The Delta independent., 1899-08-04

needed my weekly aAlary Then there
was the probability that all my labor
would go for naught. and l would bs
left out in the cold. for you know that
in newspaperdom it is easier To resign
a position than to get one. for when y
man steps ont there are always 70 OIL
e-s ready and anxious ~ take his place.
many Of them just ~ good and so..e
considerably cheaper.
But the dear little wife. who never
doubted Eiy success. decided for me
So l resigned my desk and went to
work with might and main on my play.
I had scarcely been at it a week before
the baby fell i'll. and then our small
savings began to fly. No one knows
how money can go until his income is
cut off and his expenses are increased.
and very soon we were brought face to
face with the problem Of how to live on
nothing week. Still l worked on.
sandwiching in sketches and stories
enough to keep us going between the
acts Of my play. until il seemed AS ii
the pen wc.e constantly in my hand
and my brain IVES in whirf- We We're
never reduced to actual want. nor even
Thanks To the kindness OF our crei-
ito:s-to public humiliation. but for
the first time since my marriage was
compelled TO renew acquaintance with
the pawnbrol,ers and my pride was
humn!ed forever.
Worse still was the constant worry
and care for our little one. We could
nos afford to hire n nurse. so the wife
ard tool, turns in standing watch over
her. Eaby hGd just reached the age
when she wGs Learning to lisp orr
nEInes. Ind she clrng to us with that
blind confidence Of childhood which
tugs ut human heartstrings stronger
than anything know on earth. Then
we tested the bitter anguish Of seeing
our little darling. whom we had learned
to lore SO. fade and wither before our
eyes like ~ tender flower. ard We could
not help her.
II WIS constantly tormented by It's
fear that lack Of ready money was de-
p-ir-:ng my child Of some relief or Ink
ury that might bring her back TO health.
so. when ;.bout this time | received an
o.-cr Of another position. l was on tine
poi.: Of accepting il. Bot my wife for
bade me She insisted upon my finish
ing the play vhich she felt certain
vos.ld bring me fame and fortune. Un-
hcsii;.t:agiy she sacrificed r baby upon
the altar os my ambition. and IL nc
ccpsed that awful sacrifice.
Critics sly that my play b-istles
with w.t and e?i2ram: that its humor
1, Irresistible rad its situations simply
coa-risir2 Yet I often wonder as
watch i..r people laughing at and Up
pl:at:i:i2 the performance how it would
aEccs them II thoy knew that those
lines were written by the bedside Of my
dying baby. In the still. solemn hoa-'s
Of the night. while r,y denr. devoted
little wife slept the sleep Of the utterly
exhausted Would they laugh II they
knew that bctwccu those Imaginable lines
loksrn lAuscsl 70 soothc my baby's fe-
vevcd brow asd wet her pg-chcd lipsf
6os1e Of those side splitting scenes we-c
writse:, with my little ono in my arris
aad heavier weight than her frail lit
tie form IN my heart 1t would hnvo
bcen . tragedy Ind written Ms felt
s'Tkr. In the riidst OF rchcarsals the
hurry. worry and manifold vexations
incident 70 singing new play. the pic
tr.c Of that Iinllid little face on the pill
losw. with the tired. tcarfnl one Of my
wife bending over It. would come be-
tween me rnd the stare. ard those
laugh provo.;inx speeches sounded ike
ribald mockcr!es TO my e..rs How will.
ingly would have forfeited even tho
certainty Of success to bring the glow
Of haaifh and Happiness bac,; to those
two loved faces.
s'Cn the night Of tho first perform
snce there YVES TO one 10 respond TO the
calls for the author. / was sittins. by
the bed Of my baby. watching her little
life flicker and 20 ont even at the horr
when my fame and fortune were born
And were shey TO increase thousand
fold they could never blot ont the bitter
memory Of that l. lit. II wns part If
the price Of srcce.ss. and IL can never DO
all paid oI, this earth. -
Holden passed. and there were tocrs
ia his eyes.
pardon ine for paining you. old fcl-
low. he resumed. ''but must talk to
somc one The little wife never refers
TO onr lost darling before RIO II she csn
help IL. for shc fears TO pain me the
more. and for the same reason refrain
fro., speaking Of 1t to her. But can
see in her thin. pale face and tear drain
ed eyes the samc Thought that is con
stantly tortrring me-if fortune had
but CONS little sooner. might It not
hav. saved our baby's life. for II that
was in truth the price Of succcss II was
all too dear Willard Holcomb in
Washington Post