The Republican journal., 1907-09-05

Q6 SAlU.-
"'You don't know much about spell
ing
"sYou don't know much about gram
mar, he added, and again assented
How did you come to write this?
he asked.
"'Then told him about the stove.
"When 1 had done he told me that
need not 60 to the store for a week. II
CHANGED that he knew the man fol-
whom l was working, and he said that
he would send him note explaining
matters. He added that he would but
my story, although he was sorry to say
that he could not use it in the paper.
II want you to stay about the office
for week. he said, and then l want
you to write an article about Boston
Common. You can look over the files
of the paper and see what has been
written about it, and then try to write
something new
"The editor then gave me an order to
the cashier. My cousin was waiting
for me at the head of the stairs. We
supposed that had received as much
as, perhaps, fifty cents, this being the
amount for which we had immediate
need, and when l found that the order
was for $25 returned to the editor to
tell him that he had made a mistake.
| was assured that he had paid as he
wished for the article and told not to
come back until | was ready to write
my paper on the Common.
II stayed about the office for several
days, and was told by the reporters
that so much had been written about
hot
ing new to say of it. was in despair,
idea, but all was in vain. At length,
upon the last day of the allotted week,
as | was seated upon one of the benches
was made happy by the coming of the
tardy idea. The names, the initials,
the devices carved upon the seats by
the hands of idlers. l would write
about them.
Having returned to the editor and
told him of my intention, was sup
piled with paper and told that must
write the story before leaving the
room. The afternoon, then the evening,
wore on, and still | worked. 1t was
eleven o'clock at night when | handed
the finished manuscript to the editor.
"After he had read it he said that he
would hire me, naming salary which
seemed to me fabulous amount.
"'But,' he added, this money is not
to be all paid to you. Five dollars will
60 for your board, and what of that you
can save will be yours to spend as you
please. Part of the rest will 60 to pay
your clothing bill and the remainder is
to be set aside for your education
"For the next few years l studied
hard. 1t was in 1860 that l went to Bos-
ton, and in 1864, at the age of sixteen,
l went South to represent my paper as
correspondent with the Army of the
Potomac.
.''It was in 1878 that | acquired the
knowledge of circus life which suggest
ed the writing of Toby Tyler l was
sent out with the Barnum show, in
order that | might find material for a
series of circus stories to be published
in the Leslie papers
"This was the last season in which
the big circus travelled on wheels.
''The life of the performers was a
strenuous one. ! saw enough of it to
learn how hard it was. Sober-minded
business men of today may have staye
at home, Instead of running away as
boys to join the show under the big
tents, because in Toby Tyler they read
of the hardships of the long night rides
and the rough life of the people whose
appearance in the ring occupied only a
brief portion of a day filled with hard
work and little pleasure.
From this experience came Toby, a
very real parsonage to many American
boys. The driver who befriended the
lonely youngster, the little girl with
whom he performed in the ring, and Mr..
Stubs, the monkey, to whom he told
his woes when he could snatch a few
moments from the toll of the day-these
will long be among the dearest friends
of youth. The publication of this story
was the beginning of James Otis sue
cess as writer of tales for young peo
pie.
II try in my work to keep in touch
with the tastes of my readers. The
preferences for one or another kind of
story are constantly changing among
the boys of this country. In twenty
five years, during which / have writer
for them, they have made several leaps
from one type to another.
"Not very long ago the most admired
hero was the boy of the town, the boot
black, who struggled against the hard
conditions of great city. The story il
which history formed the basis of the
plot acted by the characters came next
and for a long time held the attention
of the boys. Then came the popularity
of the school story, which told the boy
his own tale and drew for him the life
of his every day. The sea story seems
to be the latest type of book to which
Young America is turning, and | ven
ture to prophesy that it will have a lonG
popularity.
'But, apart from these changes in his
taste, the American boy has himself
changed since the time when began tt
write for him. He has, l believe, grown
more thoughtful and more manly-'old
err as we sometimes say. In speaking
OF the town or city boy, l think / ma,
say that the boy is two or three years
older at a given age than he would have
been twenty years ago."
There are great many people who have
nearly all the time. Their food may satisfy
simply because the stomach is not in fl
condition to do the work it is supposed tt
do. 1t can't digest the food you eat. Tn.
stomach should be given help. You ough
to take something that will do the worl
your stomach can't do. Kodol For Indiges
ton and Dyspepsia, combination O.
natural digestants and vegetable acids, di
gests the food itself and gives strength anG
In ctn MT tn toL 10