Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-12-29
1900, Daily Story Pub. 60.

49,
The stage coach was vending it's way
among the foothills, up ware fhe
mountains, and Collins was the only
passenger. He was more than an ordi-
nary man. He was a miner and had
money, but he dug, as he termed sit,
in a vein of purer metal-that of poSey.
His volume of verse, Sun on the Snow.
and Other Poems,'' had just been issded
from the press, and he had a package
of the precious books Rugged up beside
aim. His mind flew back, like a scaf1et
bird, to his trip to the city. He Rad
given a dinner to fifty friends, upon
the appearance of his fancy's first born,
and their plaudits still rang in mis- eArs
At a stand where the horses were
changed, an old man and a young wOm-
an got into the coach. The old man
paid no attention to the young woman
Collins thought that it was the province
of the poet to observe and to censu,>
this life-he loved Byron-said to him
self: "They are either strangers or Man
and wife, and then with shrewder judg-
ment, he added: NO, not man and
wife, for an old man does not neglect
a young wife, and is rarely silent in her
presence. He chatters when he has moth
ing to say. A young woman turns an
old husband into an ape" In rounding
a great rock a beautiful valley was u
denly shot out to view, and Collins said
aloud: IF my wife could see this she
would scream With delight"
She must be rather emotional" said
the old man.
III is a poem, sir, and poems should
be emotional" Collins replied.
Poems are sometimes cold" the young
,n~,a ~nV,nrl-,l sNTx- cl,o Nd ic n
poem, but he is a SATIRE
The old man dozed off to sleep. The
young woman and Collins flashed the
swords of controversy. Collins finally
remarked that he did not think much
of her husband. She retorted by declar-
ing that she would not even speak to
his wife. And just about this time the
coach drew up at a farmhouse. The
driver was talking to a farmer. The
young woman said hat a man was fool
ish to clear a farm in such a place.
Collins said that the altitude was against
the production of certain vegetables, but
that fancy bloomed wherever the sun
shone. The young woman shifted. Fan
cy isn't everything she said. There
are times when a potato is better than
a rose"
well, to some natures-yes."
ITO any sensible nature. I ought to
know, for I wrote a book of POEMS
Hi" said Collins, rousing VI. What
became of the bookg'
Il have it. I was not robbed of it.
I told the publisher that I had friends
enough to insure a sale of fifteen hun
dred COPIES"
And" said Collins
mot one copy was sold.
You don't mean it?"
Gould 7 joke about the death of so
dainty a child?"
The old man woke up. Whose child?'
he asked, and then begged pardon for
his stupidity. The driver opened the
door. Well" said he, we are in for
it. There has been such a heavy fall
of snow up yonder that We'll have to
stay here for a week., maybe
The old man grow!ed and said that
they could urn back. Here the farmer
stepped forward and said that his son
had just come horseback from below and
reporter a snowslide that completely
covered the road.
About at the place where your wife
would scream with delight if she should
see the valley ventured the young wo-
man, speaking to Collins. ~
'Or wher that satire of your would
grin with cutting delight" replied Col
Inns.
There was 40 other recourse, so they
got out and proceeded to make them
selves at home. They were shown into
a sitting room where a cheerful fire
was burning. The old man promptly
dozed off to sleep.
you must think that there is no wo-
man in the world like Your wife, said
the young m
There are poems and poems," replied
Collins, but there is n poem sWeeter
than all the rest" tf
8" matter of taste and of Judgment"
she said. And for the first time she
struck Collins as being handsome. Her
hair was like an autumn leaf. There
was a riot of mischief in her eyes. AND
her complexion was so clear that Collins
fancy told him it might have been
dripped. And now their conversation
became more earnest. She told him that
she was going up into the mountains to
teach school. And she was SO sorry thai
she could not bring more books with
her. Then Collins laughed. IF my pub
iishers don's do and better than yours
did, said he, II will turn you over
enough books for a ltbrory.' He told her
of his books-nervousIy united the pack
age and presented her With a copy. She
said hat it was pretty. Carelessly sha
turned over the pages. N pictures
in it, she said, and Collins swallowed
a lump.
ideas nay be pictures" said he.
Yes, they may be-"
IF you don't like the boo you car
throw 1t away"
Eyes, I could. But then I won't"
Shit was reading a poem. This is rather
good"
Indeed" -
Yes. BY the way, l told you a fiji
about my book. l was afraid to shoW
my vanity, and I said that not one cop
was Sold. That was not true"
"Then it did have a sale?"
Yes one copy"
"That all?" What is the name of the
volume?"
"a 49,. ys...s