The Portland daily press., 1899-07-21
a FRESH
START.


Two great nations being on tho brink
of war, great was the flutter in the jour
nalistic world. Ambitious youngsters
gazed lovingly at tho revolvers in the
pawnbrokers' window and were sagacious
on the subject of timed meat.
Proprietors and editors laid their heads
together In the inner places of tho great
newspaper offices and talked with one eye
on the enormous outlay a service of war
news warranted to beat all rivals would
involve and the other on an Immense in
crease in circulation.
+" Now, then," said the shirt sleevcd,
black haired waiter of Brain street coffee
house, "you can't do that ere, mister
He addressed his customer, who, having
long ago disposed of his mug Of Cocoon,
had laid his head on his arms on the well
scrubbed wooden table and apparently
fallen asleep. you ave been ere hour,
you know, and we can't AVE the place
turned into dosshouse +"
The customer, without word, meekly
as a dog might, rose to his feet and drag
ged himself to the door. The building
opposite tho coffee house was blazing with
light Tho windows, which were casting
a yellow glare on the haggard face of the
awakened sleeper, were those of The
Dawn, the most live and progressive of
Londons daily papers The huge bills on
boards outside the building bore the words
In hat, black letters: Is 1t War? Special
Interviews" Tho man who looked up at
the glittering windows had been the first
editor of Tho Dawn. His name was Brad
ley Brent. Tho clothes he wore ut that
moment were barely respectable, and he
had dined on cocoa and slice of bread
and butter in the coffee house. To use tho
words of ono of his most stanch friends:
Bradley Brent has thrown away more
chances than any one ever know. If he
had kept straight, there's nothing he
mfghtn' t have done Now, 1 think the
most inerciful thing would be TO give him
asSmnch whisky as will enable him to
drink himself to death quickly and COM
fortably."
Terrible words to be the epitaph of one
of the brightest intellects that ever made
itself n part of London's literary life, but
every syllable no more than truth It is
a familiar story; has been and will be
told of scores Of others besides Bradley
Brent To trace his degradation step by
step would be long and painful task. A
brilliant and successful man does not be-
come wreck except by the easiest stages
nro not willing tn relinonisb their ,o,vsrs
full aid. SO fresh starts innnmerah,e ,vsro
provided for the use of the ex-editor of
The Dawn. Iu vain: his terrible demon
Mad him fast in his grin.
In the lives of such as Brent there are
three stages. At first the world gives its
verdict, IAN exceedingly obIe man y
Then comes: "What an exceedinglv able
mani What a pity he drinksp' And the
victim is ALREADY some distance on ths
way Bnt when the serta,,ces ars ,.s.-a. s..
and the phrase runs: ssWhat n n,tv he
drinksl An exceedingly able mani, then
let him abandon hope, for soon ability
will cease to take any mart in his Terrible
comedy.
Brent, still lifting his haggard face to
the lighted windows, thrust his hand into
his pocket. His exploring fingers touched
four coins.
"Threepence halfpenny," he muttered.
"I simply can't sleep on the bridge to-
night. The wind off the river cuts mo 70
/ tho hone wonder az Frasor ,,o,,1a,
He stenTe,, ;nto tho rast;h,,'a va e.
the doprkeener otta;rad ,o,a au I'm
scran of naner for tha ,,,,r,,sa - .,,r;.r a .
I motto to Fraser now news editor . Of "a !
4 Dawn. but - DAYS come Inv q yo,s,,c, 20
porter Aaking his orders from, sr,bor.,;-
nate Of Brent editor IN chias Tho -.
kocner sitting behind he litt,a ,.,nSo.,,
marked rIno,;ries y tooI tha ra %sAa as
sent n rattling nv, ,;ttIs sha =, a.. I'SaIS
Two vonnp rcnorters stunned - ,,rht
fhoir cigarettes as he stood tbara o,a 81
of them said the TransyIva,,iar a snn o.o
dor. Count Gonstov;tch had Taor oIosatS,
for three hours With the nre,,,,a,. H.
evening. had left visihlv agitatad ana az
pale as death and had been drives f,,r;o,, -
iy home.
II should hayo liked TO have heen con.
nected with that room by telephone"
laughingly remarked one of the youths