated wire
made o mouotonous overtone to the
low hum of the reporters voices and
the irregular imprecations of the reli-
gious editor.
The bell from the night editor rang
and the city editor listened at the tube;
then he came out from his little room
in the corner and addressed the force
in general
You'll have to boil everything
down." he said, "the Old mans brought
in q sermon" There was an infinite
scorn on his face and on infinite scOrn
in his tone-scon for the cold man.
The religious editor leaned back in his
chair and pulled furiously at his cigar
in a way that plainly indicated that
things were coming to pretty pass
In the office Of the Morning Chronicle.
The reporters looked at the city editor
with deep sympathy. The force col
lectlvely curled its lip. The city editor
went back to his desk, sighed moro i'll
sorrow than in anger, and sat down to
his work again
Everybody knew what it meant when
the old man brought in anything, They
knew that it had to go in full, column
after column, on the first page, whether
it was O treatise on agriculture or q ser
mon on the doctrine of regeneration
They all wished that tho old man would
go to Europe, or somewhere, and stay
there, letting those that knew how run
the paper, But nobody thought OF
making any remorstrancc. Nobody
that is, except the college graduate
The college graduate had been sent
for q sermon and had almost finished
preparing an elaborate report, lie was
pleased with the result of his labors
and he meant to go around the next
lav and ask the minister what he
thought of it. He was sure that re hal
the theology correct, Tor he remem-
bered about the same thing from his
theism course; 10 had compared the
Biblical quotations with The office BIZ
BILE. with the aid Of q concordance; he
was, in fact, sure Of everything except
the spelling, and he knew he could trust
the city editor to fix that. He went and
stood rather tlmidly in the doorway
OF the city editors little rom and wait
cd for his chief to look rp. Must he
cut his sermon? lie was certain it
would be ruined; he did MT see how il
could be cut.
What's it about?" inquired the city
editor, crossing out two ines in the
manuscript he was rcadingand substi-
tuting word to fill the gap
well, it's-cr-"
"Criticise the city oficias?"
''No; he"
Any politics in it9"
no, sir; but"
Against the Catholics?"
- II 4l,o4 ~
sermon. 1t was about scie1ce and re-
ligion, Uo-er-hc reconcil,d them"
The city editor went back to the
manuscript he was reading. "Just say
he preached" he said.
The college graduate went lack to his
desk and sat down--a blighted thing.
lie put his feet on the table like the
rest, but he did not join in the con-
yersation, He thought, He felt that
the worm ought to turn, but he did not
know which way to turn. He thought
of rcsigning, but he knew thathe would
be more bereaved in the loss Of his
salary than the Office in the loss of his
services. The Office would undoubtedly
ly be sorry some time, but he ielt that
when the worm turned it oughtto make
a more immediate stir. After awhile
he put on his overcoat and wento out.
Before the college graduate became
q newspaper man he had been poet
lie was, in fact, still o poet 1t in
jured his work O good deal and kept his
salary down, but he chung to it for all
that. One day the city editor came out
OF his little. room to the college grad
yates desk and put his hand On the
young mans shoulder in way thai
was very kindly.
DO YOU intend to stay in this sort Of
business?" he asked. Il was so I'M
usual for the city editor to talk about
things that were not strictly his bust
ness that the young man looked up in
some surprise.
'Why, yes, I intend to-" he answered.
"Of course I'd like it better if had a
higher class Of work to do"
That's all right" said the city cd
itor, "that'll come in time. In the mean
time, if you care for a tip from r, you
want to learn to boil things Gown
When you've got story to write don't
write two sheets Of copy where yor
ought to write only one. Then if
were In your place would learn to spell
You didn't learn that in college. That
wasn't what you went there for, Of
course. But now it's different. You'll
find it easy after little while, ard il
will save ne trouble"
5 "Thank YOU" said the college grad
uate, meelily. He had just then re-
9 epect for the city editor.
"You see, you have been in differ
s emf atmosphere" continued the older
g man; you have been living on poetry
4 and theory. There isn't great deal OF