The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-05-19

Mother Hubbard
By J. A. Flynn
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

NC cASdSCu d Ac" young 1dOJ AOI IAC
fashions. Her name was Violet Raikes,
and she was rather nice to look at. She
sat opposite to mel am subeditor-so
the fact impressed itself upon my no.
tice; but somehow didn't take to her.
She was fond of slang, she bicycled in
nationals" and she hoped that didn't
object to a cigarette. felt inclined to
say that objected to her altogether,
but l didn't. She was remarkably
smart in her work, and couldn't afford
to object to anyone who was useful.
She hadn't been with us more than q
forth ght when the editor was laid up,
and I had to be editor, sub, leader
writer and political critic all at once.
Then our financial expert went bank
rupt and bolted, and so had to do the
city news in addition.
The next week our sporting author
ity disappeared-he had backed some
of his own tips, poor fellow-and we
couldn't get another.
The only members of the literary
staff left were our art and theatrical
critic, who doesn't know a horse from
donkey; our tame poet, who doesn't
know anything, and Miss Violet. I felt
/ had about come to the end of my
tether, and said so pretty forcibly.
Miss Violet looked up from some out
rageous costume she was drawing and
laughed at my outburst. She was al
ways laughing.
Don't put yourself out" she said.
'I'll knock off the Sporting Notes for
you.' jerked my eyeglasses from my
nose in my amazement.
"You?" said. "You?"
"Why not?''
What do you know about it?'
'For the matter of that, what did he
know about it. She nodded her head
several times and pressed dimples in
her cheeks with her pencil. "You really
can't do any more yourself" she said.
No. I said, YEARLY. But : I'm
afraid"
"You needn't be. I'll run it out to-
night, and you can cut it up tomorrow
morning"
She wrote the sporting article as if
she had been brought up in stable.
and from that time she became our
sporting tipster, and allowed herself an
extra cigarette when she and I were
working late in the evening. She al
ways insisted upon lending hand
when I was extra busy.
you'll kill yourself, if you don't
mind," she remarked, suddenly, one
evening, when we were making up the
issue. I had just announced that we
were short, and must do another col
umn.
II can't let the paper break down."
l said, feebly. had been working for
~ hours, and nature was almost ex-
hausted
"Of course not. Fill up with this"
She threw over a manuscript headed
answers to Correspondents" and be-
gan laughing, as usual. II knew we
would be Short
'Why?" said. "What? Who are the
correspondents?
II am, of course. You didn't think
there were such things as correspond
ents,' did you?"
'Umph! I didn't know"
"You're fine editor!"
I didn't reply. was deep in the man
uscript, which might have passed for a
page out of several journals I could
mention. 'Nellie O." was given a recipe
for sponge cake; ''Devout Lover was
advised upon the etiquette of presents;
molly" was cautioned against the per-
nicious habit of smoking cigarettes 'a
most unbecoming and unladylike prac-
in teetotalism; "True Tommy" was told
topersevere with his obdurate ladylove;
"Flossie" was warned against slang;
careful HOUSEWIFE was recommend
ed to insist upon having IA penny scenes
for shilling, etc.
upon my word,'' I said, warmly,
you're a little brick. I only wish I
could get you something extra for
''Oh, shut up!" she said. She was
given to saying things of that sort. I
thought it great pity, because she was
otherwise a very charming girl; but
l never could tolerate anything unfem-
mime in a woman's manners.
No sooner had the number appeared
than real applications for advice poured
in, and our correspondents column be-
came regular feature. When we had
spare moment she would read us some
Of the letters with her answers. She
used to make us roar. She was such a
comical girl-never could be serious
about anything. The pseudonym she
adopted was ''Mother Hubbard.''
About this time: the paper began to
get better, and advertisements came in
more freely. I persuaded the propri-
etor to give Violet raise, and I offered
to do the "sporting'' myself, now that
we could afford city editor, but she
wouldn't hear of it.
''You couldn't do it half so well,'' she
stated. "Now, don't get savage, old
chap. Have cigarette?'
II wish,'' I said, "you wouldn't talk
in that beastly manner" She flushed a
little.
when want you to edit my CONVEX
sation I'll ask you," she rejoined,
tartly.
So I shrugged my shoulders and went
on with my leader.
''You have been glad enough" she OBJ
served few minutes later, ''for me to
do a mans work, though you want to
keep me in my place as a woman
Il do not look>upon womanliness as a
degradation.'' -
''Nor do I object to manliness in a
man.
III you mean that +"
you'd better attend to your leader,
Or II will no xvorc q r,,hb;c1, +hox ,,.,,o1 ,,