The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-19
The Incense Of Chicken


|
A stroke Of misfortune made me one o.
1.-The owners OF the paper. had set TYP
| in the office, and for my accumulated
string I accepted stock. The sheet wa
known (limited) as the Evening Mall
and was published In Nashville. Tenn.
The. Centennial at Philadelphia wal
striving to pour balm on the slow-healinl
war wound Of the country. But MAST
tiger still crouched In the political jungle
and the bloody shirt had been washed
through but one water. 1t was at eucf
time that our paper preached sermon!
of brotheriy love, written by an old gentle
man whom we paid, or agreed to pay, y
a week.
One day the brotherly sheriff came II
and showed his strong attachment for US
We closed our volume with an editoria
entitled 1.-The Whole Duty Of Man."
In the town there were more printers
than work Circumstances, the mos
peremptory Of physicians, advised
change Of scene. Bob Dutton, who ha<
received similar advice, went with me
We tramped.
1 do not know whether Bob lied because
perately choked the truth to kill his con
science, feeling that he was hampered b,
III. In the army ne had been punished
for stealing barrel Of whisky from al
officer who had stolen 1t. There Is NJ
greater crime than to steal from thief
Peace settled upon the country and dds
grace fell upon Bob at about the SAM
| time.
We wandered of into the cypress cour
TRY OF West Tennessee, lodging high wa
ter on our way to Memphis. We wer'
constantly cut off from our supplies.
II may not amount to much In genera
way" Bob would declare, but I've 90
an appetite sharp enough to shaw
| with
Late one afternoon we came to cabil
set on a sandy knoll, in the thick shade o
scrub oaks. A administered man stool
| in the door. We asked for something t,
Leaf. He appeared pleased to see US.
Come In" he said. Sit down there
Where are you from and what IL you
line of employment when you so far for
Iget yourselves as to work."
This rascally insinuation pleased Bob
I'VE are printers" said he.
THAT so? Do you mean that you maxi
newspapers"
"Well, we do the only work Of any I'm
portance. We set the type and the 9th
Ter features do not amount to anything.
$50 you set the type?" And then call
ling to a woman, he commanded: Jane
kill two of those young dominecker chick
ems for these gentlemen. and fry then
brown"
Bob's eyes snapped. and felt al
emotional surge of water In my mouth
For days we had fed upon the tasteless
berry Of the swamp and the leather!
"hand-out" passed from the kitchen win
dow. We had dreamed even Of fat ba
con. Our cowed souls had not daret
to muse upon fried chicken.
$50 you set type" said the host, strok
ling his beard. rs there much money IL
such work."
Fortunes" Bob answered, with sti
Of his lying impulse. But the trouble Il
that work is hard to get. It is a sort o
luxury"
DO they pay you by the nswspape
you set UP or by the week?"
by the piece" Bob answered.
IT don't exactly understand" said tn
host, bordering. How by the piece?
why. by the ON. We get 20 much [
thousand ems"
But suppose you set up sometiain,
that hasn't many ems In It? Then 20,
don't get much pay. 1t don't strike m
that this is very good arrangement"
Bob laughed pityingly. why, 1t 1
measured by the space that so many EN-
would occupy"
"Oh understand now. And the fast
er a man is the more money he gets; I
doesn't make any difference whether h
picks up real ms or not"
YES, sir; that's the idea"
The redolence Of frying chicken fioatet
through the door, an incense burnt upol
the memory altar Of youth.
"Well," said the host, "about how
many ems can you set in dayT'
No incense could keep Bob from lynn
at this moment. Let me see," he said
seeming to search his memory, II reck
on / can set about $4,000"
THAT SOP"
that's q fact. Amt it?" he asked
rarely has the nerve to refuse testimon,
Ito lie. We were called upon for proof
"Ain't that so, Bill?" It's so easy l.
say yes; It saves dissension. I sait
yes"
"And about how much a thousand d,
you get?" the host asked.
"Seventy-five cents or dollar. Ain
that so?"
said yes"
well, you ought to make money q
that" he said, and, looking at him,
saw something that froze my blood.
He had taken printers makeup run
from his pocket, this red-headed man o
the wilderness-had taken out make-u
rule, and was cleaning his finger nail
with It,
Bob saw this dreadful sight. He caugh
his breath. He said nothing. H
snatched his hat and was gone. Icouldn'
stay-I had stood godfather to his lie
The chicken incense followed US mock
ingly down into the woods and there lef
us. We heard a rooster crow. W
heard the laugh Of the red-bearded man
l-Opie Read in the Inland Printer.
The Real National Air Of the South
'It Is strange thing to me-" said an ex
Confederate soldier, that SO few peopl
know what the real national air OF the soutl
l.