Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-07-29

MOTHER HUBBARD.


engaged new young lady for the fash.
and she was rather nice To- look at She
sat opposite to mc-I am Subeditor-So
the fact impressed itself upon my notice.
But somehow didn't take to her. She
was fond of slang. She bicvclcd in .'ra-
tionalS, and she hoped that | didn I
object To cigarette. felt inclined To
say that objected to her altogether
but didn't. She was remarkably
smart in her work, and couldn't af-
ford to object TO anyone who was 50 use
full
She hadn't been with us more than 4
fortnight when the editor was laid up,
and had To be editor. sub, leader writ
or and political critic all ut once. Then
our financial expert Went bankrupt and
boltcd. so had to do the city news i'll
addition
The next week our sporting authority
diSappeared-h had backed some of his
own tips, poor fellow and we could
Mt get another.
The only members ofon literary staff
left were our art and theatrical critic.
who didn't know horse from don
key; our tame poet. who doesn't know
anything aud Miss Violet ! felt had
about come to the end of my tethcr,
and said 80 pretty forciblv.
Miss Violet looked up from some out
rigeous costume which she was draw
ing and laughed at my outburst She
was always laughing.
Don't put yourself ont, She said
IN knock OIL the sporting news for
YOU" jerkcd my eyeglasses from my
nose i'll my amazcnient.
You" said "You:"
why not"
"WlIat do Won know about il -
For the matter of that. what did he
know about il r She nodded her head
several times and pressed dimplcs in
her cheek with her pencil. "You really
can't do any more Yourself, she said.
mo" | said. wcarily But am
afraid
"lou needn't be- III 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 a stable,
aud from that time She became our
| sporting tipSter and allowed herself an
extra cigarette when she and | were
working late in the evening. She al
ways insisted upon lending hand
when | was extra busy.
You'll kill yourself if you don I
mind. she remarked suddenly one
evening when we were making up the
next issue. | had just announced that
we were short and that must do an
other column
Il can't let the paper break down.
said fccby had been working for
II hour, and nature was almost cx-
haustcd
"Of course not. Fill up with this =
She threw over 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 rs correspond
cnts. did you -
"Umph | don't know
"You'r re Il fine editor =
| didn't reply. was deep in the
manuscript, which might have passed
for u page ont of several Journals |
could mention. Nellie q" was given
Il recipe for sponge cake, "Devout Low
cr' was advised upon the etiquette of
presents. Molly was cautioned against
the pcrnicious habit of smoking cigar
ettcS Ca most unbccoming and unlady-
hike practice, "AbStcmiouS" was
encouraged in tectotalism. True Tom
my was told TO persevcrc with his oh
duratc ladylovc. 'FlosSie" was warned
against slang" Careful Housewife was
recommended to insist upon having II
penny scenes for shilling, etc
Upon my word. | said warmly.
won re little brick only wish
could get you something extra for
"Oh. shut up, She said She was
given to saying things of thar sort. |
Thought ii 4 great pity. because she was
otherwise very charming girl, but |
never could tolerate anything unfemi-
nine in Il woman manners.
No sooner mad the number appeared
than real applications for advice poured
in. and our correspondents column
became a regular feature. When we
had a spare moment. She would read Us
some of thu letters with her answers.
She used ia make us roar She was
comical girl never could bc serious
about anything The pSeudonym she
adopted was Mother Hubbard
About this time the paper commenced
tu 20 better. and advertisements came
in more freely. persuaded the pro
prictor To give Violet a raise, and offered
to do the sporting myself now that we
could afford a city editor, but She
wouldn't hear of it,
You couldn't do it half 50 well. she
stated Now don't get savage, old
chap Have cigarette.
1
II wish, said, you wouldn't talk
in that beastly manner. She flushed Il
little.
when | want You to edit my convcr-
Sation, I'll asl, YOU, ShS- r"i"in"d tart
ly
So shrugged my shoulders and went
on with my header.
"You have been glad enough. She
observed 4 fcw minutes later. for me
to do man work. though you want
to keep me in my place aS a woman
II do not look upon womanlincSs as a
degradation.
Nor do object to manlincsS III a
man
If YOU mean that -
You'd had better attend to youi
leader. or il viii hc worse rubbish than
usual
| concluded my peroration in furious
silence rather pride myself upon my
leaders. Then made few remarks
- did shc-not very few. She made NJ
hv never speaking to mc except on buSi
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