The mirror., 1911-10-26
SALTWATER. MINNESOTA, THURSDAY. ocToBER % 1o,,

|
right to do that as anybody. To
start newspaper proves most any
one to be crazy and drives the ex-
ceptions to that same most enviable
condition, so why not an Asylum
paper? | was appointed editor and
in that position did meritorious SER
vice, both for the paper and the in
stitution. Now wait! I do not
boast. The copy for my editorials
was OF such ferocious appearance
that it frightened most of the staff
printers into their wits, thus de-
creasing the number of Hospital in
mates! Was that meritorious SER
vice, ask? / reveled in the ineli-
gibility of that copy. / gloated over
the look of sane bewilderment that
appeared on the faces of the sue
cessive patients who tried to deci-
pher it. But my joy was not for
long.
The Superintendent. fearing that
would soon put him out of job
began to look around for someone
to stop my headlong career. Again
to quote, as per above, "A reader!
a reader! Ny kingdom for reader!'
he cried. And one morning about
4:15 o'clock, hearing a loud clamor
in my editorial sanctum, and think
ing at once of burglars and my
precious copy. hurried thither,
somewhat dishabille, / admit. Woe,
woe, woel Percbed upon a stool be-
fore the copy hook, and surrounded
by the Hospital Superintendent and
his staff on the one side and by my
own staff on the other, sat
G. b! And reading aloud to that
crowd!-my copy. at the rate of one
hundred and fifty seven words to
the minute as / counted IN the three
seconds before / fled into the dark
and stermy- night. ----e---4-l-------
Did / say that / was somewhat
dishabille? Between the pen, the
ink. and the paper be it said that
| was clad in State Hospital shirt,
same being of the usual twenty sew
en- inch length to be found in such
places, and the proverbial poets
crop of hair (there being no custom
of cropping Hospital inmates). And
right here l would like to say for
the benefit of those who say that a
man can not have hair and gray
matter both, that my head has been
for many years a favorite gathering
place for that article Chair, that is),
and look at me! Is not the theory
irrevocably disproved? Why l have
graduated from seventeen bug
houses, besides this postgraduate
course in the st. Peter House of
Rest and Quiet Especial emphasis
on the quiet). But to resume
which was more than / could do as
to the matter of clothing unless /
chose to return and face my Meme
sis. which / did not, or, as decided
-oh you word!-to do, procure
clothes from such sources as might
present. Why go into details? I
procured rooms in that other most
inclusive pensione. up river this
time.
For while all went well. It even
appeared that / might be able at
last to avenge the twice repeated
defiance which had been cast in my
teeth. With ink dripping from my
elbows and paper coming forth from
my pen like as to the peaceful white
flannels of that most harmless of de-
stroyers- the summer resort man
returning from combat with the
street cleaner. fairly had the Pill
lar' topping. Indeed SO much SO
| that but a final effort was needed.
and, being in an artistic mood /
boldly attacked the shade of the
family saddle-horse. This will do
the job, me- Thought, and at the same
time give me the excuse for further
Preparations should anyone try to
again raise the noble columns.
In retrospect it seems to me that
mayhap it was the shade of Pegasus,
which could not brook such frivol-
GUS trif1ing nor allow. it to go un-
averged. Be that as it may, when
the time was due for the Pillar" to
again come forth, instead of being
lrecumbent in a splash of printers
ink as / had expected, 10! it strobe
fffdfth in all the majestic splen-
dor of regained equilibrium, and,
Lo of Los, my crime boldly set