Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-06-06
A PRINTERS VENGEANCE.
How the Founder of the AIdine Press
Published Two Young People.

how the famous Venetian printer
Aldus treated a boy and a girl who
tried TO destroy his property. because
it was running their fathers business
of copying manuscripts
While the little twins were throwing
away the types, the door opened, and
middle-aged man in a Ions gown
stood in the doorway. Expecting to
find the room deserted, he started
back in surprise at the sight before
him; for what little authenticated
girl was doing in his printing-room
after midnight was more than Aldus-
for it was the master himself who had
come upon the scene-could guess.
Laura, transfxed with fear at hav-
ing been discovered, stood grasping a
handful of type, and Alduss sharp
eyes quickly took in the depredations
that she had committed. What are
you up to-" he said, more in amaze
ment than in anger.
At this moment Lanciotto, who had
been hanging out of the window, and
so had not heard the door open and
shut, turned end saw the tall gentle
man talking to Laura With one
bound the boy tore across the room,
f1inging his arms around his sister.
Don't you dare touch her." ne cried
to Aldus. Punish me if you want to.
but let Laura alone. If you will let
me take her home in the boat, III
come right back, and you can lock me
ich or
but 1 won't have my sister hurt"
Visions of being immured in
dungeon for life fitted across
Lanciotto's mind. Aldus, still further
puzzled, stood looking at the two
sweet, aristocratic faces. In the four
bright eyes he could read nothing put
fixed, almost heroic resolution.
That no childish prank had brought
these young people at midnight to
this lonely place he was assured, but
how to investigate the matter was
difficult. Tell me-" he said gently,
''why you are here, and why you have
destroyed my carefully set-up type"
Lanciotto began to speak, but Laura
interrupted him:
Because we hate the type
'tYou hate it?''
Yes; and the .printing-press. We
came to smash up the press, but we
couldn't"
so you took to dropping the type
into the canal, did you? Well, not
very much harm has been done.
There are plenty more letters, and the
work viii be quickly done over again
On the morrow. Yet what put it into
your curly heads to try to injure me?
Why do you hate the press?" AIdus
asked them.
With the courage of despair, Laura
breathlessly poured out the whole
story of the straits to which they F"'l
been reduced all on account of his
cruel invention; and as Aldus listened
his expression changed to one of rare
sympathy and kindness. Generous to
a fault. the great distress into which
the coypists had been thrown since
the invention of printing was not I'M
known to him. and he had done every
thing that lay in his power to help and
relieve whenever he could. though. Of
course, his purse was limited. Now.
as Laura's shriIT little voice sobbed
out the sorrow of her heart, the good
printer turned away to hide the
moisture in his eyes.
Don't lock Lanciotto up" she
begged, when her story was told ''It
would Kill our grandfather. I'd fix the
page right again if you would give
me some more letters. It's Greek,
and I Know Greek; grandfather had
me help him when he copied the very
book that you are doing"
"You Know GreeK-ei?' Then, as
Laura, to prove her proficiency,
f1uent1y translated line or two, he
laughed. Come, come" he said, at
is a late hour for SO young a lady to be
reading the dead languages. No; you
couldn't set up what you've de-
stroyed; this is not time for me to give
lessons in type-serting; besides, how
could I tell tfac you wouldn't be
putting my letters in your pocket or
even swallowing tfem-such a little
ffre-eater as you are! One O'Clock,
Bless, me! Time you both were IN
bed. I haven't got dungeons for each
Of you, SO think shan have to send
you home; but you must be punished
first. I can't have people breaking
into my house with large hammers
and not punish them
NO said tire children, feeblv.
Then, having made them promise
that they wod7d not run away during
his absence, Aldus disappeared n
search Of an instrument for their
punishment, and the twins, their arms
around each others neck, sat huddlei
together in perfect misery. "You-l
you don't think that he has gone to
get a stick to beat US, do you.
Launce?" inquired Laura. And as
Lanciotto strove to comfort her, de-
cfaring that no one should dare touch
her, and that he would take all the
punishment, whatever it might be, the !
door opened again and Aldus entered |
But instead Of formidable birch, he |
carried large tray on which was
piled heap of good things-a cold |
chicken, a cake, white bread, honey, |
and a bottle Of wine. These things |
he sat on the table in the midst of the |
ink and papers, and bountifully heap |
ing three plates, motioned to the
children to draw up their chairs on
each side of him
Had the food been poisoned the |
twins would not have been surprised, |
bct when they saw their host making |
great havoc with knife and fork.