Smyrna times., 1902-01-08
ROMANCE OF
JOSH KINNEY,
EOIT0D BY JOHN
LII AON HOWARD TODD
Observation-Disclosures xS


folk of the Lower Corners said it was
good paper. Anyhow. like the good
boy it died young. Its ed,tor-tbere
was man who never was duplicated
in or out of the newspaper business.
/ THAT fellow was a queer one" said
old Eph Edwards. but he was smart
er'n chain lightnin'. Did We ever read |
about Ichabod Crane? I've forgot who
its by. but this Josh Kinney was a
good deal like Ichabod."
Josh Kinney was a farm hand by |
day and an editor by night. Somebody !
said his nerves were made of iron He |
rested his brain by busying his body
and rested his body by busying his
brain. The eyes that were set far back
under the shaggy brOws never lost
their kPenneSs in the shadows of his
QrOtruding brow. They were the unfail
ing signal lights that flashed the mes
sage of a vigilant. alert. observing
mind. Kinney was patient, else he nev
Pr would have learned the printers
art at odd moments. He was plodding
and persistent. else he never would
navy NOlNu idI lutO tllt UlSul ~ VI iliS
out the weekly issues of The Sanga-
III n Boy
His office was even older than the
man. To see it one could almost guess
what manner of man was its presiding
genius. 1t is standing today. plain
t1uare cabin on the very crown of
isolate hill five miles removed from
ny town. Behind it and shcltcring it
rom the spite of the winter winds
md the afternoon sun is Il grove of
great towering oak trees. lifting their
branches high over the head of tan
E!ed mass of forest Shrubbpry. Its one
door is nailed shut. and strong boards
IcOver the two squares on either side
where windows once let in Il timid
! light by day and sent out ghOstly
Elimmer of oil lamps by night.
For ten years not Il foot has been set
inside the door. The little old hand
press was removed long ago and the
wOrn type. One might find rusty
stick nesting here and there in the
cracks of the board floor and he might
see Il bit of yellow paper tackled near
the door bearing the words in JOsh's
own handwriting:
"Loafers are invited to the black
smith shop down the road. This is a
printery."
Coming from anybody else this hint
might have invited trouble. but respect
for Josh Kinney's iron muscles and his
tpeming brain brought it only silent
obedience.
N Lower Corners. which. by the way. is
s~ mot a village. but a farming commu-
nifty. made sport of Josh when he first
came and started his newspaper. That
-was before they knew anything about
the big brain that dominated his an
gular body. He managed to get some
thing into every issue that set his
neighbOrs thinking and made them re
spect him for his learning.
In Lower Corners today there arr
men of families who were boys tel
years ago-big. lusty. mischevOus boy
who loved a fish fry in the summer ant
n bobsled ride when the snow wa
knee deep on the Rochester road. o
course. they remember the night whel
a dozen Of them. playing the gallan
to as many country girls with rudd
cheeks. rode past Kinneys little Otiic
and bombarded the door with snow
balls.
Kinney never forgot il. because tn
crash of those snowballs sent a shoe
TO his heart that changed the curren
of his life. All night long he had hear
nothing but the monotOnOus beating c
Itbe little press which his foot kept
motion. How prOsaic it was agains
the rollicking jingle of the SlPighbell
how harsh against the musical laugl
ter of the girls i'm the sled. And whi
Q strange thrill went through him q
he heard one of these cry out: pleas
don't throw any more. boys. Yo
oughtn't to disturb Mr. Kinney whe
he's busy. Please don't"
''And is there really somebody wi
cares enough about me to think
that:" Ee asked himself. Am doir
right to shut myself up here when
might be out with those boys and girl
! wonder whose voice that was.
sounded like-but what reason have
to think that?"
Maybe he didn't have any reason
think 1t. but vague. tender hope rO
above reason. Mary what Eet
name it was. he thought Mary Ma
ning-Kinnpy." So tmid was this hi
strong man that he actually bluShed
his own aCdaCity when he coupled h
name with his. MARY Manning ii
4 nPy" 1t kept ringing in his spiritU
ear like the melody of n favorite sor
When the last issue of The Sangam
boy was run off and Josh Kinney ere
into bed. host of sentimental fame
Kept him awake until far into {
morning and then wOve themselves
to the fabric of his dreams.
Mary Manning was the only daus
ter Of the richest farmer in Lower G.
ners and the one girl in the cOmmup
who had tossed aside the blue boni
pf the district school and become
Femluary girl abroad. She saw in X
hey something more than a clod. sol
II thing higher than the creator of
weekly rural paper She respected t