The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-28

beautiful chid-wife, and she hugged
handsome Ned to the point of suffocation
before she would let him begin his career
A half hour later the sun was shining
in at two windows, the honeysuclSles were
sweeter than ever, and the three canaries
were singing to beat the German band
that was playing merry music In the
street outside.
And Ned sat at the desk and wrote his
first story Sheet after sheet fell on the
floor, just as they used to do In waiter
SCOTS time, and Nelly sat on stool at
his feet and admired her brave young
husband who had taken up the struggle
of life so heroically.
MAY read it," said Nelly.
Eyes, dear" said he, a writer's nervous
ness struggling with his love for her,
but please don't talk again or you Will
put to flight all my ideas. And don't
criticise it harshly" His busy pen ran
over the page as the white-hot thoughts
gushed from brain to willing hand.
MY love, do you think I would ever
criticise a single clever word that you
wrote? l know beforehand that 1T will be
the best story 1 ever read Did you ever
write anything before?'
only letters to my friends, dear, but
have studied human nature for nearly
year" A scowl darkened his brow. Ana
now / hope my pet Will not talk because
l must concentrate or else the story Will
never sell, and then we would starve, and
starving is so painful
"Goose!" laughed the merry girl and
ran to the window to smell the honey
p-ba el,a fresh water
for the canaries and sat down at her
husbands feet, resolved to be as still as
a mouse in order not to spoil the master
piece that he was forming so swiftly.
For two hours Ned wrote, and as it was
his first story there was no rehashing or
his old ideas. 1t was imaginative ana
told of life among the East Siders. lie
knew very little about them, but he knew
there was a good market for such stories.
and so he gave his imagination free rein
and wrote like one possessed.
Then when the story was finished he
looked at the beautiful being who had
been reading the sheets as they fell and
said, Dear, how do you like 1t? Has 1t
merit?"
She waited until she had read the last
sheet which he had just thrown down and
then she said, Il think II Is the best story
l ever read"
"Do you really?" said he, feeling that
praise from his wife was praise indeed.
81 certainly do said she very gravely
She felt that in way she, too, had
helped him create it. She knew as little
of the East Siders as he did.
do you think 1t will sell?' said he.
why of course. Where will you show
it first?'
ITO the leading magazine. Now, dear
be quiet once more and l will rewrite it.
You'll do no such thing. You'll send it
Just as it is. If couldn't be improved"
II believe you are right little one" said
Ned taking his young wife up in his
arms and tossing her In the air before he
kissed her.
The canaries sang, the luscious honey
suckle scented the sunny air, and the cool
breezes of early summer breathed through
the apartment where dwet so much hap
piness.
''IIow do you know so much about
those poor people, Neddy, dear?"
Imagination, my love. They say
Shakespeare never went to Italy, and
yet n his opera of Romeo and Juliet
that we heard last night, think how true
to Italy it all was"
Yes, love, only | think that Shakes
pearea didn't write the opera. He wrote
the play from which the opera was
made"
THAT doesn't injure my point In the
least. I believe you are right but the
point is that Imagination sees through
walls and across seas. Imagination"
He broke off suddenly.
"Shall / illustrate it?''
ooh, to be sure. You'll get more then,
won't you?'
YES suppose | will"
'T didn't know you could draw, Ned,
DEAR
lone never knows what he can do until
he tries" said the sanguine young fellow.
IT used to do carcatures at college that
every one said were pretty bad, but 1
don't think they knew what they were
talking about"
"Of course they didn't" said she indig-
nantly. do make lot of drawings. The
more you make the more you'll get, won't
you? They say Christy and Gibson draw
every day"
IT think I'll do a Dozen said he.
He sharpened pencil, and, full of en-
thusiasm, he began the work of Illus
trating the story he had Just written.
Can you talk while you're drawing?"
said his wife. standing at his side, and
watching with admiration the funny lit
tie East Siders that seemed to drop from
his rapid pencil.
Yes, / don't have to concentrate as l
do when Pm writing. 1t is easy to drawn