IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V {./ souo. lOX 14X 18X 22X 28X 30X y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Harold Campbell Vaughan Memorial Library Acadia University L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grAce A la g^nirositA de: Harold Campbell Vaui^an Memorial Librairy Acadia University The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. 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Tous ies autres exemplaires originaux sont filmis en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration ot en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la derniire image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: ie symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre film6s d des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clich*, 11 est film* A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants Sllustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 4 i ^ mw^'" """"^ ■ \ I i OUR JOSHUA AS A REPORTER. BY BROIHER JONATHAN. Author of " Sketches by Brother Jonathan," " Rufttic Rambles," &c. COPYSiailT SECURED. ALL RIGHTS RESSRVBD, r \ I ( r ■ 11* I. i FREDERICTON, N. B.: • PRIXTED AT UEPORTER OFFh'E, YORK RTREKT. 18 8 4. ■ i~TtiA£i3rii-ii^ ' ' "^^y^pwtWWyW'ia*- J»a»jf^ii^jp^,.ij. .|.^ 1 Mnttti ftocordliif to Act o{ Tulkmeht of Caftadk fn tile feta 1^4, tf HERMAN Hv PITTS, in tke Office of iW M»i.t« ef Agrfcult^re. A» rigbte teBerf.4 A f ^IKfBH— OUR JOSHUA AS A REPORTER. fetit tm, f>f I CHAPTER t. AJJ iJJtRODlTCTION to OllR ttEKO.— HIS ftrttOOL-DAYS. There is an unaccountable fascination about a news- paper office which all the discoveries in science have never yet been able to make out. When a lad enters the village printing office to serve out his time and learn the glorious art) it is a rare exception if he ever changes his vocation. While this is true in the moi^e humble departments of the art, it is still more true in the literary departments. Few are the persons who^ after once entering into the reportorial fields of Journalism, can be induced to change their business, although they have frequently the oppor- tunity of doing so, and often with pecuniary advantages far superior to those which they can receive on the staff of any paper. \\ 4 01 'R .lOSTICfA A prevalent idea, which is entirely erroneous, is timt a snccessfui editor rnust be a College graduate. It is novv "■enerally conceded, among newspaper men at least, that it does not always require a college education to make a good journahst. the editor who has gone through the various dc[)artments of a newspaper office, and has perfected himself in each, has certain advantages aver the college graduate, lie I'now^s by a glance at the copy how much it will make when in ^.n^o, how to punctuate the article so that it will he readable, and knowing all about the various styles and sizes of type, he has the entire control of the office in his head. Of course many college graduate editors have this knowledge. This may riot show up so prominently in a krge. office, but on a country newspaper the knowledge oT the sev eral departments is invaluable to the editor. But now for our story. The hero of this exciting romance, Joshua Bangs', Esq., was a thorongh-bred printing office graduate, and the effort of this thiilling tale will be to show up some of his trials and pleasures. He first saw the effulgent light of ncwnday in a small town in Canada, which for the sake of euphony we will designate as Swamptown. At the tender age of thirteen he was escorted by his maternal relative into the sanctum sanctorum of the Swamptown Era, where the editor was informed that Joshua was a good boy, very good, but he had pleaded so hard to be an editor, that she was constrained to hand him over to his tender mercies to see what he could make out of him, "So, my little man, you would like to be an editor, would you ?" " Yes, Sir, I want to be a great man." " Well, Sir, you'll have to connnence as a devil in the printing office. Great editors from little devils grow." The printing office being in want of a devil, Joshua was duly installed in that capacity, and his vocation from that time forth was established. N- 1% As A REPORTER. Now Joshua had the name of being a precocious youth in the full sense of the term. , . . ,. His father had been a master mechanic in a machine shop, but having been suddenly deprived of the powers of respiration by too close proximity to a belt which came apart while he was attending to some of his multifarious duties, Joshua had been left at the early age of six without his restraining influences. .^-' ' ' Not having any brothers or sisters, he had grown up something like a hot-house plant,— a head of lettuce, rather than like an evil weed (a simile generally used) excepting that there was nothing of a green nature about our Joshua. i • i.i, i. He had attended school for some five years, and m that time ha^Pt OUR JOSHUA. "^ ITie ofVice .)f the Era was on one of the r^j^^cipal streets, and across the way was that of tiie i/«r«/rf- \\'^ entrance to the Era was up a narrow flight of staii-s, tlio office beinr. on the second flat ; the printing departinent in rear of the editorial room, which faced the street. Hie Herald occupied the lower flat of the building opposite. As Joshua made his entrance to the prmtmg ottice in company with the foreman, the gentle breezes of August were wafting the smoke from a rather low chimney opposite through the open window, and nearly bhnding the compositors. It had been an even question among them as to which kind of death would be P'efei-able-to be suflbcated with the smoke, or roasted to death with the heat ; the advent of the foreman closed the aigument in favor of roasting, so Joshua was sent to close d -vn the window. ^ , , .1. Whether it was the effect of the tears in his eyes, caused by the smoke, or his too great zeal to be usetul it is impossible to say. but in rushing to the windovv his foot caught the corner of a poster form, locked m a chase, which was standing against a post, knocking it down and distributing it promiscuously underneath several type- stands. In his anxiety to avoid stepping on any ot the scattering type, he bounced backwards, striking against a galley of nonpareil advertising matter, and tneng about half a column of it. Joshua gazed serenely on the destruction his zeal had caused, and ejaculated that immortal sentence, " Well, I'm blessed !" . i i • The foreman, an elderly gentleman, with an extoensive spot of bald on his head, and ?. pair of weak eyes pro- tected by old-fashioned bmss-iimmed sj)ectacles, was over washing his hands at a stand in one corner of the r(X>m. Healing the noi^e of the scattering type, he rushed m the direction of the window, and stumbled over a case ol minion which was left on a chair while one of the hands was blowing out the dust from the boxes, upsetting the case and nearly breaking his neck. 10 OUR JOSHUA ■fi* This second calamity foUowin^^ so close upon the first seemed to be the last straw necessary. After getting himself out of the t8.ngle with the minion case, the foreman took oft his spectacles, rubbed the smoke off them on the sleeve of his shirt, drew his hands across his eyes to dispose of any surplus moisture which might have accumulated from the eftects of the smoke, put on his spectacles again, and then mildly gazed down on the general disorder on the floor. There are uimes, eminent scholars have aid, when the Enghsh language will not eintirely express the shade of meaning desired by the speaker. If ever there were such times, this was one of th^m. He gazed at the floor, and from thence to the compositors, who in return gazed blankly from him to the floor. Few and short wero the words they said And they npoke not a word of sorrow. But devoutly wished that the matter was dea nignantly on our hero, and even condescended to pat his frowsy head. The rest of tliat day Joshua was a hero with the com* positors. It was enough to know that he had fought and won tor their honor, and that of the office. The late 'deVil,' a lad of about sixteen, offered his assistance in gathering up the pi, and showing Joshua wheie the cloths and old papers were, so between the two of them the office was fixed in pretty good shape before the after- noon closed. ^ J ' The foreman in the meantime Irnd gone in and recited the circumstances of the day to the editor, and they had a hearty hxugh over Joshua's first day's experience, and the dis- comfiture of the Herald office at the defeat of their champion. The next morning the poster was set up again, and work- ed off on the hand-press, and Joshua was sent out to put up twenty-five bills about the town. A new supply of paste had been made and with the bills under his arm, the . paste kettle in his hand, and a lump of taffy in his mouth he sauntered gaily forth into the bright, glad sunshine of that August morniug to fulfil his destiny. He had been tojdtoputhis bills up where others had been posted and he scrupulously carried out his orders. Whenever he would come to a place where others had been, he would carefully post over them. Not finding a suf- ficient number of places of that description, he posted the remainiug onea on fences or gates, in fact, anywhere he could find a smooth place that he could put them on easily. Aftar finishing the job, he had some time left hefor© the dinner hour, so he strolled towards the river. Seveml boys were in Hwiinming, among them a number of his hite ,-A V AS A RKPORTZR. 17 schoolmates. The heat of the day, the coo appearance of the water and the earnest invitation of the boys had a constraining influence over him, so depositing his Ke.tie near a log, and diverting himself of his tlothes. he plung- ed into the cooling stream. \ While disporting himself in the limpid watera, who should he spy on shore, sorting over his garments but his late antagonist, Small Pica, of the Herald office. A plenti- ful application of water, and the dexterous use of the needle had created quite a reformation in his appearance. Gathering up our hero's clothes and clutching the paste kettle, with a sardonic grin and a derisive motion ot his hand he rushed down the bank and dipped the bundle m the water; then with it under his arm he ran up the bank and to vi aids the town, leaving Joshua making frantic efforts to gain the shore. Nothing had been left but a paper collar ; venly an add- ing of insult to injury. Here was a dilemma indeed. Half a mile from home, with nothing but a paper collar, and a dirty one at that. One of his companions off'ered to go home and procure for him a suit of clothes, and after charging him not to let his mother know anything of the matter Joshua composed himself on a log to await developments. Small Pica, in the meantime, had made a bundle of our hero's garments, and tying a note to them, sent them with the paste kettle to the Era office, where their appear- ance created a most profound impression. The note attached read as f^lows : — " Al thftt is mcrtle of josa bangs esquire the patent lire and chftrapion pie-niaker of the ERE office. " , , ^ There could be no doubt about the clothes having once been Joshua's, for were not here the same soiled shirt and torn pantaloons ; and the paste kettle had knocked around the offica too lone, not to be a familiar object to all. 13 OUR JOSHUA Had really some dire calamity happened to Joshua thus early in his typographical career ; or was it only a xjractical joke ? What meant these saturated garments and this badly scribbled note ? What had becoitte of the boy who but an hour ago had gone forth in such jubilant spirits ? The foreman silently wiped his spectacles— a habit he had when particularly affected— and picking up th« bundle walked into the private office. The editor was striking off a leader on "The demoralization of the anti-confederation party" and did not notice the silent entrance of Mr. Muf- fins, the foreman, (Mr. Muffins always did everything silently), till at length he glanced up and caught the dis- tressed look of that gentleman. "What's up, Muffins; anything gone wrong inside? Boy been raising Cain again V* " No, Sir ! T\n afraid he*ll never rais« Cain any more. Look at the last remnant of a forlorn hope," and the foreman deposited the aforesaid bundle on one chair and himself in another, in a weary, disconsolate sort of way. " Do you know sir, that boy has woven himself around my heart, and I felt almost like a second father to him," and Muffins sighed deeply and thought of the widow and her cottage. 1. i.u' The editor read the note, and looked over the things. *« What on earth has become of the boy, do you suppose ^^liluffins?" Come brace up, don't look so sorrowful, and give us your opinion." • rv « that is what I came up to see you about sir. Do you suppose he's drowned ?" " Drowned ? No ! that boy is born to be hung and you could not find water enough in Che vicinity of Swamptown to cover that head of his. He'll turn up all right I'll bet a five cent cigar, but just when, and how, I am not prepared ^ /ust then a shout was heard from the printing office and among the murmur of voices could plainly be recognized that squeaky voice etf Joshua's. AS A REPORTER. 19 ^' «o and bring the young imp in here, and let "8 see .here he" been ^anywaV" laid the editor. Muihns re^ tired and in a few moments returned with Joshua by the '""such an appearance as he presented as he st(X)d in th^^^ office door The editor, foreman and printers could not restrain their mirth at the sight of him. /f^T^.Kp^ Joshua's friend had succeeded in getting a suit of clothes such as they were, but as they had been previously worn by^impson, 8r.,-father of. the boy -^ and l^ad seen some pretty hard usage, they were not exactly suitable for a "" m^'pants were about fourteen inches too long, and cor- respondingly large around the body, llie coat homespun Ind very much Vne in seveml sections, reached down te our hero's knees' and the vest had but two t" «^ ^^ and was lashed around with a piece of cord The hat was of straw and much damaged by the '^^*l^^'\^ZhJ^^^^ After the mirth had somewhat subsided, Joshua was interviewed as to the cause of so much old Junk being in the vicinity, and he, in a mournful tone told of his morn- ing's experience. Considering that he had undergone such rough treatment and had been tanned so dark as to be ahnost unrecognizable he Was forgiven, and ff"* J« «^«|^ his clothes, for as he graphically expressed it J there ^as nothing but an old rusty horsenail between him and ex- posure!" CHAPTER IV. THOSK POSTERS. -HIS VISITING CARD.-HB IS THE VICTIM OP A JOKE— DRIFTING WITH THE TIDE. Quietness once more reigned in the ^ra office. Nothing disturbed the beautiful serenity of the occasion, except the Xin- of a dilapidated cat which Joshua had rescued fom starvation in the gan-et, and which he considered is own personal property. The click, chck.olick of the tvne as thev drop >ed in the sticks of the compositors wa^ music to the foreman's ear. and his face beamed with ben volence and perspiration as he «".oung man ; maybe you're the very party I want Some infernal imp of satan has gone and posted r"*:?" „..!:„ «.u" hill on mv front gate, and I want to •4ndhimTnd'mako"an example of -him; and the m»u l\ OUR JOSHUA. 21 „ro«nd h,s teeth together, and ^tamP f -^°»f ' ^"S^*^" r„g the cat, and making every one f««^ Wp ^j . ^„ The man that ^'^^'flf^Xiin^l^thfLr.'^ eye think 80 at least, and aftei taKin, ' ; • g^id and the size of his foot -['^^^'ti^f^hTT^fcf office " devil' of the Herald. ,. peotacles as The foreman f ?f ,«?<1,'^' tlvpeX^ continue his he moved around behmd the type sKin" ailoring business, but did ""^ «ay anjthmg Click: click, cUck! the type fell »g»'"f ^^P'^^^. of the places, a slight shuffle was heard at t^« JoMon stairs, and Suddenly a sharp rap waa given on which made all hands start a^am. ^^ Joshua slid out from behmd the stand but could get to the door .t «»« ^^"^fj" g.tTt Joshua he of the Herald strode m. Shak mg nis nsv » delivered himself something m this wise ■ ^ ^^ "Yov. young imp of Saten X««- ./.f ^^ow you. You pound you so your mother wouldn t ^°o* ?" ,.,„„.,«.l Lve gone around town and P"«^;^ y^"MeeUng' bills, •Auction Saw- over every one o^ou^ Ll^fthatls not and we can t find one in tne w»""= , ^^ j, you covered up. Do you know. sir. f /"" ;,^^^„„ent^for are liable to a fine, sir, a fine, and to ""P"^"V^. " ^^j life sir, imprisonment for life ; and you ought to b« Pangea sh^ ha .ged^, and if I catch you doing the l^^" '^^>:?'^^'] flo^ voa sir flo.' Tou within an inch of yom ^'^'/^^ with a w!h4-w"that set Joshua's teeth on edge and the Itll of brimstone through the f-. ^« ^"f^Vto wa and swooped down stairs, overturning a ™*"^»° ^^^ tust «nten*ng below with a communication on *« Advance ofScience,fknockh,g_alltW.n-^^^^^^^^ article, aiiu liiatiinj^ iUKi rrw »ix.^,^- " ' . ' for many a day. i«SW OOB JDSHJD^ 22 , .n""" ■^"^•T^■^ Th«f«.*ma" glanced over hUspecUelcs again, and into trouble on »;='='"".'■,,"' '^^X m .re careful in future those bills »,>. You w^mve to be » ^ not to cover any l^l'^T^'Vi-u" cat iumped up on the w.n- All was silence a^.n. Ihe ««■ J""' g; '„„eh to the aow sill and tegan ^''^"'l^naf SrinR V was about amusement «f ^V" t .Z"*^ %« and^i^*-!- Thun.p. concluded. The V*"^^ Jfn'lme up the stair, four steps thump, tl'»"'P.' ""*f .It^Mt^ffir It was the edito, ol t^r ''HV'r^hroierftuffins excitingly ex- /=''^:Sere,Muffins,thisthing.g^^^^^^^^^ infernal walking cbromo "^ ^^^'.t^ ani before a •Auction Sale' poster on my new ten^, ^^^^_ «eek the place will be *=°"\P'^X^„ ^this business and V,ills. We shall have to put a stop to tn ^.^^ ^e might as well commence 6- - 1^^- J^, 1 wieve going over and ''""'^^"''''"^"^'^^dr Joshua ! go over to he was put up to it .^f *;-: °*'^f jhev ever pott another the ^«™^' .""if -^,f " taction Tor damages against bill on my lence 111 bring an * v^rgain!" and the them and skin their boy ahve in tM ^ S» ^ off an editor rushed i5'\l"%r'^ tendency of the Small Koy." article on the " Destructive tendency ^^^ y_ befed^»Xfwll;.,.to keep you out ormi^hief," JT-^' ^^.'^etttom of the stairs when Joshua had hardly got ^ ^^-,^^^^1 with a heavy dis- , , .Urn, degenerated looking mdmf^a^^;„„,,y ^^^ ,.■ IV ,t paier coUar and a thin voic . ^fljce door. ' > _• _w.:i. Ud aentlv tapped at tnepriuv^^.^ ^^^ .^ irSrwasaSsweWbySpuds, tueex-u.-... ...- - Jldred of the visitor his business. AS A REPOBTKR. «» "Ah' mv fine fellah! I believe you are. ah r the peieLiaoated as the. ah, devtt oTthe ,mnt,ag Sec, aS r aaW he with the extensive collar.-, •' No ! devil's out on an errand : , " Ah ' ves vou don't tell me ! Dear me ah ! why you look black enouah to be the devil himself, ah! Quite a Se. .^^ but wh-en that, ah ! imp of ''-^--knef ^^"'^ . "P; •will you kindly ask him for me.ah ! to desist m future h-im pasting bills on my bam, ah! in f"''"'e. ^ X^" pCe I am ah ! a well known resident of Tomato Can aC and I don't appreciate these little courtes.es, ah! ^"sTruck the wron/VlaceM., office over *« way «»-, always posting up bills where they hadnt ought -o, or noTTstW them up at all. Vcs sir. ah happy to see vou^.^in8ir,ah,atany time !" and he bowed him out with the ereatest politeness conceivable. "^ LKhortly ^fter returned with the flour and was instructed by Spuds in the mysterious art of making printing office paste Spuds by this time cons,dei-ed iimaelf a full fledged journeyman now. that he had some "'^r trdTnot take very i^dily te the making of this pveoaration and spUled considerable on the stove fillin-r ttie air with an odor of burnt flour. He fonn.l it warm work on that sultry August "afternoon, and was very much pleased when six o'clock came and all hands knocked off, for the day. ,,-1.1 „j.>..i„ The next morning Joshua got around bright andearly. opened up, and swej.t out the oftice. Ajtej h« l.a4 fin- ished sweeping and dusting, he looked a.ro'"«l^ t" »*" what there w^ to amuse himself with. Celtic, the cat^ mmed on account of her slim FOpo^io^, wi« sunn ng heiself on a window sill, and sW>ly ';«rt*.'"S f"^/'*^^ Not a very nutritious diet one would imagme, stiU one nuite coneenial to the taste of the feline tnbe. - ^Joshua Ud been thinking the day before that a ^rson ._ 1,. _ _.-x: „v.«»i;i VkftVA gomp viaittnff cards, so ne ma^e a'tour":f°the';fli7e to find a style of ty,-. that **•■ 24 onn JosmiA 1 1 ,, •. V <>„«*„ TTp liail some troublfi in making would suit hm fancy. H«- , ,..?T,„„, . utter he conM <,ut the various Icinds, but at la-it lound a le"*^ ' . ^ Uv^i. 'eaMl •. Getting *' tftm-? ' 3d down Uie came near [Y hero, me, and wo had floated he afternoon, mplete some ,r much hope i meet »ome d as a paddle, pole, but the centre of the river, all tKe wV.le ^-^^irlrriwt ^Z intoaioom, -^fj"f,J^^^Sio-ZJ^^r^' raft :lt Tsffi\httot *tr w^fbo* got thoroughly '"■« Wet"-. JoBh, I believe were m a .-""f ,f .^M^:," ever He., we ar. a quarter of a m.le out .n ^e^rver darkness coining o« and «'8^ °' *?" ^^ t^e ™°°«« '"g^- We'll just have to make a run ot it over t^ ^j^^^j And Spuds wrung the water out of h« lAp. stiiverea, and endeavoi'ed *» l««''.'*''Si?«'- ^ y^ ^^^i^g With one at each end of the pole iney "°o i' » theU- way over the wet, s.ipi^og«,^j^»d many ab^eb^at about twelve o'clr't"lftTr ^"fyd left ascertained a.s to their whei-eabouts ^if^J^l ^^"''j theotticc. There wa» indeed rqoicwg m the home 01 Joshua at the prodigal's return. .vjoount the Jry^^S:tf the^'Sitf ^g^rr^f: ™. h! i^Tn'^he Era would take l^ks '« >^'fv±'^^ ^^ at being allowed to «t up »° »l^'''" f"' ' ;" J^^S' Lw elated his mother was at seeing it in P""^*' ™"'°"f » ft w« Jnly « "'edical notice; the P'intmg mk he aot daubed oi^r his clothes, and how »he scolded at that. Kirnees o.;his yX^iiX' wK^^arn^r^ exi^enencos well known to eveiy uoy wno »». piiiiting iitivjS. / 28 OUR JOSTT0A Hivin^' sh3^a a few of the mmy (liffi3ulfci i anj tnaf» our her 1 .vas auSjecte 1 to in the o fije, it \viii low l>3 the etton to give a short history of him as a reporter. 1? n CHAPTER V. CHANGE OB SCENE. — JOSHUA BECOMES A REPORrER. INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE EDITOR.— HIS FIRST ARTICLE. — smith's GOAT Joshua was still in the printing office. For some years or more he had occupied the subordinate office in which humble capacity he had been diligently making mischief, and to which the last few chapters have been devoted. A change was made, another boy came under him and he was given steady work at the case. One day, after he had been at the office some five years, while working away at a hard piece of copy on" the Desire for a change of Government," the editor, whose name by the v^ay was Zedekiah Jones, called Joshua into the private office. On entering our hero was accosted as follows : , "See hero, Joshua, you are a pretty blight kind of a chap although you are young, and I think I'll give you a little bit of a change. Johnson our reporter has gone ► home sick and he may not l)e back for a week or so. and I)ossibly he may not want his job any longer, anyway ; I wonder if you can't knock around town and get what's going on. Jf you like to try it, you can get your copy up and I'll look over it before it goes to the case' and I guess we can make out all right between us. You can work in the printing otfioo for three days out of the week, and the other throe you can tiy your hand at roj^jortorial work. '■■i««iil.., .»*«<«*■■'««.■»• '> <-»'BM»W»««Wlll«WW*»— AS A REPORTER. 29 Well What do you say about it r »f ,f,,«f3"edZ! '^rrs cs rof f s to -;an,^4tLti was Riven a memorandum book and pencil, with instruc tions t« report for work next mormng. On i-eturuing to the P^^ing "fficy^on^^Uo' still stuck with the editor, he wa» accosted by -putts, wuu to the old office. , . ju„ < „rand " What makes you look so glum, did 50U get me „ bounce" at last, old fellow ?" , , .; .^^ .. No I've got Johnson's place for part of tiie t me, ana rm to knock off to-morrow and go out after news, ^pl^d Joshua, bmcing up and looking as proud as a boy with first pair of high boots. .„„<.„„, How on earth " What ! you don't mean to tell me^so ! now on «a did he ever come to get you I wonder. " Oh I suppose he thought I'd likeiy make it as uveiy for the'reaWthe £ra, as I have for the hands 111 he IT Tsav' vou just wait until you see some of the :lpy I senTin to you. I'll bet you will o^n yo»r eyes w1^h ear and trembling when you Ret hold ofit. ^d Toshna jammed a lead-pencil over h.s ear and t^ tojook interesting. Oh! but wont I just write up the societ, "''" Tn,hua mv friend, I am really sorry for you. Ytu musfktw bTthis tim; that 1 think conside^ble o^ou.bu I «ee this finishes you up completely My de^"^^«"«^„y f needn't try to throw on so much style at the t^P"" "^ , y mrVrtorial career. You will have to dye that haii«f vm,r, mint over those fi-eokles, take a slice off your ieet ana wea^mt mear^ultices on your hands at night for a month r ; t bX^ they ever wiild let yo« into a rcspegle house at all without it was in *« ''''*''«"'^*"'^„^^'^ j^a. w.i-h vou as though you were a tramp. No use, Josnua Uv !nXf you™ would give you away anywhere. The so ;Kia'/J^ji; 0\J^ JO^UISA vacancy you wjre expected to fill in this world was break- ting stones on the road or cutting , cord- wood. That's your proper sphere in life and you will have to strike your level sooner or latei. I'here is no doubt, in my mind now that the Herald was right when it said the boss was an old imbecile and should be sent over to the asylum,*' and Spuds turned to his case, disgusted with our hero, the editor, and everybody and everything in general. ** You just keep cool Spuds and allow your hair to grow, and when I get driving around with my span I shall not forget you. " Span ! humph^ — now look here Josh, be candid. Sup- pose now that houses were selling for ten cents each, could you actually take a mortgage on a shingle. Come now ain't you just as hard up as that. " Well, Spuds, there is no doubt you are pretty near right, but then you see I am speaking of the future —the future, my apoplectic friend," and Joshua drew out his memorandum book and made several hieroglyphics in it. The next morning Joshua repaired to Mr. Jones for in- structions and was given some general hints about reporting. ** Now my boy, there are a few things I want to tell you, which will come in handy and save you having to learn them by experience Above all things, never allow the Herald to get an item heioce our paper — always give the clearest and most minute account of !oeal events bringing in the names of the parties concerned. Never hesitate to put the facts down just as they occur. These aie a few , points to begin with and I will instru«.'t you farther as you 'get along. Your experience in the office will give you all the ideas you require about your copy etc. Try and wiite so as the hands can decipher it." j Joshua topk a walk around town, inquined of several , persona if there was 'anything new going on,* but the only thing out of the common he could see was a dog-fight. He returned to the office just before twelve o'clock, and as AS A REPORTER. SI the editor was out he dropped into the printing office fof ^a chat with his bosom friend, Spuds. « Well I'* said that personage, ** you look quite fine with your Sunday clothes on. I suppose things havd been pretty brisk outside to-day. Let's hear what you have picked up anyway and possibly I may give you some sug- gestions. Oenius can never criticise its own doings you know/* " The fact is Spuds, there's not very much going on any* way« liCt me see," and our hero pulled out his memoran- dum book, puckered up his forehead, and tried to look as though he was in deep thought ;" Let me see ! Oh yes : * Measles Are very pr«vsJ^t.' " ** What, never," shouted Spuds, " you don't mean to say you're going to perpetrate that on the boss. Why w;eVe got that on a sterrotyped block and run it in to fill up the columi 3 with. See here, Joshua, don't you do it-^don*t vou do it If you get that off on the boss he'll put you back on the case this afternoon, and I don't believe in the retrograde movement plan. Scratch it out, by all means, scratch it out j take a friend's advice. A fKend who has stuck closer than a poor relation ;" and Spuds looked down on our hero from his seat on a high stool, and put on a countenance of the deepest melancholy « Well I guess I'll take your advice, but do you know, Spuds, news is awful scarce, and I've got to have something. How does this strike you : -^ -i , !^irik'M»Io«ey't childnm are laid up with the whooping-cough. This lady 18 a poor widoi^ who supports herself and children by the laudable occu- pation of taking in wanhing and going out scrubbing. Thii U indeed a dire affliction on the family. Any aseistance would be gratefuUy received. Spuds scratched his head and looked wise. " Say I this is some of your society newH, eh I I'm afmid the bos^ will t scratch that out as being too common. Better write it over again Josh, and work in the item in a more smooth ■ •I 3 .' r *■ HaKMMMIka 32 OUR JOSHUA if: ! manner. Now how would this strike you," and Spuds leaned o'vei and took the pencil from behind Joshua's ear and turning ovct the piece of copy he was setting, wrote OB the back of it. THE TRIALS OF A LONE WIDOW, *' We feel deeply to regret the sad affliction which has lately befel one of our moBt respeeted and highly esteemed families. While apparently •njoying the best of health, the children of Mrs. Maloaey, of Dog Lane, were suddenly attacked by that dreadful and fell disease— whooping cough. At all hours of the day and night do their youthful voices raise in harmony to whoop out their distress. Truly a pitiable sight. The poor widow bears up remarkably well und er her trials, and still attends to her manifold duties with patienoe and diligence. She can be depended upon for doing as good a job as ever in the laundrying and doing up ofgentlemen's under wear. With a disposition truly angelic she bears up under this heavy tribulation, and can be procured by the day or week to cleanse the apartments of any who need her services All charges moderate. Business attended to with Beatness and despatch." " Now Josh" said Spuds holding the copy up before him and reading it off with great gusto. *• Now I think that hits the idea ofT just about as you want it. I pride my- self on the fact that this is a piece of news and that it embraces also a puff. If you have two old shirts and a handkerchief, I have no doubt Mrs. Maloaey would re- ciprocate—see. Yours* is all very well but you have not- extended enough. I am afraid Spuds that it is too long. Th3 boss told me to go into particulars but I don't think his idea was to enlarge on such comTnon subjects. I believe I'll risk him on mine. " Well you'll miss it," growled Spuds, ** but go ahead. What's your next item ?" " Mr. Hardtack has opened a Drug Store en Centre Street, andfis mak- ing a very fine display in his shop windows." * J :^* Never do in the world. Josh; olJ Hardtack \h going to advertise in the Herald and you must wi lie u,xi item that will bring tliat advertisement to uti. The boas) I object I mk< AS A RBPOETER. S3 i tc any free advei'tishiow wibhout he sees a chance of get^ ting a return. You'll have to change that. Now just listen to this* my boy, and Spuda dug aw&y at the papei^ for a few moments, then read off the following^ffusion r. In passing along C*-ntre ^twet we wera plewed to notion a «e.w attraio tion in that vicinity. A gentieman of means luid taste, haafittednpi^ Dru» Store, and by the han^Botnely displumed fronts it h yrpU s««iing tbe propri-^ etor proposes to make it the attraction of that thorooghf are. The gfmtleman is knuwn to be endowed with those rare qualities, pron^pt attentioi^ to businesA and the knowledge of the benetitB of advertising. Il^e proppsea thix>ijgh tite. pre*'* and otherwise to extensively make known his many medicinal remedits, and to thus increase his already lai^e premises. Weittiik him every success in his endoavuur to ^JiQoara^e ^radi} and proiip.f)f|e thi|, prosperity and happiness of our thriving little commanitf, ,f " Now I flatter myself, Josh, that, here yeu bayetfee necessary soft soap litemture to insure a standing ad* vertisement. While his name is not actually given, SttH he will know it was for him, and he will walk iiroupd in the blissful belief that he is all that that puffs hipa. up to be. Put it in by all means Josh, ray boy, and casually drop in this afternoon and block him for a box of cigars. He'll bite like a bass. ''I'll think it over, Spuds ; don't you think it. a' IjttlQ extendtid_.t1icugh, but how does this strike you ?" iJo% l<>;airft.—A"dog figVt. occurred at the corner of Goose Alley and H«rring Street. A cr«wd snou gatlicred, and for a few moments there was (luite a liv-ily time'in tlsaki5viciidty. lite dogs were finally separated by Miss'McHioliigan thty>wtng a pan of tKsh water over them." "Won't do'at all, Josh."** You go in the private office and write that dog-fight up in a more extemled style give the particulars al>out the do^s and the dish-water and it will please the boss, who is quite a sporting character 3^011 know.| He likes particulars and — pickles, so make it minute and sharp." Just ^here the foreman who had been noticing their animated conN'ersatioR start- ed over in the direction of the stand they were at, «nd Spuds g>abl>ed his stick, and nva^^e ft show as though he was workincf hard. tfiil ill u aC^ JOSHUA Joshua read the dog- fight article over again and con- cluded that possibly he might improve it, so he retired to the office and wrote it up in a slightly extended manner, fie had just finished it when the editor came in. Mr. Jones pulled off his coat and depositing himself in ft chair, produced another of his cheap ci^rs. " Well, Jo^aa, what luck have you had this mornings my boy ? and he lounged back in his chair and hoisted his feet on the desk— a position apparently quite comfort^ able, if not el^ant, " Have not had very good luck, sir ; everything very ^uiet. I have made out a s^ort list, sir, but they seem almost too coramon-plaee to put in the paper, sir I " All the better for being common-place, Joshua, my boy. Our readers will understand them the easier, besides its better to begin in a humble manner than try to soar too high.** Joshua handed over the copy be had prepared and the editor glanced over it. ** Ain't much of it, is there Joshua ? but you'll do better this afternoon." " I have written out a short sketch of a dog fight that occurred down street this morning, sir, which I am a little doubtful of. Will you kindly look it over and see if it would do?" Mr. Jones reached for another match to get his cigar tinder way, and read the article while Joshua awaited his opinion with considerable anxiety. ▲ BITTER COMBAT. ^BtAt aiSHATloV IN OOOSI AU/ET.— HEBRIira STBKIT IN A FURORE. The t-midents in the vicinity of this w«M known lo(»lity were thrown in ft itate bordering on frenzy by a terrible oombat which took place there yesterday morning. Two dogs of a mongrel breed, which were prowling arotmd in search of old bonea, were excited by the criee and demonstrations of certain urchins to grapple with each other with great fury. The cries of the boys and the snarling of the blood-thirsty canines soon drew a large number of apectatora to the spot, who appeared to immensely enjoy the Nte, AS A REPORTED. S5 ^e^perate conflict. Subsequent inquiries showed th. the black, and larget dog of the two, was the property of M.-. Fangle, the baker ; and that the ismaller, but Apparently the uwst ravenous, belonged to ^r. Bungle, the butcher. Whether it was from the nature of Mr. Fangle's occupation w« are not «bl€ to say, but it seems that his dog, althoigh much larger, had a «trong antipathy to taking part in the encounter, and was forced into it out of self d«f nee rather than from desire. Mr. ifeanj^ls's dv>g, on the contrary, «oemed to gioty in the attraction they were cauuing, and snapped and snarled the louder. The fight continued for some time, none of the fipectators showing any disposition to interfere. In fact some of them expressed a desire to offer wagers on the result, and we might observe in passing, that heavy odds were offered on Bungle's pu,>, but c )uld find mo takei-s. Wkile the despicable affray was going on, and no one apparently evincing a disposition to interfere, a brav>e and noble wo^an, a very Grac*; Darling in her sphere in life, appeared in the pereon of Miss Jhidget MoHolli(>an, who, with a bravery rarely tfefefc in one of her sex, or in one so young, stepped into the circle of THE BAMPAOB.— 18 FINALLY SECURED. Yesterday afternoon, as an Era reporter was crossing the road opposite Mr.Y.Thomaa Smith's issidence on Blissful street, he noticed that «omething more than ua«al was transpiring in that gentleman's yard. Fearful that M AS A RIPJRTER, tlicre might b? some person in trouble, he hurriedly cross id the road and entered the gate. Inride the yard quite a lively scene was being enacted. It seems that a gentlemaa in th« co«atry had owed Mr. Smith a small accovmt, which bad been standing for some time. Mr. Smith had feli satisfied that his prospects ofre^iaiagon that bill were very small, and ■when the farmer offered to settle it by the transfer of a goat, he jumped at the barg .in, believing he could dispose of the goat for mor« than the amount of the account. In this Smith showed that he did not know that farmer, and that he did not know that goat. It also had been stipulated in th« bargain that the goat should be l«?ouj:^t to town and delivered. For the week previous to the delivery of the aforesaid animal, Visions of l>orridge and goats' milk had been floating through the brain of the several members of the Smith family, and when the auspicious day came on which the goat was brought, their disappointment was great to find that it was not the kind of a goat tha* gives milk. However, the bargain had been made, and the farmer refused to take the goat back home again, so nothing else could b« done than find some place to keep it until it could be disposed of. A rope had been secured around the animal's neck, and from that to a board in the, fence, and he had been allowed about eight feet ot slaek rop« to allow hitjj to nibble at the grass ia the cprner of the yard. Yesterday afternoon Mr. Smith had left the goat, as he supposed, securely tied to the fence, while he came down town to attend to his duties at the Herald office. Mrs. Smith liad viewed with pleasure tiie beauties ai the day, and had concluded to make some soft soap, which had been long a matter of anxiety on the good lady's mind. She had got a leach barrel out in the yard on a bench, and as the yard was quite large, had made a fire ia the ceutie of it and himg a pot over the flames to boil the lye. Everything had worked very fi ely in the morning. The b'ach barrel had turned out considerable lye, and in the afternoon after the goodman of the house had departed she had started the fire. Up to this time the goat had been grasirs: sway qnietly iu his own corner, the children having been particu- I.*rly cautioned not to go near or teaze him. The pot supported on two crotched sticks, was nearly filled with lye, and soon the fire had biased up and heated it and it began boiling nicely. From the si^ht of the fire or the gusts of smoke which occa.sionally blew over in his direction, the goat began to get uneasy, and at last quite furjous. The children ran into the house, but Mrs. Smith would not leave the sacred vicinity of her soft soap. At last, by continual working and jumping the goat broke the rope. Ihe first thing he did was to bu^t over the kettle of lye, scalding himself severely, and burning himself in the fire, which only served to make him more ferocious. He chased Mrs. Smith around the vard several times, and thsit lady had to climb on the top of the leach barrel to get beyond his reach. When the reporter entered the yard she was perched on the top of th* ■^1 ■MM ss OUB JOSHCTA barre], with her feet in the ashes aiid a soap bone in each hand, wildly e-illing for hetp. Th* goat not content with butting ever the large kettle of Ije which was on the fire,, had also knocked »ver that raider the leach barrel, and the loes of the lye and her ignominious position combined to» mnke Srer considerably irritated at the g<^t, who was now rtmning thing* abotit as he pleased in the yard. The advent of the reporter wa» h »fgn f(ir him to change his tactira, and he made a riwh at that individual, who sud- denly discovered that »elf-pre»ervatiott wns the first law of nature, and quickly slipped owft'ol^the gate, closing it after bim. The velocity with which the goat struck the gate caiasod the removal of two panels, and hi» boms went completely through the aperture. The reporter quickly grasped the protruding horns and shouted lustily to Mrs. Smith to get in the 6ou»e, which that good lady was nothing loath to do. With the assistance of some pasg«rs-by the goat was secured again and the yard rigbt«d up. Mrs. Smith proposes to boil the rest of the soap i» the bouse, and to get clear of that goat immediately, if she has to hire two men t« take It down to the river and drown it. There is every probability, however, that Mr. Smith's goat will be a source of vckor» trouble than profit to that gentleman. , If it had been any other person than Smith, a member of the Herald office staflF, there is every probability the article would have been rejected, but as it was a hit at some one on that obnoxious paper, it passed. ,Ri CHAPTER VL THAT LECTURE. — POtTRY FOR THE PEOPLE. — AN INTE&VIEV WITH A NUMHEK OF PROMINENT CITIZENS. ** There is going to be a lecture in the Town Hall to* night, Joshua, and [ think you had betfer go down. You might hear something interesting that you can work up into an extended article. I haven*t been able to get up very much this week. The speaker is a fellow they have imported from British Columbia, or some other outlandish place, and he is to talk for an hour or so on * Women's {Suffrage.' I can't give you anything extra for going, but I fully agree that you should have something handsome for sitting through such a dry proceeding, I think of going off in the country for a day to look after some delinquent subscribers, but I shall see all the proofs to-night, excepting your article on the meeting, which Mr. Muffins and you can read in the morning. You needn't hesitate to go for those fellows at the Hall to-night, if you think it worth while making it a little lively, but don*t put in anything that will break the press. I know yaa will do the occasion justice," said the editor. ** Thank you, sir, for your good opinion. 1 shall be at the meeting and shall endeavor to give a good report." Joshua retired to the printing office and interviewed Spuds about the meeting, and they concluded to attend in company. Spuis said he hadn't had a chance to sleep mm ■M m * 40 OUR JOSHUA N much at night of late, and he thought it would be a good oppojtunity to work in two hours of calm repose. That evening, attired in their best, they were at the Hall at the appointed time and took seats well up to the front. Mr. Uuills, the reporter for the Herald, had placed a table on the platform and had seated himself at it for the purpose of taking notes of the lecture. Mr. Quills was a young man whose aspirations poinlcxl towards the bar, and his toes did pretty often also, if one was to judge from the appearance of his rubicund counte- nance. It was Yery evident that Mr. Quills was highly impressed with the importance of the occasion, and also of the prominent and central figure he presented, and it was apparent that he imagined the speaker had been brought there expressly to give him (Quills) a chance toshuw off. The report of the meeting as it appeared in next day's Ei-a was materially different from that in the Herald. WOMAN'S SUFli'RAGE. I« Hi IWO HOURS OF MiaERT, A»D «0W THE AUDIBiTCE BOUK UF URDEB THE TRIAL. LMt night Mr. Buncombe, who hsilM from the Sandwich IsUndit or tome of the South Americftn coantriea, and who it is presumed is p'nming him- •elf for iome political end», deliTered a most pmralisiug add ohb to a fair audience in the Town Hall. A number of people were there whom ono Womld be Burprined to find at a gatherfaig of thin nature. Mr. Quills of the Herald, waa present, but h< w be g«it in when the adrnifision was ten centn, is a question enshrouded iu olwcurity. Conjeeture failfl. He may hare blocked his way in. a habit which has developed largely with him of iate. Mr. Quills occupied a seat on the platform, the lecturer stood up. It was some time before the audience could entirely comprehend the nature of Mr. Quill's businetM on the platform. For a while they imagined he had tak«n the job of supplying the speaker with water, or of showin},' the ladies to seats, but thea the fact of Mr. QuilU' extraordinary aversion to water suggested ine impossibility of the first hypothesis, and his bashfulness decided the other. We were aftwwards infonued that he was nresont in the capacity of & rennrter. which inftirma^ tion was a source of preat relief, aa we feared he might have the intention of also addressing the uieetiof. AS A REPORTER. 41 ,f..r Tie aufHeQC3 wm not largo but highly re«?i)ectablo ; Mrs. McGarrity with her five children occupi«d the front bench. The lecturer was a small man with a great extent 6t swallow-taU coat and %hite cuifs, and it was obse-vable that every time QuUIb looked at those tails it 8e«med to n ake him thirtity. However, we must say this mnch for him, that he did not go out " to see a man" throughout the whole evening, which in itself created no little surprise among tl^ audience, particularly that part which knew him l>e8t. The lecturer opened by passing a deserving tribute on t?f^^ dfeij^ of audience, and dwelt strongly on the intellectual appearance of tii« ladies present. He tliought they all Were desirous of haviag the franchise ex- tended to embrace their sex. (A little disturbance was caused, just here, by 8* me substance of a foreign nature dropping into the throat of the younger sciftn of the house o^ McGarrity, who had been taking in the phow with great serenity and open mouth. The maternal representaiive of the house placed him cross-ways on her lap and pounded him severely, and ho choked up a brass button which he had swallowed ia the excitement caused by the speaker's opening remarks. The lecturer smiled down on the child in a benign sort of a way, and as soon as quietness waj re8torod,continued.) He said this was an important question, and would commend itself to the feelings of all present. (Great applause from Quillfl.) Were not the women as competent to vote as the men ? As he made this remark he gaaml down on the audience, presumably with the intention of giving the point time to fix itself in their minds, but Johnny Flannigan, a youth of some twelve summers, who had gained admittance by carrying around dodgers for the entertainment, misunderstood the intention and answered that he guessed they wasn't. " Pa says that women are a lot of pesky old fools anyway, . and wouldn't have Bense enough to vote for a hog-reeve. The only bigger fools he knows on, is them people who go around lecturing when they orter be homeouttin wood." These remarks caused much levity as it was pretty generally known among the audience the Flannigan Sr. never could be induced to vote for less than a dollar ; that his wife kept the family by taking in vtrashing and th*t his propenai'ies did not run in the way of cutting wood or doing anything else in fact. The lectuitu' colored slightly and oontinned aumewhat faster. He felt that woman had been endowed with the Bam« intellectual abilitiefl as man, and that she had a higher sphere in this wurid'n ethion than the nere routine of house w6rk, that all the privileje« 'appertaiBing to the opposite sex should be .accorded her. (Hoih'- maiieious -nu. evil diBponed ] irsott had brought a pea-blower to the lecture, and just at this fetage of tlie proceedings one of these small uiissllim was thi'uwa in such a manner xr^ /i-iii. ...■• Am^ m4-^t»S: -l^fcylf . wards so suddenly as to over turn his chair, making a great clatter and rcutly dittouucertiug thu ij[>caker. Mr. QuUIh quickly picked hiiuttolf up, Hi •Mm •tlitaMMHi 42 OUR JOSHUA liable toiptf::c„"ui';' -irrr *"' '"p^"^" '°''"-'""* C-^ when » I- t* ''"y '" ""^ ^»^"'««'- rf« Cc^n- I^de hL n '''u' 'u^*•■" S'"^" " ""' door. Layinc, aside his papor he bade his visitor entpr H. very offen thl ?"","'" ', -""^'""^ *"^»"'« i' »'«» "o rn7d:ub:d'r:trtt.'''""^^''""'^"''*''' "" ">'' ^-'— <« The youoa lady hesitated about enterinR, but on elan,- courage and U^idlytntr^Id """"'' '''' "P"""'"'' '» "»'" Mi;^°:Kd''iitrhe-d:rel -.- ,XrTs ♦« u 1' . '-"'*■"' Oi u laa known we were irmutr Txttz: tS:*^-'''"- "'■■^«^' ^'^ ""' -^'' ™- JaoVof or hi '^"^ '°"'''"' •''"'"""K'y ■"'<• tl-^ freckled • ni Lf ^ * *'* '° '** y°" ! "' '^<""'. «t down and li e* Well T7~'"' ^''"«^ y°" '''"''' '■""'■o Jsus pose. Well ,,t down anhe editor's easy chair, leaned back, toyed with his lead pencil, and tried to look extremely wise. "It ain't the spring racket is il ? You know it is rather late for that, but we might hold it over for next year." " Spring racket ! I do not understand exactly what you mean ?'» ♦' I hat is a printing office term ; I maan it is not about spring. You know it is rather late now for spring ,p;etry, find aa Ail ihe ladies start with that subject I thought you might be following in the same way." \/ 44 '^ OUR J68HUA ;^Oh.^no! thisis a few Ifne^r ta Montmorency.- you^tlTjl""' T '^r*'""^^"^^' ^'' "^^ '^^^ them to Z'n^^'^'fT^'^''''^^''^^^ .nanuscript from table and? ' ""^.'^'''''^"^ ^^' '^^^' ^'^' "earer the table, and consequently nearer J-hua b.-gan: LINES TO MO/ RENCr. In my dream I think of thee, I hy sweet im.i-e filU my breast, And I know if thr.u could'st see Jlow^tiiy^soul is ne'er at rest VV)thout thy company; 'i'ha,t thy heart would turn to me, i hy fond affectionfl I would have, J Here could then uo misery *-ver come between our love To make us feel unhappj'. Other hearts may have grown cold, r>,rr^l T.fy ^*ve turned from thc-r. But with hf^ a Btronger hold mou will ever have on m© Till the last. (« I^, ,^7L^°'''' V", "■'"'". "''" P^e«y stiff? Can't you IhL " "'* "'"'*'■• ^"^^ '' something like ■"^.t ,'" wjlt ever hwe on roe liil the uextone come» alon" — or something of that nature," observ d Joshua. '* ^} no! there never can be such another," and she turned up her eyes to the «moke begrimed ceiling with a sigh of resignation ; whether at the cobwebs, or at the sight of an M b^tered beavel- of Mr. Jbnes*, Joshua wfts uhftbre to determine. - Wall go on that's very good of the kind. Let's have the rest of It before my courage evhpe^rhtes" and Joshua T^fii!!^!^ui5^^^ ^oo^ed sour. *^ -rx-^ loc-acu wonderirigiy up into his face, and then continued AS A REPOUTEIl, u " Oh my tlarjing, can it lie, That we 'ere luust separate, That your lovinij eyes will see Nevermore your little Kute, Is it thus to end? No it cvmot, must n,t he,' r/f Tiife N^rtiihl be hio8tfdf«sir.in(t*od, AH 1 have ia wrapped in thee, t ' I would he a broken reed Without thy love." *' Don't you think that '^broken reed" business is a little fai-fctchedr '* ' ♦' Why ! no, indeed Now don't you think Mr. Jones will put that in the paper ; and don't* jou think he mi^'ht pay 8om*ithing lor it." ** I am afraid not. Miss. You see, his is not a pontic nature, and he just takes the shears a»d clips ppetry whole- sale — four and five verses at a time — from our exchanges. I ara awfully afraid he won't take in the depth of this piece. I think he will say there is too much love in it. These old fogies foiget there is any such sentiment as love after they get beyond a certain age and are,mai;vi^d men," and Joshua looked down with pity in his countenance, as much as to say "well you have got it bad enough." ''Say it ain't a case of ' blighted hopes ' is it. There has no fellow been going back on you, has there ? because if you'll show him to me Til give him a thrashing, and if I can't do it ahme I'll call in Spuds; and I tell you, what Spuds and I can't do when we make an effort aint worth the trying. Never saw Spuds I suppose?" " Why how you do go on. Seen Mr. Spuds why, no ! But what do you mean by ' blighted hopes ' and thrashing some poor fellow. Yptt.rq^tlly did notrthink the poe y had reference to a man. DiLir me, no ; tho«e fiiw lines are on my poor dog, Montmorency, and they are going to paisoa him fjr few he will g.> mad this hot weather." ^ ,j ,, ;• Montmorency a dogl Why in the (^euce-~excu^e me Miss— but why did you not say it was a dog befool© ri^ika ■■hmiAmm U-i. 1} 4a ■'"OtoK JOSHUA rou kno^ I was just foolish enough to imagine that itwa« self up in the chair, brushed luck his tangle J locks and appeared quite relieved about something. M " uf'i "*• . ^?^ ridiculous," and the young lady blushed fnnously," as though I should ever write such poetry about any man." " '^''*' " '.°' **'■' ">■ I °"gtt to have been kicked for I th „k7hr''^n ''»«"{*',"« •"" " ''"S- Uoyou know I think there will not be the least difficulty in g/t.ing that I will fP.^^/'^^'.i'-^r-if you will leave it in m/care I wil look after it for you ; but 1 am afraid you will not be able to get any money for it." "Oh! I am not particularly anxious about the monev, edit, r^fL""* "" H ""'' *" .<:''J'<" ^o y" '^i" »«« tl'o editor (or me. How very kind of you," and she gave fun IVn*- *rt-'^J' "',''' ■•'' ^"'"^ P*'?""'* "■«• ^""vers run clown into his boot-legs. - Why, of course ; that will .vot be any trouble I can assure you, just you ketp sending in your articles, and I will do my best to have them run in." It was a habit T^ith the editor to Ie^,e the office every Saturday afternoon about two o'clock, so our hero asked would be able to let her know whether it w'as accepted. bhe mud she would certainly be there, and ^ave him 3uch a sweet smile, and • good afternoon ' that he made up his mind then and there that if the press could stand It the public would have to. He was wondering how he wa^ going to mm ig.3 to get It in the paper when another rap was given at the door, but this time withDut the hesitancy that characterized that of his fair visitor. " * . = ?• ^He call, d out to ' com2 in ' and Bns^Ily picked up the Mmiteur du ComTmrce, where he hud pitched it. on the o'^'ir'7t'"''rr'''f*'"^''''''"- "^ ^'«« confronted by Mr. Wmilsofthe^TfraW, who carried a copy of the' last AS A REPORTER. 47 Era in his hand and seemed very much disturbed over something. •♦ See hers, Where's Johnson ?" ** C5one home sick. VA'on't be back for a week or po " **Sick, is he! well I'm sorry for that, T should have liked to have seen him for a few moments before he was taken no dangerously ill, I thiuk probably he would have had something to be sick about in earnest Did you see this dastardly, cowardly, attack he made on me in this morning's Era ? Where is Mr. Jones ?" " Gone out into the country for his health. Won't be back to-day." ••Gone off too, eh ! Couldn't stand and face the music like a man. Why, on my life, I never read, 1 never, never— read such trash as there is in this paper to-day. Why, it beats anything I ever saw. It is per- fectly scandalous. The town wdl be in here to Rre youi type out of the windows, and I've a good mind to com- mence it now, and begin with you." " Hetter not try it Mr. Quills, 1 look peaceful and calm, bat I'm a * roarin lion' when 1 get under way. Say ! take a seat and cool off. You'll get over this before you are twice married. Think of the free advertising you rre getting. Why, when you begin to practice everyone will know the n ame of Quills ; it will be a household word Come now, suppose I wiite to Johnson thanking him for the ' ad ,*' and Joshua drew up to the table and placed a sheet of paper before him as though he was in earnest, while Quills glared at him and roamed up and down the room gnash- ing his teeth and waving the paper in the air *• Writb ! I tell you he'll be a dead man whe.^. I can lay my hands on him," and Quills daahed out of the room and tore down stairs. "It's too provoking to have so much excitement so earlv m the morning," remarked our hero to Hiiioel*" « t ^.— - there is not much doubt but this issue of the jfm is attractmg the attention of the public. Thev can't throw m 'i^'- Mil »S! II 48 OUR JO.snUA itr^P to us tcday tbat'Uef^ ii^ ifothing in our papor to Uon^ IqqM as ithf ^^4 gone into a new business, ami S^mh^i^ a,^d^W0o4n/V. l ,..'.r.^f :.. ..Vf.:-^:.*...^/.^;. He seemed a littl^^cjt^,<|v^,.g^ethii,g, and^W^i^d t|)^,stu;k^ouA4v^iypar0l^s#„whilehe strung out bis ^f^^ ^# a. wiib^ ol f^x^reesive.afl(^:fordble .M« ^tJe;idi^te5.wrr^ui^,^a let/iDe jse^ tii« darty iace hr^ about foive munts," and he bounced overdo the ta We whera Joshua h^d ,t.a(^d him^cl^ Jbringin^ the eml.o(Phis '??t4!'^f «l»*«.^Wtth 9tt^h fofce.a»lo ^tterMhe ink ou. : (,*• ^% ^^ ai^>ti#ifV; Kb^rpl^ije Hq's g^ne ,«a« -of' dbwn ^•S%f^t?*«>qt-be4a|cH,i^h r^u woukimot be so deifton^Ji-afi,!^ »9 ^#W UQ$iiwi0 Tbt? is. not a hog-pen, to Pl^^e^on'liiiftalie yowwself so niuch at home. P^ ibry y9Hr^i4f^'J*^*i?w^-'nsar ftt.our h^ro'a want of mpecfc for hiraf^ipd }ji^i^^r?^^«»i^Wg^thtMiaper which he canried iit ^i»- P*P^ t^^ J^bufl^R jaose arid.wiimy waving. Che ^ii^ck l>l[)t«|6TMri|bermaotkla|«d r iifti £/• a£«i?«!« ii;j';iifefj?a ^^^i«'!^ «• Trouble is it? In-d-a d e ! And^who'niiglit '^^'be AS A HEPDHTBll. 49 fTi„^. 8heet-A-H- .«] he ^red across the t»Me »^ iJ. ' * • ™'"«3«'». »f oouwe we are «.lw«vs cM « attle less h teous. Peopte wiH be iioticiBs the lackrt are runni^ a dub roc m w that there is a fire. Now we ^ w«t any such hnpressioH t„ go ab«»d « tS ^? ^t coBtnbutwos Md gives a reoapt in fWI. He haadles all the money -and abuM-for this pape* - "Money fcr yoe3 bedad I have to ta„ey for vee. has the wntta of tfiese ktimorous pieces. tUt are m»ki. " Well, Mr. FUnaigaii, if Uiere is anytluiB^ want to teheve y«« mind ot you can nake tt LmMLT^adl lZ^jT"v "*^r }' ^''y agitate, me io see y^l IZTa I^ '"" J*^. """'•' ^*^ '^yo" «t * »f. divil a wwa of truth in it J oshiw took the paper from his outstr^tcAed and ttemhUaff hahd and ^d alond the artide on « iVomatfg Suflmce^ ' pl^mg i«iticular sires* on tfeose parts whkh wfei^te the peculmrtti^ ofMrFkimiganaiJd^isyouthftilpiS^ *!- J^^^'^.^id onr \t&o aftei finishmg thearty*i«^M |i' $0 OUR JOSfflTA " Bad luck to yees, I object to having the whole of it in. Look what it says about me and my Johnny. What time did you say that edioter wad be in V " To-morrow morning, probably. Bui, Mr. Flannigan I tJairik you take a wrong view of this matter. You say you ar ^oing to thrash Mr. Jones Now what good is that going to do you? Don't you, see the next paper would come out with a long editorial saying you had not bought a stick of Wood this year, but had procured it from your neighbours' wood-piles, that you had been living on chickens all summer and did not keep even an old rooster; and that you were an old staker and blocked your way for everything Now you know that would be a great deal worse than this, and your satisfaction Would Hot be very long or very sweet Just think of the name of Flannigan going all over this county as being a robber of hen-roosts ; think of the people in England read- ing an item that the noble family of Flannigans had been reduced to stealing their wood ; think of th(3 aborigines in China pur^ngnext week's issue of the Era and find that Ba^i^HHnnigan a descendant of the Princes of Ireland n!l||||P^o low in the social scale as to block his way for everything he ate and drank. Think of this sir, and say if it is not better for us *^^o be friends. Now Mr. Flannigan won't you take a friend's advice. I'd like to be a friend of yours in this case," eyeing the stick, "and I'll tell you what you had better do. You just subscribe for the paper, only one dollar and a half, cash, and we will make a note in next Thursday's paper that there was a mistake about the reference in a late issue as regards Mr. Flannigan's social and financial standing, and it will be a good puff for yt)u. Now, that's the best thing for youi to do, depend on it. IfyouwiU just lay down your dollax and flity cents, 1*11 see that you get a good send off," and Joshua finished sopping up the ink, placed a pen back of his ear, and seated himself complacently in the easy chair. Mr. Flannigan had been gradually cooling down as our t i \S ^ HEPORTEH. 51 u s 'el HeTo i^roceeded, and seemed to be a little uaeaay towards the close of his remarks. " Well, I dun know - 1 dun know. Y^es may be right afther all. Here^s yer money, and if yees don't make that all ri^t in the next paper, Til come around and pound you to a jelly T and with a slight semblance to a smile he propelled himself down stairs, forgetting to take along with him his cane, which Joshua sotwed away as one^f the trophies of his victory. * He got nicely seated again, and had made quite a t^mf^ on the story when another rap came. " Hung it \ seems as though the whole morning is going to be taken up with visitors,** remarked Joshua ; •* come in.** Who should enter but no less a personage than Mrs. Maloney, the lone widow of Dog Lane ; the same whose seven children were suffering such dire distress from the effects of too much whooping cough ** Why, Mrs Maloney, is it you f Why, how do you do, how do you do ? Be seated, be seated,** and Joshua stirred aro.uwi and got a chair, while she smiled, and smirked and bowed ai a great rate* " How are the chtlih?^ this morn- ing ? I (Jo hope they are no worse ** ,, " Ijad»de an* they ain't sir, an' Tm rauoh obliged to yees, Sir, for your kindness to a poor kme wlddie ; and, sir, I want to bouy .five papers to send to me brothers in Kaliforne, sir. Ah I but yees are a foin lot of gintlemen co give a Iqi^ widdie such a lift as yees did. Bless yer purty eyes, I hev had moare orders sint in this manjin' than I can do all ov the wake ; and I must thank yees fur all ov it. It's hard enough time I hev had^ to be sure, to be sure, but Tatsy is the makin' of a foin gintleman, and I pwt great .store by that boy," and she heaved a heavy sigh and dropped into a chair. This chair, however, did not prove to bp one of the kind wartajited to stand two hundred and twenty pounds to be thrown at it. and without any preliminary notice BtaMMMMI^ OUR JOSHtTA tlie l §'Tm*ii'-)Ai ?h\' , ' :.? ■ 1 * ■ • .1 •.HOi}*:f Y,«q Oit fjm -■•■,» ^i .-, .•.-fJ^ii v?8lJ5Jt h.«ih.:« '. - , -^r. ^ ' ^iifi 1*fiei>''-" '•„•-<,, ;.«.r'-'T OH APTSm..¥.IT» . ■ •-"•.>•-.!'.■?■,■■ . i THE EDITOb's RErURN —HE PREPARES FOR A LADY VISITOR. — ^jf 1 iSflr b(i VISITORS ^ A GENERAL SURPRISE, .1 liiinJ ?>/fi rioT iJft^ oT ' "" \ ' m^'\i\' \ fi(4ii the ailefnbon Spuds djopped in a few moments to say there was a big row brewing. Smith of the Herald and Quills had got together and proposed annihilating the whole Era staff. It was cuirently reported, that Flannigan was out in tlie country with a pair of revolvers, Iwo bowie feniye* fuid.a bliwjli^hom shillalah, and was howling for " Why, Spuds. Flannigan'a all right. He was in this forenoon and aubsoribed for the paper." That's all bun- combe about his'being out in the country. I'll wamoit you he's at the first job of work he's done tbip year.'* > "Never I you don't mean to tell me you got » tush mihsf^rintion ^ul t^ nUi P'l^ns^iiss.n ^ If s;^^ AlA. *V-^~.. •- --^ doubt about it you deserve a leather medal I How did it all como about ?'* AS A REPORTER* <5d 4*', ! The morning's experience had, to be told over, and Spwili was gr^.ly plei^ over die diacoitiifiture of iDuins and Flannigan. ' odi^} vTw. . . '^ ffoJbhtng of a startling nature occurred that afteruootis Several subscribers and townsmen cafl©^ in to purchase extra oopi«sof the last issue of the paper; arid alt seemed to relish the description of Flanuigan and Quills, who were not particular^ highly thought of in the comtnunity. Joshua was in the editorial room looking over the ex* changtis, and clipping pieces for the outside of the paper^ «k duty which devolved npon him, when the odttoi; oftme ib next morning, -ivUiMmfW^ ** Well, Joshua, how did you make out with the paper f People seemed particularly friendly to me this morning as I came along down. Old Hardtack came out and pressed a box of cigalas on me, and several persons from whom I never expected to realize a cent, stopped me to pay back subscriptions. The boy on the up town round must have forgotten toletive a paper at my houses for there wasn't any there, and I get in last night so late that I didn't have a chance to come down to the office after one. I was glad to see that the press was all right as I came in, and that the boys were working this morning To tell you the truth I was almost afmid to leave you in charge. You and Spuds cut up such shindies sometimes, but I guess you are get- ting pretty well over those foolish notions these day«," and the editor went rattling along, taking off his coat, getting out his pipe and busying about, so that Joshua did not get a chance to get a word in edgewise. By the time he had concluded he had got seated in a chair and had picked up the last isaue of the paper. ♦'ij •»i^ Got along very well, sir.** remarke i n l! 1 i 1 1 1 i 1 H OCR JOSHL^A was all right ; then he ^r'anced aver his editorials to see if there had heen aoy glaring mistakes made. "Seems all right. Let^s see, Joshua, you were going to write an article on that lecture busine8» were you not ? Ah-h-h, ye», nm-m-m, here it is.** He read it through without making any comments and ended with a sigh. " It*8 tce> bad - too had, hut I wippose thgre is no help for it now.* IVe only got ten dollars in the world, Joshua, hut you had better take it and »lide down early to morrow morning to the boat/and stow yourself away where they can't possibly find you. I'm really sorry to lose you my boy, but Flannigan's an awful man when he gets mad. Hell get about three drinks in him, if he can get any ona to trust him for that many, acid he'll come up here with a bludgeon in his hand, rum on his breath, and blood in his eye, and 1 won't be responsible for conseqnenceB. It's a great wonder to me that you are alive now, Joshua ; he couldn't possibly have seen the piece," and Mr. Jones looked across the table at Joshua with deep sympathy in his look and a cheap cigar in his mouth. Before crar hero could answer, a heavy tread was heard on the stairs approaching the office door. *<» j»»a "Great goodness 1 here he comes now, I'm out, remem- ber," and the editor dashed into a small clothes closet at the end of the room, which was filled with old exchanges and cast off garmer.1 5 ; closed the door tightly and listened attentively for the expected denmieTrvent. A sharp rap was heard at the door, Joshua answered it briskly and found a small boy holding out two cents in his hand. *• Ma sent me down for a paper with the piece in it about Mrs. Smith making the soft soap, and I want to read about the dog fight, that Tommj Sanson said was in the paper yesterday morning." " Haven't got any papers left over this issue, tell your iiiyJiiiiyji , TT \j Vfiii iiAj liiivi U' ^^i. %.-.. _-3,x_iJ- A _- - _ _i_ £,K)X) itoT Ulio Uu55iU6 ii.\jtu oujlUO BUD" Bcriber who has read his .If wc cau got one wo will seudit up. AS A REPORTER. 55 ** But ma said I must be sure and briug it home with me, and I want to see about Fangle's dog." ^ *' Can't help it, you will ha, ve to t3l .her there, we^o none left over. *' I'he boy left apparently^ greatly disappointed. The editor climbed out from among the cobwebs, pld straw hats, and dusty exchanges and shook himself off. , • It's a great blessing it wasn't any worse,— a great blessing ; but we had better have that closet cleaned up a little if I have got to stow myself away in it every five minutes to-day ** and he took down an old whisk andjt^j^n soratching off the cobwebs. * . ., t^, *' You need not have any fear of Mr. Flannigan, sir. He was in yesterday and subscribed for tlje paper, paying in r'arii VVe had a lot of visitors yesterday, and altogether quite a lively and profitable day. Here is the mon^y I took in and a memorandum of the names of those who paii^it. I gave them receipts in your nam*". I tope it was all right, sir." Mr. 4one8 rubbed his eyes anjj .gazed in a dazed sort of way at our hero. " Flannigan subscribe for the Era, did you say ? and paidincosA.. Most extraordinary thing I ever heard of in the course of my life. In cash did you say ? Bear me, why you must be dreaming, or I must be Flannigan 1 why he never was known to have that much casli to his name at one time since I've been in this town, ani that's going on forty years. ' I here must be a mistake somen where." •* No mistake, air. He had it this time and there it is," and Joshua proceeded to tell hira of his little fracas, with Mr. Flannigan and how he got out of it, producing as convincing proof, tliat gentleman's cane, which he had carefully put away. '• Well this does beat all. I expected when Flanikigan rrrxi- XynlA j^f t%r\rt /-vT Hi3 Via iiTrtlim iirtf >« oif frt*" on '" mlflTliLa. ■[i '%■■ m ^ ^mn^ ^mnuArh aa might be just as well to keep Johnson sick for a^w days, until be gets cooled down." •mlf^i^i^i.'^^t'^^^^- I certainly will Johnson wiU be m bed for the remainder of this week, come what ^'''^i^r^'"' ^ *^.*"®.'''!*''^ ^^'•^«**'^^ there was » ^!^i^''*u*^H^^^" *^« ^'"^ «^«'- «»ce itstart- . *'\« <^^at *hc whole &mily swore by the paper- least- wise that IS what she meant, if she did not put it in as "w!^l ^'^^^ which appeared two weeks ago on •w i • ^P^^^ \n China/'-^noke particularly aboBt It, sir. .^ nd seemed very much interested." £i il^'^ ^^1 Mr Jones. - Just take that whisk will vou, Joshua, and brush off the dust and cobwebs from the twokof my ooftt;— yes-and what else did she say T .?^*l5l? *!^-:!^.t.^*? * ^^-"°« ^^y' '^^^ «h« dosed it all "r -V *-«»iiie wii3 invw m |ioetry, and desired me to mk AS^A m^tKMtm. 9f )f. ygw if you ^i^uld kinilhrkmrl^ I biRe^ Itis febbilti' a pet d'rj sir. it sburt^ &iiU>le sweets ;bflt^f4b«i-t^ hm ftnytbing objeetiobal^b sboiit it^ ^ :og 9Y<>/i 0;h vu 7 >; " Uiu-m-m Yes I goodlookiiiggirf *d you fm^^fe^tiiat^ and the editor pulled down his vest, adjusted hisnoektiej (uid {^mir^d hioKseif io a ^x^ptteoe oflookingMgiMfiii tc^- 0d up against Uie wati. s -^*y/ V! t^ " Yes, she came right in, sir/ Didn:t seema hit a&-^(jl.| , " (Jm-m, some young lady tihat has got mashed on vt\4 I suppose. There is no use, you see, of a, good looking fellow trying to keep out of the way of the girls. Theiy will take us by storm even in our oJf)|ces. ^e eaitne right in you said. Joshua, and 4id she aay tlra would drop in again r ■ ^'^i>c.mh^.>f^^r^'-^ _ t^ " Yes, she said she would come in about the first of the week and see if it had been accepted.'*/f^ J^'^^^.r^^ * T thought so. Peor thing she was ^Isappointeci lit'not finding me at home. Tha?8 all, Joshua, that s alUtny boy. Send Pimp out after that collar right away." " • ' Joshua retired to the printing o^ce au^ sent Pimpf the devil, o'lt after the collar, then went over to Spu4i cfiTO. He naiTated to that sympathizing and energetic friend the cireitm$tanced of the beauty and the poe^ry^ how the editor was fixing up to take her yo«ng heart % storm, and how that gentleman imagined ier visit had been to see him particularly. » ---^^ ' ■ ■ ^' ^ • i " I say. Josh, if the old man keeps int^rlnj In^ transaction, we'll iust bftve to Dut nt* aomA inh o^ htfn that will sicken him of putting his 'finger "'in the pie If / I: 58 OUll JOSHUA I* ;>> Hi ^TJ^Ti ^^^ """^ «)ncerned. The idea of a married man and fifty-five, cairymg on that way " " Joaliiia Ban^, you'i^ wanted in the office," was yelled across the room by Pimp. ,"«,:» yeiieu ^ r*< Yes. Spuds we will have to arrange something for h,^spec,al>nefit if he keeps on in the>ay he is goinJ I think It IS our duty to do so. I wonder what hf wants now ? Say ! look out for that poetry, and don't break your stick or pi the 'form. Better put in as a sub Ms 11"^ """'"^ '"™' ''''''' ^^« ^'ffi- ^« ^he fn,Sfrt*^^*rr-^'''F >'* P«ttmg^W^inishing touches to his neck-tie, after adjusting his new collar. ° ^^ She was rather good looking, did you say Joshua ?" X es, rather so, sir." " J)o you think I look presentable, my boy ?" ihl }/u' ^'''' ^""® ''''' ^^^- ^»*^ ^ shouldn't think there would be any particular hurry in fixing up for her ; she won t be in until next week." « i ''There is where you are wrong, Joshua. There is where you have made the mistake, my boy. Women folk don't know their own mind for five minutes at a time I have had the experience, you see. She's just as likely as not to be m any time to-day. Nothing like beinjr pre- pared my son, nothing like it. Ah ! let's see ; you had better write out the wrappers for next week. T may be out-and-m considerable to-day and I will want you hero the most of the time. If any lady come in, >ou can retire you know. Hello ! here's some one coming up now " and the editor slid into his chair, giubbed a pen and drew a lot of writing i)aper towaids him. Rap-rap-rap. " Come in.'^ Mrs. Flanni;,ran, wife of tlie renowned Barney, entered. •* I corned around to thank yese, sur, to thank ye for the pace ye put in the paper about the ould man and Johnny. If ye'd believe il sur, he has cut and brought k:i >il '~5 AS A BEFORTER. 59 ia all the wad we used to-day aind life's a changed man, indade he is. He's beeii workih all day at tfce first job he's done for mony's the wak^, and hfe broiight home the money and didn't drink. Bless yes sxjr and he's the sanies old Barney he was whert I toarrfetl him snt thirty odd yoars ago. We all ov * ns fale ' SO ' plased sirj: indade we do. There's aven a change for tne- better iti Johnny, and I hope it will continer, indade I do," and she made a conrtsey to Mr. Jones and Joshua which faiilv took their breath away. \1r. Jon^ asked her to sit down, and give them a short account of the revolution in her family cirelef- which she was nothing loath to do. She mad^ a short stay and retired with more profuse thanks aiitd low courtsles. " Things went on al)Out as usual during the rt^mairtder of the week, Until Saturday afterfioon. Joshua busied himself with looking after and straightening out things in the editor's room ; M r. Jones having decided to keep him there, permanently, so that he was not expected to do any more case work The editor kept roaming in and out apparently finding it hard work to concenf rate, his thoughts on any one thing for more than five minutes at a time. About one o'clock on Saturday afternoon he returned from home, as was his custom, to settle with the hands. This finished, it was his practice to leave the office about two o'clock for the remainder of the afbemoon ; but on this occasion he seated himself at the table and leaned complacently back in his chair, apw paiently deeply absorbed in the reading of '*« '3ate magazine. Joshua began to get nervous. Suppose there should' be such a thing as his remaining late that afternoon, of all others, when he exi)ected his poetical lady friend to call. It was evident that his suspicions were aroused about something or he never would take this unprecederited course. ^-.t - *•_ '• ^i y l-ll 60 OUR JOSHUA I ' ii Half past two. Mr. Jones l»i,l aside hU iiii,r»,ln.. :^.wned,^.„ced over *t Joshua »nd.^\/k:d^»'t'? ejean ooljar <», a«.l thm ,»,, auspioioua smell of t>er- *r«51C^ f"" r*?""'? «nd the editor snuffed^he wr and gUuiced swpwiously over at our hera " Vn„ coMnbutor a coming ij, thisaXmjoD, havefour; '1h vivWhy no, sifi but I thoi^ht that now I \.ad a^ to be sub-editor, so to speak, I should spruce uoa1^M« I? T.f "? "'^" '*'' "'""o « "•« oC anS one ^:- ^.(>lish«e„t, but isn't itWCstilr^ S this not! should take you^this Saturday afternoo^ «*en the work IS nearly finished for the week ?" " but iblrfl''"''^' "'r- ^ !!*''*r '•'<>»g''t of itin that way, ™h.»w^T»""".T"''8"'"« »"■ »nd I thought of Kemg out at half past three or four, and looking around for anythmg that might be stirringin the way o°W to g«t a start for next week, and the^'object m^ Z Z^ « &T TT^"" "', ""^ 5»«^''» -P-BenTatTv" " K^^. .K *^, ^'^^ ""« discovering that Johnao v w_Qff »nrt_tbey wJl soon find o„t I am doing the loc«J^• "Yes 1 just so, just so." and the editor, not auM^tlv «ntarely convinced, wtumed to his nsading ^^^'^""^ 4 bree o dock. Joshua began to get more nervous Ha ^rqpped out into the printing offii and told "Zds Ae Jf»y things were shaping inside, and that he wTafraid ^:t^?,'"*',7""''' '*'"""'»«'•»«■• four. Ui ^« tell you wlwt, Jorfi, if the bossdon't «et out of^ i„ " !^*A' ''H!?- 1-' . At half paiit three the editor go* upi t^lbritehe^ htc^elf and remarked that he guessed sh» wasn't «oinin^tlf«t^ afternoon after all " Although " saidhe^ gtenein^ m^t^ ' quizz.ngly at our hero, " I thmigh^/she was from th&%ay you were togged ouilu^j'^.a-i i .5;jk3<]h .q o? .loj^bo-xim^i The few moments he %«m*tt'^itiiflg^'*©ut^fii«^^'^<^^ and brushing his hat seemed hotttis to JosHaaj but «t^ last he finished up his toilet and wl^lked out olofttng the^ door after him. Joshua looked at th» doc*!. '♦'Quarter of four." • • ■ r Jr.: -n.^jim 1 Taking a proof ho had of the " Lines to Mo»t-* morency " he waved them tragically oVer^ bi$ >fj«id an# began reciting the first verse, wheti the door softly Iftmn^i eJi you gave me a start when you c&me in." ? '^J « vios *• Hump II forgot to take home somedgars for Slii^y and I had to come back. I thought you were practJeii^; some gymnastic exercises. Be careful of the futnitur? you know," and Mr. Jones took out a cigar and lit it with an evident degree of satisfaction, iipp^rently not noticing the terrible agitation whidh J<^hii« was un«iir- goin.«3f; if he did he attri^iiited it to his %ud^n entrttncfe. He was gone at last; it was with a k^g dirAWn «igh 6f relief that Joshua seated hiiri»«f>f in the ^asy <*aif. No^ many minutes passed before a slight i*p Wiw heaWl at the door, and he kn«w that his lady visitor-had rettimedl ' Hastily arising he opened the door and bowkg kivlteil- pA|« ~mM M»«^ A^^ iiy^ gX^A. ^ J i ■"if^r> A^--.^ sj-'^x. i . i\A - ^xl -^ -k"' "' t -^'j^'^J-^ *i She bowed very sweetly in return, and ttK)k th#' proffered chair. i*i; §im Ili.ll : I'll' 62 OUR JOSHUA >v ra"^^®^^ hQw,4ia you make ouf, Mi- — Mr —f '^'^^it^^Tf"^^' /^'^^ ^S^ "^ J^our sorv.ce. ■ l^^oSi^bnF" ^^ ^'''' ""^^ ^^' P^^^ *^ ^'- ^^^'"^ ^r " Yes, Ispoke totL afepjit,^ s^^lfci was very gQO(Jaud,prAis^a it highly. It is 'to go in Thursday^ paper on fcha^outside. I shall make^it mj parUcufa duty to see that it has a promin^at place, and^ hart copy of It ? and Joshua produced the, proof he had been declaiming from, preyioqs to her entrance. >.ie road It ovpr, apparently very enthusiastically : Nowdontyouihmkit looks and i^ads real niciy Mr Bangs? aiid she glanced up sweeU/ in that young mans face Joshua told Spuds afterwards that if sh? had said Limberger cheese was sweet smellng and pleasant tasting and ha4 looked at him that way, it would have been impossible for him to have donelny- thin^ else but say it was too sweet for anything." .1. i! ^f r.^f '■ *^^^'® ^^ ^^ ^<^^^^ t^^at it shovvsMeep thought and hi-h inspiration," and he nibbled pennively a beend oflus k.ai " I should certainly like to know what your name is, and I can confidently assure you that you need not be afraid of a scene," replied Joshua, laughingly. " We reporters are not of the fainting kind." *• Dear me, I am so glad. Well my name is Katie Jones, and Mr. Jones the editor of the Era, in my father. There I told you, you would be surprised," and she lausrhed heartily at Joshua's look of dismay. You could have knocked him down with a feather, and not a large one at that. In truth he was com- pletely dumbfounded at the information, and all the while Miss Jones laughed heartily. "Well ! — why !— gracious— T— I — never saw yon be- f<)re. Why — you— you haven't been living with him right along and me not see you - -impossible ! 1 thought you vvere a stranger here from your appearance " stam- mered Joshua. " [ knew I would surprise you. No, I have been away from home for hv^ or six years at boarding-school, and just returned last Wedne.sday evening. I Was so tired I di(r not get out of the house until Thursday afternoon, when I thought I should like to see papa's office. It was th< first time I had ever been in a print- ing office you know, and knowing he was away I thought Till . ~ - •- ^ ( , fH^KJ tU. thought I should like to see if anybody would think my poetry good enough to publish before I showed it to papa. 64 0011 JoHHtTA I hop« J hay©^ iiofc got you into tnwMei f ^tt W siir^i- Hf r^" Why no ! you have not got me into tronbte," t^marlc- ed Joshua, « but I was jusi %VmVvag hoW Mr. Jones T\ *^ ^^ ^ ^"^ ^^ '^ ^^ J**8 o'*^ daughter he has been so anxious to meet, and Joshua was forced into telluig l»r parUy (MrrBR. waspleased to designate Tpokey little hole 'kw^^ ^^ feth^ aHd^iB««ted that h^tftiM^diilher :Ekt6i£ ii ''"'«^- »» home and to infoim his mother of what had occurred and to ask her advice. Spuds to laugh over Mr. Jones sur- prise when he would discover who he had primped up for, and Joshua's predicament if he should be caught in Mr. Jones* parlor some evening Monday morning came, warm and pleasant, Joshua was down early to the office and diligently at work making out bills to delinquent subscribers when Mr. Jones made his appearance, . .,*' Well Joshua, anything new going on this morning V " Don't hear a thing of any importance sir. Mr. Bosin left in word that an un^brella had been found in his store and wanted to knov/ if it was worth while advertising it. I told him I would ask you." h* " Bosin is an old shark. He never advertiseh with us or anyone for that matter but he thinks he is going to get a free 'ad.' out of this, and that is why he has got so honest all of a sudden Run it in though and if they bother him about that umbrella it will serve him well right.** • ** All right, sir. Oh I I came near forgetting to tell you that I discavered the name of that young lady who left in the poetry. She was in again on Satui-day after- noon after you left sir, and seemed to be much disap|K)inted that you were not in. She wanted to co .through the j)rinting office to see the press going, and watch the com- As A REPORTEK. 67 go HI positors at work, but she could not be induced to your absence, sir. She said she would call in again. " Why, ah ! you don't tell me so Joshua Missed her after all didn't 1 ? you sly rogue, I believe you knew she was coming in that afternoon after all. Yes, sir, I believe it. That is the reason you were gotten up so fine. So she said she would wait until I came in before she would go through the office, did she ? Well, you just see that the office is nicely cleaned up this morning ; there is every probability that she will be in again this afternoon. By the way what did you say her name was ?" " Miss Kate Jones, sir. She's evidently a stranger in the town, as. I never saw her before to remember her, but she is a real fine looking girl, sir " Kate Jones, did you say ? The dickens it was ! Why bless my soul Joskua that is my own daughter. I for- got to tell you she came home from boarding-school on Wednesday. I think it is my treat to the beer. I can- didly acknowledge the orn But tome now, tell the truth, when did you know it was Kate ?" "Not until .Mhe" came in on Saturday afternoon, sir, honestly ; and I would not have known then if I had not suggest adding her name at the end of the piece. And do you believe it sir, 1 verily think- she meant It as a joke on me, all the time. She was laughing all the while we were talking about the poetry, and I am more than sure she made it a j)oint to come just when you were out to make a fool of me," and Joshua looked down- cast and glum as though he had been awfully misused. ♦' Oh ! come, never mind Joshua. Kate haa sold both of us. Don't h)ok so mournful about it, Mie is a verital)le chip of the old block, is Kate J^he lias gc^t into more mischief since she came hoiue than over you and Spuds did in your balmiest days, liun down and get the beer; and Joshua," wifikiiig knowingly at our hero, ♦•probably it would be juataa well to keep this to our- « / euivtc, yuU hiiuW, 'if '} iif .- i s . 6S OUR JOSHUA 1 couutlZ,^r^ '"'^*^'"S about it; X felt as tho.i.b CHAPTER VIIJ. I': A VISIT TO KATE'S HOME.-^AN UMBRELLA EPISODE ~- A SLIGHT DISAGREEMExNT WITH MR. JONES -CON- CLUDES TO TRY HIS LUCK IN A FAR COUNTRY MJJ n,.^^ Tuesday evening Joshua, attired in his best clothes made h« way to a comer opposite Mr, Jon^ r,^Wen™ determmed to watch that gentleman's actTon c£v ^1^1, ^ caught calling w1,ile he wa, at home In abont half an hour he was rewarded by sceine him walk brjskly down street. At eight o'clock he summon J„n sufficient courage to step over and ring the b^H It ^ answered by Katie herself, looking if |„ythin"bet(^r^ especially for the occasion. Be it known that K™dea ijr^/'i°"^'"""°*'""'h»'- to "vemwehim by ht Wfl 3 i A V^S^ ' "^^ ^""'"^ found it 8om«what liSorl'!"!,'",,"^''"''''°-,t- •"» "-'/^rS^ _ Joshua telt naturally aomowhat baahfu! «£«-.» ,- i. r-ad not been used very n.uch to ladies' socicty;"batlliM AS A REPORTER. G9 «nd rJ? r^f'^y ""^^e up her mind to draw him out and make him feel afc home, whether he wanted to or riLlT f ^ -^^ ^^^^'""S ^'^ ^*"^"« «»bj««*« J about her school life, society m Swamptown, and things that were going on m the outside world, and she soon discovered that our hero was not the ignoramus that she had at first believed him to he. Very little so far has been said about his home life. His experiences m his business relation to the world have been largely described. He had been peculiarly situatedjw we mentioned before; living alone with his mother^ their owncotta^e and having little to do with the people about them. She was a woman who had received a re- markably good education, in fact had married below her V •!?" 'I I'l'' V"^. f^^ ^*^ *a"g^t Jo^liua "iany things beside what he had learned in school. Her whole aim in lite had been to make her boy something more than a mere hand at the case in a printing office ,and to this end she had worked. Joshua had i-eceived a very good edu- cation durmg the time he attended school, wl^.ch was " supplemented by the knowledge he gained at home, and being naturally bright and quick he had prngressed rapidly for one of his years. He deemed to have an maatiated longing for knowledge, and his mother, early m lite.instilled m his mind to waste none of his sparo houiu He had also been endowed with a remarkable memoiy ana was able to remember and quote ai-ticles that he had read but once. From the nature of his occupation in the printing office he had stored up a fund of information that was truly wonderful MisaKate soon discovered that her companion ^as not tobl''^ " »>o»*nfc perHon she had irnii^bed hii« If the conversation turned on poetry, he seemed per- fectly at home^ tlilked of them as friends and old a'eqtiiin^ uiMcos , Hiiew uJeir lives and histories?, and could 'qiiot» copiously fmm their best works. When the convorsatiott* Changed to prose wi itei-s, he was appaientlv still as much 70 OUR JOSHUA 11! ,i i m at home, in fact she must feign acknowledge to herself that he knew much more about them than she did, and f*poke readily of books and authors of whom she never had heard. She changed the subject to history, but on this he seemed more conversant than on either of the other themes, and as a last resort 3he turned to the subjest of music. They had talked for some time and had got quite well acquainted when this subject came up, and he a-ked if she would T>ot favor him with some music. She grace- fully acquiesced and they moved over to the piano, she playing and singing while he turned over the music and chatted on the different pieces. By-and-by she requested him to accompany her in a popular song she was playing. He repKod that he never sang in public ; sometimes he would sing a little to amuse himself and mother but he made no pretension to being a singer. She pressed on him the fact that they should now consider themselves quite old acquaintances, and that as she had sung so many pieces, he could do nothing less than accompany hbi" in this song, which was one of those having a gi'eaJi run at that time. After considerable pressing, he yielded, and she discovered that he had a very fine tenor voice. :;^ " Why, Mr. Ba iga " . "Joshua, if you please." i. ? "Excuse me, yes, Joshua. Well Joshua you have got a really fine voice, and sing beautifully ; where did you ever learn to sing so well ?" * Oh, I picked it up about the street, I suppose, and then my mother is rather a good singer. We are all alone, you know in the world, and I generally spend the evenings home with her. We often pass away the time in singing and readuig, so 1 may have learned a little in that way ; but then I do not sing, Miss Kate, at least not as you sing," " Oh yes you do, and very nicely ]L am sure, Joshua, As A REPORTER. 71 If you were not so very diffident and bashful, you would do much better too." They sang several songs together ; then talked for a while nnd the subject turning on a particular book which he had" heard of and not seen. She offered to lend it to him to read, and went out for a mom 3nt to procure it for him. WliiU.' sKe was out he seated himself at the piano and ran his fingers lightly over the keys. He then played over a short brilliante with fair execution. Miss K; te came in just as he finished, " Why, Mr. Jkngs ! why did you not tell me vou could play-^ — ?" ^ . ** Joshua, Miss Kate, if you yjlease.'* •* Well, Joshua; now that is too bad. You should have told me liefore that you could play, I think " " Why I don't play anything to speak of Miss Kat^." " You play quite well I can see, as I know the piece, and you played it very nicely, better than I could in fact, When+did you ever learn music so thoroughly?'' "Oh I am sure you tlatter me, Miss Kate Whatever littlp knowledge I may have in this line I must give the entire credit to my mothei- who plays very nicely. We have an organ at hkftie, and as I said, we sjiend otir even- ings largely to,;etliei-. She iias taught me to play a little as well aa sing, in fact. Miss Kate, whatever little I know is due entirely to the love and persistent etfbits of my mother who has labored indefatigably to make me know something. ^>|t .^/z Little by little with woman's tact, Kiss Kate drew from Joshua his family history. How h'^ had been left fatherless eaily in life, his school dayH,and his app'THtice- ship to ilw piinting trade. How hat after his dciparturo from the school, his mother and he had studied evening, ^ at home ; she studying for company to him and to as- sist niin, ann with her inirul «eiiUed in the oiie u'ivA "I his being sonRithmg in the world someday. And tlien h toM h - youtust'S^nmy Sh?r,nt7u '" "^«"l"«"e that I may have made." .,,, She thanked hmi very much for having come and in- «Mted on a p ,^ to repeat his visit. She regretted the fact of the oertem amount of secrecy connected with their acquaintance, but she promised in i^turn that she would Rave the way for an open avowal of their friendsWp a^ soon as a good opportunity presented itself In the mea^ £uentl7o"th "'"« " ^"1"' "' '^PP-^ "-" "^t^ irequen tly to the office, and would let him know how Office and spent an hour or so. When M. Jones was fet fly a sally at oiir hero, who would an.«»r. . v .. "«^««^«-. "^ iy as though she was but a casual acquaIa^=Jn4'; A9 A RT5P0KTISR. n fj.' Nothing out of the usual run occurred aftei the next issue of the paper. Joshua took particular care in wtit- ing his locals not to excite the animosity of any other of 1;he town's people. ,* • On Friday afternoon as he was walking down Main Street he was called after by Bosin, who rushed frantically out of his store to call him. " Well what's wanted ?" asked Joshua following him in^ to the shop. • " I want you to get me out a poster just as goon as you can. That plaguey umbrella will be the death of me yet. I guess about every man in town has called m to cl^m that old cotton umbrella. It has occupied the time of two of my clerks since yesterday morning, answering questions about it, and tbi^re don't seem to be any let up to it. I want a poster out saying the owner has claimed it, and possibly that may keep the pe(^e from the other side of the river making a raid on me, too !" Just than a man came into the store and aaked the clerk, — •' 1 think T saw an advertisement in the Era yesterday morning about an umbrella ." " Jumping Jupiter ! will they never cease coming in," he shouted •* that umbrella was claimed by a widow with seven children, yesterday morning, and yju are about the twn hundredtii nmn that has called for it." Turning to Joshua he said, " I have had men here tc^ day who were bitter enemies of mine and who never thought of buying anything of me ; all kinds, classes aiid shades. I'll never advertise another ' found ' again, if I know myself. This has settled the question of i»wspaper advertising in my mind There is nothing like Sk" A year passed by. Very little change was observable in the town. The Swamptownians went about th^Ar business as usual, and society had its ebbs and fiowg, its iluiturs and fiurries, ami tJien subsided again. 'Iliings had gone on alwut the same in the Em office. Joshua had bc<*n in L^. 74 OUB JOSHUA 11'' <■ It IP! if» numerous scrapes, and had got out of them iq seme way without having received any serious injury. The acquaintance with Miss Kate Iiad ripened into a strong friendship, and their growing iutimacy, strange to say, had never been noticed hypere Jones. The little flirtation had been going on right under his very nose and still with the proverbial blindness of parents, he had not taken the least notice of it ; if he had, it was to think that Kate WttS piaying some of her pranks on our hero. The young people met occasionally at the house of Mr. Jones, but again, strange to say, Joshua had never happened to meet that gentleman at home. But a climax came to their ' love's young dream ' on one memorable V\'«dnesday evening, and as it wtks a turning point in Joshua's career, and a day of considerable note in the small conmuinity of Swamptown it, will be in order to give the particulars of this event. For £ome months past Mr Hardtack had beqn paying marked attention to Miss Jones, which attention had l)eer very distasteful, it is needless to sav, to that youn^ l.-tdy, but had been encouraged by lier father. t Mr. Haitltaek was a genvleman about fifty vears of age. rather good looking- in his own estifnation - i^nd was tlie possessor of considerable wealth, which made him an object of interest in the eyes of pcr^ Jonos. Miss Kate had taken every opportunity of letting her agem, and Joihua wouM have to look It- ''if '^m 76 •??!! Otm JOSFTUA house on hU m't --uI^^^Ta 1.«''t.?^r°* '"P« '» ">« opportuni, J .'^ ;l.r«f ^"'"^ ^'^ l"" *« """h desired Then, caTbe„oTo„gt fW Tr™'" V™'*"* ^'^ K"**- periodical attack, ii 7 I'fc^ '^*"'' ""•'"y^'' "">s« pleasure io the «M;whi2?H'' '^'"'^'''■'^ ^'* ""«""" the house a~inrnt'° ^ ^"?' '^°"''' '^ """""^ "^ mom severeTttack th«n ^"'f'l' ^''^""S ''« """l had a nearly th^wttr ""'" "'"'''■ ^a^-'^S l'««" "aid «p wJ'da to'ij^rthr!^'' ^ p"^^ •^°«'^^-^' --^ •' this would .>ive the .^mtS?? °1 the evening before ; holiday slmelhi^^lTT^'-'"^ .*he benefit of the full offlce^ ^Ther. was ^ ^^'W^ enjoyed in a newspaper some fifty mflelvlw in ?? •*<"'™<'° hy boat to a city were all anxJo™ tglt off to'it"""™"^' """^ '^' P""'«'^ wet^lpTvtrnrwhXd'r'*''''''' "^^ '•■' j-- - get out of his rZf" O^ wf, '!,"• ''''!.****'^ "°* "hie to man and printerha,f^. cTo ed l'^b'^r''°" *«/'"^- them on the press A m.^ . ^ "'e forms, and put and tnrn theCS,^ tff .n/.f '^ "'•'"" '" *''« morni^^ to fold and ^X-Tr'^Ko't %&;:•;!'' ^^ >-' at„TinThri.iv^: f,™r/^^^^^^^^^^ themselves of the "L h„n 7 ^'^ """doded to avail excui-sion. ''°''''*y *"d So off on the Mr^'^ardtkTndtr KhV 'If* ^™-^'-n shop next door to 'W^ H. n , * sh"enia,er having a both gentlem^^ were verv 7^''' '.?'"' .^'^"^ '* ^»« o^e-" " be hushed uTanTXT 0,1 °"' '^"".he matter should mention of "t Mr fff i VW T""''' "»* "-ake any in the afte^ooh aW ^ ^'f^^t'^ "} *« Era offiZ oou,™ it wS be a "ri^h't eti' W 1 ft '^'"^ '^'^l'^ ''"'' "^ ♦lio* :* '!.♦_. &"'i' ®^<^' out after evenfs nrri,,^^ •'...V lu rvci5 unytiiiij^r rjut all right. " r ----s AS A REPORTER W caiom t^wl"^' ^^.?* ^^^""^"^ ^ ^^ Jones' as was h\^ T^^Ti'Ti" *H^ "'*'^' ^'^^ ^^^"^ delh e 'in^ it, retired as Zt/eH^n.^ ^"^ri^ ^T^^ ^ ^"^^* «^* ^i^J^ ^" *«• They chatted and Wked. and even wen ft so far astosinffk !nlV^* subdued^way. after which they sat down rn the sofa and chatted for a while longer. He ^ot so deeoly engrossed m falling her about the fight betwe^^ HaSk and t/V^M* ^^'T ^""'^^ ^^^^^«* ^^^ ««d place, and bui-sts of silvery laughter echoed through the room Whli. f g^Phically on t' e scenes of thS encounter. Whether from a desire to be economical, or from eves ir«ffl-*^^* ^^'y .^^'^ ""^^^'^ ^^^^ ^eak Tr^^i ^^'^*^^?'^' V the way, ..which is becoming alarmingly prevalent among the young people of this age --ths lamp had been turned down 'quite low. While thus engaged m enjoying Hardtack's defeat, the p.rlor dooi quietly opened, and pere Jones in decidedly scanty apparel, a prominent object being a night-cap of hujje dimonsHms and of a delicate shade of i.d;! cod injone foot ZlJcZ.""''^ *i^' ^^^'^ '^'^ ^^^ ^^^^« him like the snowplough on^a locomotive, and so bandaged up that it humfn iTmT ''^ ' '^''^ '''' '' cotton lool^ha. a ihli^T ^'i^^ ^was not so low but that Mr. Jones could see that Joshua had his arm around Kate's waist, and that she was resting lovmgly in his embrace. For at least a mmute Mr. Jones ^as so stifled with anger tbfft hecouldd t not find words to express himself, but this state of things did not last long. With a howl caused by anger and the tw cchings ef his bandaged leg, he reached for I chair, ard T/f our hero*'*''" *' '^ searching for son^etbing to hurl at ' .J^^'^'t^ ^*? ^^^ ^^^^* of bringing Mrs. Jones down stairs m her ro66 c^e nmt, and in great alarm, believing ;: X^fon ''' "'' on fire or that burglars had takeS . xi2oyou,ig people looked deci^dly 8heepLsh;\ll the blood m Jo.shuas body seemed to have centred in his ;';! 78 OUK JOSHUA 11 face. His very hair appeared to stand on end as the enormity of his offence dawned upon him. "Leave my house immediately, sir, and ne vor set foot in It again! yelled Mr. Jones. "Kate, go to bed at once. * "One moment, sir, before I leave. J wish to tell you that Kate has accepted my offer of marriage, and not until she had done so did I presume on any familiarity " "Not another word, sir, I shall receive no explanation. Go ! '• Very well sir, when you send for me I will return." " Never." Joshua quietly took up hib hat and shaking hands with Kate said to her: — ^ " It is to be regretted dear, that this scene has occurred. CJood-by ! It may be some time before you see me again, but I shall ever remain the same." He attempted to speak to Mr. Jones again, but that gentleman would not listen to him and was in such a towering rage, that our hero saw the best thing for him to do was to retire, which he accordingly did On leaving the house of Mr Jones, although it was already late in the evening, he hurried tb where Spuds lived, and by throwing pebbles against his bed-room win- dow soon brought that young gentleman to the front. *• What's up Josh ? Fire anywhere ?" *'No, wi)rse than that, there's the very deuce to pav up at pa Jones' " f J i^ ". You go around to the front door and I'll skip down and let you in, and you can tell me all about it." Joshua went around to the front and in a few moments Spuds sprung the bolt and let him in. They went up to the bed-room and .while Spuds was attiring himself, Joshua told him of the culmination of affairs " So the old man didn't offer to kick, eh ?"- " Well no, not exactly, but that wasn't from want of the inclination. If it had not been for that rheumatism AS A REPORTER. 70 your most sanguine expectations would have been realized. Gmcious I when I think of it I shudder at the narrow escape I had with my life." " What are you going to do now, Josh? There is not the least doubt but the boss will bounce you seventeen feet for Sunday, to-morrow." " Spuds, how much money have you ^ot ?** " Well, that is not an answer to my question, and from some I should consider it quite an impertinent remark ; but seein's how it's you, let me see, Ihave twenty-five cents and the boss owes me for this week's wages lip to date." " Not much capital to start on ; but say, Spuds, how would you like to see the world ?" " 1 should like to see it immensely, bu!: bless "^/M thy stock in trade wouldn't realize enough to buy a ticket for the excursion to-morrow." - i . " Well. Spuds, my boy, there is no use in my waiting around this town any longer, for if I am here to-morrow Mr. Jones will give me the * grand bounce ' and I don't propose giving him that pleasure if I know myself ; so I am going off' on that excursion to Caneville to-morrow, and I shall take the train from there for the States, in the afternoon. I have got a little money, it is not much, but if you like to come along we'll divide it as far as it will go What say you, Spuds old boy is it a go ?" " W-h-e-w !" and Spuds emitted a long but low whistle. ' It is a pretty lively way to leave one s native soil, but hanged if T see as there is much use in knocking around here much longer. There don't seem any, show for a raise, and old Jones wants you to work for nothing, and eat yourself, and it's getting too plaguey thin, and ^' don't you cease to remember it." Yes, I'm in with you every time. I'll be down to that boat before seven o'clock, and now you scoot around home and tell your mother about things, and let her get your Saratoga packed, for I know you will want a lot of trunks along with you." '•'■ i^o ; X shall only take a baud satchel, but as you say, H r>^ , ?- Timti'T ^^ OUK JOSHUA ? ttius^t g^t hoine an^ ^\\ mother. What are you gokig ^q do a^ut^llipg your folks ?" . ,^. ., ,, ,, ;.,, ^,,,, j^^^^^, J. vl ai« t gpmg to say A wor4 about it fe^ tb^m. 1 am «fl>W4l ^J^t %^beF mi^t object. I shall teUfUoc«od. ■^' f^' r''(m'-*^}i-\' «'*, , . \..-'.\ - On arrWbg at the boat he looked around in every dirtctioa foi Spuds, but that personage had evidently not AS A REPORTEB. 81 made hia appeamkice as yet, so he pureliased their tickets and took up a position on the wharf to watdi for hw friend, and see who wei» goings on the excnraion. J Just as h« was bogimiiiig to fear that Spmit had over- ?aept himself and would be left, that yo»ng geBaema| came teariMj down the wharf. .' " What kept you so iate, Spuds ? I ve been waiting around here newly an hour for you." ^ •* Ohl I had a little buciaess to attend to, and it took longer than I expected 111 tell you about.it by and^ by when we get on the boat. Sa/ 1 did yon bring anything to eat. 1 WM in such a hurry that I cam» away without my breakfast, or for that matter hardly any thing, '»" ani he glanced down at his clothes and viewed them onrW, " Joshua, this which you now behold is the immortal Spuds, prepared to go forth into the World and carve 9, name on the tablets of enduring memory ; andjou be- hold him di-essed in His complete wardrobe. He now stands before you with only twenty-five cents and a bm»» compooing '«le to his name Well what about a bite to eat, Joshua ?" .i. u * w* «' 1 have got our lunch stowed away or the boat. Wf had better get on board or we will get left. We will get out those edibles and endeavor to satisfy the cravings of that awful appetite of yours. I wouldn't wonder but your folk will be glad to learn that you have * struck out, M you say. for yourself. I believe it was generally considervMl, was it not, that it took aU you could earn and ^half your father's salary to keep you from starving to death ? " Come, Jush. don't try to be funny. It com^ with l>ad grace from one who got caught as you did last night, The boys pushed their way on board just as the whisUt blew, and retiring to a secluded place the lanch m» spread out and Spuds helped himself. Joi^ua no^oed tk^ it was almost impossible for his comiMinion to keep htt ayei open while eating, and he wondere Mb ^*.\ ♦^ Si Omt lOSHUA ^: !?SRncjq??R Jiff ,ti 4f th« fifst priqciplea of th«t p»per to bt the commanity know the truth, and nothic^ bot the truth, of what U fdisg on in thoir mfdet Never has it hesitated to rhow up the bad and worthless, to expoM fraud and diahonesty, regardless of conseqaences, whenever it waf brought under ite notice. In U)c« nanaer it& hfii Jbeen the aiQi of the editor to give credit where it is due^ and to point out the good and true basis of respoiunble government and honest buoineas dealings. Thus haa the name of the pi^r been establiyshad on the solid rock of right and juiitice, and has created for itself tbername of being re/tai!*^ from the Atlantic to the Pacific WemaW'ttoctAnmeaittla -our apparent hwmh Mateme&tir lis regards a prosainetit business man of this town, and (me who haa hitherto bom* a name for integrity and uprightness in our community, other tha^ to state that he has the full benefit of the law to back him up if any of our state- mehta do not hold water. Justice to ourHelves and the pi "ic a<: nands us to place the f aets as thsy are. We hat# takea great pains to discover the true cause of the fracas on Centre street yesterday afternoon, and we are in a position to state that our imformatiou is correct ki evwy particular. . The parties to the trouble were Mr. Hardtack, an individual who hft been pesing himself as sn honest man and a pattern, so to speak, in the community, and Mr. Howard, a shoe dealer of integrity a td sterling worth, who has in his long business career in this community established a reputa- tion for honesty and uprightness. With regard to Mr. Hardtack, inquiries have brought to light the fact that he has b«>n carrying on his business by scheming and manosnrrriiig, and has beea running in debt in every direc- tion. He has been doing a considerable business in the drug line, and wm thought to have some little money. It apt>ear« now that he has Lsen buying lai^uly on credit, and that his reputed wealth is all a myth. Mr. Howard occupies the next store to Mr. Hardtfixsk and is too weu known to our citisens to require any remarks on eur part. On the first of «,he week Mr. Hardtack called on Mr. Howard to borrow one hundred dollars to carry him over some pressing emergency, and which he promised he would return on the next day. He gave Mr. Howard an I. O. U. for the money, which that gentleman piwjed carelessly in a draw«>r back of the counter. On Wednesday aftemoiu, being in need of the money, Mr. Howard dropped in the store of Mr. Hardtack, wad wanteo to know if he could let him have it as well as not, as he had an acceptance to take up that sfiernoon and was hard i>r«AMd^ l^t the aam* ti!";; iei^.^rks^-' A& :^ ItEPOETER. 83 that by some c»rel«Mne«« he had loat or dttarojfdd th« I. O. U. , and having searched high and low was unable to 6nd it, but supposed it did not make My partieular dilleWflce, as he wottlt! '»» Mm ar written •«knowl«lgment of the receipt of the inoney. The strange part of the proceeding is that as soon as Hardtack dwcovered that the proof of indebtedness was loiasing he unddenly k»s* all knowledge of the transaction, and disputed ail claims by KowmM, Aa he waft evidently under the influence of liquor, Mr. Hcward concluded to wait until he was sober befere again speaking t^ him on the subject. He quietly retired to his store and was attending to hi« business as ustial, whem Mr Hardtack entered, and with kmd and eearse lang»«?9, a«id still oadet the influence of liquor, demanded of him »come out and settle the question on the stwet Mr. Howard, who has always been a law-*bidiag citiien and who is a prominent member of the Methodist Chufch, endeawred to p«af 7 his neighbor and to lead him to the door. Mr. Hardtack thereupon t^irew himself upon him in a great rage and dn^ged him into the street Several citiiens Interfered, and Mr. Handt«5k was taken to W» boowMng liouee m- stead of tiie jjil, where he should rightly have gene. We ttnde«tand Mr. Howard has «ite:nd preceedings to recover ♦ne nK»ney «id ^at be has si&oe found toe loat I. O. U. A charge wae l*ui at the police office for assault and batUry against Mr. Hardtack, birt waa afterwards withdrawn. We wew called upon t«» suppress the publication of anything on the subject, but mt t fearlessly f«lfil our dtity. Bt»ny of Mr. Hardtack's little schemes are now coming to light, and the *ooner the com- munity ia rid of such persons tke better lae aUi . ,,...- iZ. .*»i» '?»:«*:. 'Re n* > H * •* ■a#. *»ft»i' f •".v&.t k- u*w: m u -'■ - ■ r--f^i in} .TJX) J . isii it«w hnn nv<>i\. II r CHAPTER IX. LEAVING HOME. MR. JONES* SURPRISK— AT PORTLAND— THE ARRIVAL AT BOSTON. Mil;: t Joshua could hardly believe his senses. Was it pos- sible that the last issue of the Era, on which he had worked ao i idefatigably should appear with this extra- ordinary article ■ The thought of the sleepy appearance of Spu(fa that morning, his evident hurry to get on boatd, and his desire for secrecy, flashed acros? his mind and he saw through it in a moment. He knew then that Spuds must have spent the remainder of the night in the Era office. That he must have written, set up, corrected and exchanged thia article for one of Mr. Jones' cherished editorials. What would Mr. Jones think of him (Joshua) ; he would set it down as a piece of petty spite. The papers were sure to be run off and distributed about the town ; all the printei-s were off on the excursion, and Mr. Jones was not in a condition to make any explanatit)n. It was very evident that Mr. Hardtack would have his name pretty badly handled before night. Joshua, could hardly bear to think of it. What would Kate and his mother think of him ? and he groaned in spirit at the thought. Spuds in his zeal had over done the joke and injured his reputation. All these things rapidly passed through our hero's mind as he gaz- ed at the paper. He felt tliat he was in a position in which there was r\6 way to do anything, or say anything to'place himself right with his friends, and he would have to let things i. _ 1 _ „i'U* uiivu bueii «A>UlBu. OUR JOSHUA. b7 Folding up the paper he climbed to the upper deck where Spuds lay in the shadow of one of the beams with his coat under his head for a pillow and hia eyes directed to the fleecy clouds as they rapidly passed over. Joshua seated himself on an empty herring box and look- ed intently at his companion for several minuter before making any remark. .^ " Spuds, you ^have got me into a terrible scrape by that ai-ticlc of yours. I can see through all your '' prens of business " now. You could not have thought of the ettect of it —how the boss w^ould look at the matter,- -I tell.you Spuds" energetically, " you need not laugh ; it us all very well for us to leave home but I proposed j/Q do it honorably, and then Jones could have found, uo excuse or complaint to make, now this will give him something to handle. Spuds, I am awful sorry you did it before speaking to me," and Joshua relapsed into silence, lool^; intr ais glum as a hen with a lame foot. " Come, Josh, don't look so mournful about ij.. io look at you and judge by your face one would imagine you had lost every friend and relative you had m m world, come, brace up; ain't i here fto . support and com- fort you? Pshaw! things are not Wf ai bad as you think they are. Let m"< tell you my little story and you will feel better." ,, .' ^, . ' *' It's no use Spuds, you can t hotter this thing anyway you may twist it ; it is all worse- no better to it By love, I wouldn't wonder but they would have U8 arrested for defamation of character wh^n we get mtd <.,AneviUe., " Defamation of your grandmother^ I tell you every- thing is all right and I can j«-ove it if .you will only listen for five minuteM without croaking Tike an a^veufc minister or looking as glum as a hired mourner for a funeral You would make a first class undertaker, you would Give vqu a beaver with a crape band on it and a pair of blacl^ gloves and you could palm yourself 9ff for ore of the frateriuty anywhere. I tell you, you ;:'jt| ¥l m ^^^ij^ytk .j^omvA ■'■u, i and don't you cease to remember it." , rJ.,^,. .„ 4VWplI go QD wiwi.yovir explanation, if you have any to make. I >vish I waa aa sanguine as you in the matter^, but I 8up}?ose we nught as well take things easy until we get tio CfwieviUe, at lenst." * Now, Josh, don*t be fooHsh, or imagine that I would do^nytbing that would implicate you. My dear fellow I think ^Ou have knoirn ine long" enough by this time to give me credit for some little discretion.*' ' **^€«vSjpiidfe, I hftve known you a good while, and I acteiowiedge that yoii have alwliys got out of scrapes wonderfully well, but for the life of me I can't see how you are going to get out of this; but go ahead with your story." • '*J* Vou kiiow you are always so awfully positive of a thing that there is not much pleasure in arguing with you, but then I shall excuse you in the present condition ofy«iir^lmgs Your nerves are quite unstrung I see after kst night's racket with the boss. But to begin at the beginning. After I le*t yOu at our house last night, I went down to the office, as you imagined, and wrote up that wrticle. I never had the piivilege before of get- tiligathingin the paper just as I wanted it, so I wa*< determined on this occasion to give the facts to suit mv-^ self Now, Jodi, you needn't groan so loud, bwt the beauty of that article is that it is true as gospel every word of it, and Hardtack or the boss can't get over it, at least that part whidi refers to Hardtack is true enough. I won't be so positive about the remarks that r^er to the ^m. After we left the oi!i«e at six o'dock I went down town aijd interviewed Mr. Howard and several other persons who were about when the racket took place, and I sifted out the full particulars. Hardtack was as drunk 38 a lord, and there is no doubt he intended to cheal. Howard out of the money. You see, Josh, you had been working around so between the boss' house and the office ■...'Aiw fcJ*-'*>V^W jLH^A^^tiPokiM. m iMtymimMlf didn't lCD(##^^#ttit %aSgOB]^'^btit' ^Bklr. Jdfies ^ia thiiirt 1 did it^ trfclear Spite, aiid yott ca^bld Botmakferliiife believei c^^rWise; be^^^h^ wouldn't have Ijad that go in the paper for Attjrthiiig, aft^r being siwih a friend^of Hkritack^."'" ■'^v'-fr''^ rp •"";>;'"■.: ^i-:".:^, ;; « Bon^ you ftet yoOTS^mciftliifc'^^ dfesk addressed to him and laying it was f^ the dopg» of ' yours truly,' and besides when Jones comes "tx) r6ad that and to sit down and think awhile, and pcdple coi^ in to congratulate him on t^ stand he tfook, bless yQtt»ii% will feel as gp^, w ,^E^ I*^« l^om you Just se^ if \i^ don't." >fTO)r, ,, «• Well, Spuds, I'hat may be all so, I am glad yiou are so sanguine; I ackncwledg^ I don't feel «o certain afe0u^,iit;s but I tell you wha ., i am gokig to write notes t>q motheKi^ Kate, and Mr. Jones, repudiating the fact of having ihsidL anything to do with it, and throwing iit offon youi''« ^\^ " Yes by all means do it^if it will relieve your mind; any, you will find t^at there will be more honor,. ^ than! reproaches about th^t same article after alL Jfewr. yani waltz off and let me try and get a nap<}r 1 wtjon't be meoi^K^ a cent all day." -? ^^^-i ^'*^r^ o,* MotJBasa*^ 3/d* no h^mini^iah Joshua retired to the clerk's office and gei^ng thwT^ necessary writing material wrote the notes home, ttM making a confidant of oiw of the inters ort board itt^' trusted them into his keeping for (teli very; After gettitt^- this off his mind he felt somewhat relief and tilimbing up OR the deck again, stretched himself out til<^flgiiide his friend and endeavored to get a nis^ als^; In dtte tfefte th6 boat arrived At raneville and ouF friends Wcbt tffa iSIkw^^ i^ where we^ will leave them for» whife until J#e see how things w«nt on art the lonos? mansion. ^^^ ^ »«& -^^ ^ ^ rOu Hiursday morning Mr. Jonifes arose "mkjh "be^tiSi^Dr his rheumatism rnd his mind in anttioh calmer state after' the night's repose. The exercise m getting down stairs the 90 OUR JOSHUA night previous, or the change in the weather had alleviat- ed the pain wonderfully and he was able to get down stairs to breakfast. All these things went towards mak- ing him in good spirits Then the breakfast was good and the coffee just to suit him, so that he really hadn't the heart to find fault about anything. He didn't look half as angry at Kate as she expected iie would. Afver eating his breakfast, he leaned back k| his chair and speaking to her sdd : "# • ** See here Kate^ what on earth are you trying to make a fool of Joshua for ? Bo you think it is right to go flirt- ing with everyone this way ; one would think that you felt it a duty to break the heart of everything in pantaloons that came along. Joshua is not a bad kind of a fellow, and I am not going to have you make a confounded fool of him this way ^ome day when he wakes up to the fret of what you have been doing, he will wa k down to the river and drown himself, and people will blame me, and two to one 1 shall have to support his mother. I don't mind you fooling with all the other fellows in the town, including Hardtack, but for goodness sake let the hands in the office alone." . 4>.t^ ^^ ** But, father, I am not fooling with Joshua, and I tell you again that I just positively detest old Haidtack, with his smell of stale cigars and poor rum, and furthermore, if he comes here again, I shaU not speak to him, so there," and Kate shook her pretty head and went on eating her meal as though she had fully made up her mind to this, come what would. ?; ' " Oh! nonsense, you don't know what you^'e talking about: Why, Joshua is only a reporter. You must look higher than that my dear. Now don't be foolish; Joshua is a good boy enough in hts way, and after all I am rather sorry I spoke so hastily last night, but you and he must not get enamoured with one another, that's, certain; but then what is the use in my talking. 1 know you have too Uluon iJOOa ociioe lOi cilat. AS A REPORTER. 91 *' Papa, I don't tbtnk you know Joshua yet, even if he has been in your office so long. I doo't believe yon know what a fine singer he is^aoii he plays reroarkaWy well. He can talk French quite fluently and knows all about poetry, hiatoiy, romance, in fact anything you can mention." .t . a ,7 :u "Fudge On his singing, it k this t»m-foolery tl»t i» iniatuating you. He is a well enough informed youth of his age I havie no doubt ; but I can bring hundreds who are as well posted as he is, and besides he is as home- ly as a stone wall built backwardts at night. You sureiy have no idea of marriage with our Joshua T* ,^|| ,l>* **Most decidedly |have, my dear papa, whenever ne is able to support me, and not before." " Hump ! well there's a consolation in that last clause anyway, because it wJl be some time, I anpi* glad to say, before this will happen. A pretty state of things has been going on, and right under my very nose too; serves me right well for being so blind,'* and Mi'. Jones picked up his cane and stamped out into the library in great wrath. A knock was heard at the front door, and was answer- ed by Kate. It was a visitor to see Mr. Jones, one of the town councillora, so he was shown into the libnary. He saluted that gentleman cordially. " Jones, old boy, I was real glad to see you come out as you did in this morning's paper. People thought you would cover it up, and shield him, if anything, but I tell you, sir, the whole town is loud in your praise. Says I to Martha — my wife 3'ou know — says I, I must go light over and shake hands with Jones. He has found out the villian before it was too late, and given him his full deserts." " Eh I what ?" observed Mr. Jones in a dazed sort, of way. " Yes, about that editorial of yours in ibis morning's paper, I telt you I was uncommon glad to see it, but you must excuse me now, as I .want to run down and see IMAGE EVALUATiON TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I •" m 12.2 m m 2.0 1.6 '*- pf. o n >^ 'W V" .^_ d^M # Phofe^raphic Sciences Corpcrdtion 23 WfST MAIN STRUT Wf BSTtR, NY. USIO (716) »72-4503 '<^ '4^ ^ •».• 7j 0^ Wii^^jbiktiJ' BbWat^ iwi4 see ht)W Be is making (mt. Odod momiiijg," an4 the visitor teflj 34r. Jones mOTe daied tiian evferB* '^ t ^^^^Ka;te,ttty dear, see here" said Mr. Jones rubbing his hartds gleeMly. ^ Yoii remember that editorial I read to ydtii yesterday uld in our profesnion." ., M C^lad you liked it Henderson," remarked Mr. Jones fr not quite cle^r as yet whethe? it could be the article he tlftdjrst UiQ\i^t of, or another on * The general Develop imo^iQi ^e CoMutry." -n^fV^Twr W>d ym »0pd not be afraid of any hbel, or any- i^iag <»f thftt natun^ U^ you oan prove every w^d of it, if It ever should come to trial ; but now I must go down to me H<>war4 He I as engaged me on the mm»^ and ftpm ^ evidence, we have a 8.ure thing of it 1,'U drop in H^ud have a talk with you this afternoon," and Mr. Hend- ^5Qft,h«*rt*Jy shook, headii, and lushed off down street. «<; ASA^ma^ em* n ^kjmea .w«Ik«d into tb^ U^^s^aatj aiid ? 9^^^ , km|i^ ii^»^ Wore gettmg moi« inuckUed ^^ mw.fh&Uif Jjices, and then retired to the t»itiBg room to leagl i»ver the neww to her mother. »*if.$J!irf >?*|j#f|.p«5irotlN[> After filling his pipe, and settling himaelf c<«afo?t^]j^ in his easy chMur, Mr. Jones opened out the p^t. 1^ moment his practioed eye fell on the page hia attenti«n;wafl caught by the bold head>liaei : ^ ^^ *> » '•^^^ : ci viw vi To say that he read it witi surfiirme an§ iad^ttsHtii would be but a tame way to express his feelings Kat« was called in and had to listen patiently to his tirade against Joshua and all the handi in the offiM^ II wii^all Joshua's doitigs. and iMf Wiii r^tilnfed^coiitplirtiil^M^ and here Mr. Jones sank into a chair, his pip« MfwiMd himself i ompletely pi ostrated by th^ shock. Jdite eitapha- tiodl^ infeimiedMia, as so6li aslili* oavU gtli^ mati U edgewisie, that sl^ was gkd Uf, HiidliHiV^ili Hittttli had' come to Hght, and she beliti^ad «#er5« mtt^*w&idi of it was true, and with ^ib shot th« yt^afig" Mf ii»ttoMd out of the room, leating him iilone in his tm^: It was some time befow? he could i(et cooled down sf^ffietentlv to 94. OUB JOSHUA think rationally ob the matter, GoiddtliLisiave been what the visitow imre ao jdeased about? Was this the aolut tion of the libel problem? a?hett h^ thoiight of the note and eagerly opeoed it, hopng it ini^fc contain the desired Ifftformation. It read as follows : Km -4^2'^ !». priT»t*ri idght inl»tfere in my good t&tentiott% I wtttMied to the affioe rft« tha others had left for th< i^ht» a»d irrote„8et «p, aad p«t it inio the form; aad I wh* it diekinctly under^ atiJod that I aw. alouo (Reserving of the credit. Fearing aleo that my first efforts in journaliBm may not hi appreciated by y<»u,pnd dividing o meet you in your anger, I have obmceived this idea df le4vii!:j town this morning. In cotto'panySith Joshua, whom you have so braiolly separated from his Hieart's love'. It is pnobable he will recover from that, however. As re- gards the article, if you had not been laid up you would have known that tiie faoitaaM as represented and thi*t ao libel can be brought. I leave with ^ capital of twenty dve cents, und sincerely regret that I am unable to call on you for the i>alance of my wages. I can't see anything ia the office wvailableJftttiewayofcash. tliere^Mems little else than a f«w cheap cigars and a lot of tobacco aihi?, and these would not g» far in nourishing a fce-iAyliiiaisttthe . lilt. - Your. Truly. *\ *,.i SroDB. jjjp^ tti— If you feel any way ajifriaved over the article, you can derive the «onwl%^ that it wa« run in. at advertising rates— ten cent* per line—and that wifl mahe up, for the loss of space. I believe my wages yill about cover this. u S'i'inBequent events prOvwl that Spuds was not so far out in his artiete aft» aU. * J^. Hardtack disposed of his bu- sineeftthatdav to his assistant, and quietly departed for psrto tfnknownj b«fc 1«^ it be said to i i^ credit that he made good his indebtedness to Mr. Howard before leaving. , . !» AS^4^'IlEP(mTEK. 95 As S009 as Mf. Jones saw ^whi<^ wajs ihe y^M ims blowing/ hefell into liii«» and took the credit lai!gely *to himself of Spud»* p«Kiitcfcb» ; , But to return to our young tiikt«Bera. As^ soon »s they arrived at the wharf at Caneville, they made their way to a restaurant and had dinner, and from that to the. Rail- way Station. After talking over the matter lis to the best plaee to try their luck, they decided to make their first attempt in Portland, MtHa» j. and tickets^ ware jaocur- ed tor thatplacetby Joshua, who stall earned the podcet book. They quietly went off in the evefning train ftnd in due time arrived at tlfeir destinafefon, pretty well tired out. They found it would t>B foHy to attenipt searching for a boarding-house at that late hour, ^ndin their tired con- dition; so they wallB^ up to tl^s Commerciid Hotel, and alter taking dinner, engaged a itaom for the night. The next morning they tcuk k stroll aroifnd town in search of a boarding place and after some little trouble secured <^ on S-— ^-* street. The price was ammged at thrae AtAiaxa a week for each, in oonsideratbn of their roommg together. After getting this piece of busiaess 'siettled very little remained of the morning. 'JT)shua wrote a short letter home to his mother telling her of his safe arrival and giving a ^ort sketch of their experience thus far in their travels. He /had an inward conviction that Kate would somehow make it conveni^'nt to see his mother and find out the truth of the flying reports. He was not sure as yet with reference to how Spuds* article took with Mr. Jones and the community, and so was very anxious to hear front home. In the afternoon the boys went out to look after work. Spud* was of the opinion that Saturday afternoon was a bad time to make a start aud.6tix^gly advocated^' waiting over until Monday, but Joshua saw theitr treasury slowly emptying tliey had nine dollars and a hall left^and opposed any "putting off till to-morrow what wuW be done to-day." ^ It was d«'ci(lfd to trvt'AJMr lncl> at tho Adtertimr Oflieo - %\ fill 96 Qm JOSHUA fimr I '^Wi firgt; J<^ Jo^tta pu<^i^ (»4 h bold front waiked up-stairs to the city editpr'n room mi m^ that pertonage, wl» happened to be in, if there wa« atiy qpening for a reporter. He >yaajpoiitelj iftforined that there was no vacancy at pi^Q^eift on th# stall. In the meim: time Sp^ds had ititerviewed ihe foreman, of the printmg o£^ee and bad tuoeeeded in getting employmeal^ witllout a«or difficulty. It was anranged that he wai to fo to work on Monday mc^ing.at seven doUarea week, with a Jcaise (dws^m in the near futntei, U he was steady and <^u]|d do as much work as he said he could* Joshpa, nothing daunted by hi» ^ist ftrikte, applied at ^ offices of ^e Arge nexifc dajF wis the Sabbath the b<^a brushed the^- seWe* ui> nicely an4 went to church. Joshna would not listea tp any cooverssttion with refeience to their business prospeets* saying that he did not believe in lucA or was uQt any too religious, but he had always made it a point n«»v#r to tM busindsi on Sunday, and he was not going to begin on that particular one s^puds growled a little -*his home trainiag had not been of the same nature as that of ^oshutt'tt^but he saw our hero was in earnest and refrsined from any further referenee to work. He did not, howler, feel muoh like attending church at first, in his ' tiavellitig tiitt^' but Wtts induoed, after seme little coaxtng by Joshua, >to aoeoB^^iMiy him. .,, .ilfter iihuioh Aey took a walk back of Portland for some milas and iselunmd much rafteshed after thair extfoise. On Monday morning Joshua again made an effort to cvm lirtei Ijo- 1^ sepftBitioTU V thoy woiil^i reihaiis^toi^fetii r in Fort|ikd. for i few iireifeg— his waget m board «i^d Jpskua cottlcl be «. ^|entlemd-ii At |y«ttk ^ ^ soimetbittg/turned upV Sp\icU ^^M a 'gtkt beUev^^^^^^ luck, andattrtbatied Joahua's waiit of 8ti<5Ce8ft 'to %^!^*;? of t^e moon, or to the reason ttiat lie hepasL^^tLy^^^ ^ bn* JosHua 'pooh-itood* all ; suci icHsl^ ; I*"^ ^9\ *oiw Jo^uaV nature to ^it'ctp^n calnify, tajfiiig things^ easy, and to wait tm iomedu^g i6 li^ lip, 1%^, ^'^ Spudm m^a in earnest about their nbt being s^ptirated,;^ ffna he concluded to wait for a . feW days At alt eV^h^ ■ -^ wect passfid by and there appeaxed to be as little sign;^ a situation as ofi the fi#t ' diiy. Jofife^* ^te seVegl letters home to his niothf r and received oile ftwm th«it ^od lady. He had also sent sever4 ttf Ksate tinder co^^ of his niother*8 address, aijdaiH anticipated tliatypon became ft frequistit Visitor at h* old: hoiiilEi, Ml Jones of course remaining blissfully igtrbrl^ "^[i^^ ^ AtSS of tii^ week :iK^m.^%MWii^0:W speak, and informed Spuds tfiat ndtldrig Woul* 1it# hin^ to remain in Portland aftet MmMf. « Well, that settles it then, Joshua, 1^ bav« 156 mnA^ note through the mail to t^^ ^©3 'iSi^tisin^ «tiy ' *ba#** in some way, fer I can't W'v© you J(wht3fa, Py« pt^imd^ to b^a fathertb you* my tx)y,:«ifed Tskltll h^t^ir d^ieift my tnist. It shall never be sdd tiiftt iJptt%' ^^ ^*it back on tie poor." , '".^. On secdfld thought they concluded to wtmh 'HiSn:^'mm Monday eveni^ and take the boat for Bdstoft. a» t^^ l^pJdKljea much ch^^appr T!»f>de ^"<^«^^^«'^ni^^^ ''Wftms ..;j. -hi m oun josHVA li! 1 jHH'i ' Am*' & ^ w ^- eoBgenial with their pocfket book, wLich hj this time looked M though ad elephant bad stepped oa it. On Monday evening after settling theit board, they a^ain mr ved onward. Quite a number of pawengeis were on boaixi the boat, but soon after leaving PorSand the boya began to feel that disagreeable sensation — seaniick- nesi— and they concluded tl»t the best thing for them to dt> would be to ret^ to their berths. Seven o^cbck in the morning found them alongside Commercial Wharf, at Boston. They bad succeeded m getting a little rest, bufc no sleep, as both had been terribly sean^ick^ and as the boat swung around to the wharf they crawled out on deck a woe-begoiie looking pair. . . "Boston is ocmsiderably larger thaM ^Wamptib;»rn, eh„ Joshua?" remarked Spuds with a gkaetly wnile, fi he moved tiowa the gang-plank. " Xea, considerably ^ but I wonder how we are going to find Gfur way about? Wer'H get lost as sure »« guns. I suppose the first thing is to get some breakfast, and then find some place to put up." They worked their way through crowds of coaches up the wharf, across Atlantic Avenue to State street, and from that to Waahington. Joshua made inquiries of a police- man as to where they could find a cheap restaurant ani was directed to School Sta^et. They had no difficul y in finding the place, and had breakfast in one of the many eating house* on that thoroughfare. After breakfast they again made inquiries of that poor man's friend— a police- man, a» to what he knew about dfieap boarding houses, and were directed to try in the rear of the Common. Follow- ing the advi^ of the policeman they eucceeded in finding a place to »mt them on Myrtle Street, near the comer of Grove. TJbey «3miig«»d farboatdat four doflarB s week, each, wi^a^ widow Udy Who was the happy poeseeeca' of three i very much defied „ article— money. , . , Spuds was for remaimng at home ttiat aftepoon and taking a rest, but Joshua surmised that the reii he wanted was to see tot young lady with whom he had so sudden^ ly became enamored. He therefore fairly dragged him out ot the house and down to the Common. Everything, tl^ere waji budding' forth in the beauties of, early summey. it was a scen«i long to be reme»ibered in the U\:es of^-- , this rustic speiie in the middle of a l|i^sy Q^y. V^^"!^. in the Common; the miniature la^^ in the ?«««; Gardens , the abundance of &qw^n just blossoming ^^l *J® ^P*^" vows as they chii-pH t^jnong <^^f^t^®^'' **?,^ 1.3 from th« g4W in flScks; andthe chndrenas tb^X ^a^«^ on thftgimss, while their nurses flirted w.Oi the pol]^^^^ all were new sights to our young ti-avelters, who Wior^ oughly enjoyed the novelty and pleasui^e of th- ocomiou. After they had walked around the Common and the l-ii! i; 'I li ii' fii! Ill- 106 otm josmrx ;^iiiblic Gardens they moved along down Trenibtit stre^, td ComhiU and then to Haymarket Sqiiare, taking iii i\t ihe stieet scenes and handisome stores along the wayl Spuds concluded that after alHt waj^ worth the while going oat into the woiid even if they only got as ^a» Bonton. - '*^ ' Early next morning the boys sallied forth in search of work, not like a great many people who remain at home as well as those who go away, to **be looking after a job and |9irayiflg an the time that they may not find it," but with a determination to find something to do. Luck as Spad» said, seemed to be again with him, as at the first place he ^nade application, he was given work at the rate of eight dollars a week ; J^jshua was unsnceessful mkI a little disappwnted. When they returned at night he informed Spuds that if he did not meet with better suc- cess on the next dtby, he would give up the attempt to look for a situation as a reporter, and would either go back to the case again, for a while, or look up something else. "I tell you Josh" replied Spuds, " you have not been taking hold of this thing the right end foremost. You go in to these offices with an over abundance of polite- ness, and not a sufficiency of cheek, and they can see the green sticking clear out of your eyes, and the hay seed almost sprouting in that sorrel top of yours. I shoukl have imagined your experience would have proven to yoa that the only known exception to where politeness does not pay is m the compaziy of reporters. The reporters adad city editors about this towa, as far as I can see of them, have ao tifi^ to be pcli*ie. Brace up and throw diin at the next fellow th^ft sauces you. You can get a case aloo^ side of rai»c in the yforli office, anytime you want ^, at^ the most those fellows can do is to* fire' you out. Luck has V>een against you, these few days, Joshua my bmr, but it will turn some of these times." " WeH^ Spudfi, how many times must I tell you that I don't believe in luck, That idea of ' luck* that you have hU:: AS k K!fiP01lTEtt. %m M all ^nseiiBe ; a persons lock is what he omkeH it, aod t\ve peiaon who is dUigeiit and honest can succeed any- where, and I dont propos© to look at it for ono mwnenfe IB the light yon put it. Bdsidet, politeness always pays, ««d I don't make even the -exceptiop yo« have road*. We shall see what to-morrow will bring forth, I feaT^ »n idea that I hav<#aJtcn hold of this Uiing, possibly, a little wrong, but I shall try a new meUiod m my *i©xi effort." . N«xt morning Joshua went out more «lated than he had been for th^ last week. He had beendoipg a * heap' of thinking, as he told Spuds, and had made up his mind that he h«d been taking ft old at the wrong end in earn- est. He saw there never wHw.ld be a situation in * newspaper qffic« in busy Boston for him, unless he made one for himself, and he determined to 4|q so. •iH CHAPTER X HIS EXIPERIMKNT.— ON THE ** GLOBE.'"— BOSTON MU«EU». AN ADVENTURE. In passing down BJoomtield street our hero stepped into a bookstore, and purehase a reporter's not« book and pencil, and then proceeded along towards Washington street. As he was passing a door- way he t)v»erheard a conversation about some person falling and being serious* ly injured. Intel-viewing the gi^itjs he found that the accident had happened in the rear of a block of buildings on Camden street and had been caused by the giving wa§r of a scaffold. Joshua immediately took himRelf <^' to the place designated and quickly got the particulars. As he was coming out of the alley whewj the accident had hap- pened, two teams collided, breaking the wagons and 1(12 OVR jowri/A throwing the occupant* to the ground, seiiously injuntfg, one of them. Here wa« another booitiiza fallen right into his lap, and he quicklj made a note of it, and appertained the name» of the parties. A little further on he heard of a store having been broken into the night before, and a considerable amount of valuable goo^ taken. He niched ar6and to thf- place haniidd and soon had the particulars of this also. At eleven o'clock he had gathered quite tfnunib^i' bf items and he began to think he had now tne where- with-all to try his experiment. "Walking down WigJhington street to the Globe office, he entered, and pushing his way into the reporteis*^ room, took possession of an unoccupied desk, and wrote bis itfrtis out in a clear and concise manner. After he had written them out to suit him, be inquired the W|iy to the city editor's room ; and quietly entering placed his copy on 4hat gentleman's desk aud without making any femarks retired. Ov«r the top of the first page of the copy he had written Ms name and enclosed it with a pencil mark. Would the copy be accepted? was the question he kept asking himself over atid oY&t again He made up his mind that »X all tventi he would not bs discouraged, but would try until he succeeded. Ah edition oCthe Globe would be out about three o'clock, so he Would not have long to remain in suspense As he was some distance from his l)parding house be went into a restaurant and had lunch, and then strolled around in the vicinity of the Globe oSiae until the first edition came out. ^ 0e eagerly purchased one of the first that appeared on tlte street, but was so overcome with the thought of success or failure that he could ndt bring himself to open it on the public thoroughfare, but made his way across to the Common where he would be to a certain extent secluded from the public gaze. Seating himself on a belith under one of the many shade trees, he opened the paper and eageriy glanced over it. At first he could not find any- AS A RBl»ORTER. 103 tVing of the articles he had written, but on looVmg ov«r the pape.- again moi« cloiely he ims iurpnged to^^tol aeveml with large display headings, ma ptomment place. At last he had succeeded. He felt that sucqes. was within his grasp, flehadstwted the wedge, all he required was to drive it. . , . ..^.^ Next day he took the same course, hunting up bis items and writing them out as before He wa« surptmed to^nd ^ haw much^hew was to geV when he began looking for th^ and how comparatively easy it was, to what he bad jm- tgined. Each day he would deposit his budget of itms oil the city editor's desk without making any remark, ihat personage did not appearto take any particular notice or ^r hero, but would scoop the ^ding him the note. Joshtia retired to the counting-room and bad the order cashed and his name put o\i the staff bocks. He then hurrJed to his boarding house to write t^i jsjood isews to kis mother and Kate. It is a question which v^«o the most pleased ore? the success which had followed his efforts, himself or Spuds. The last named individual was particularly demonstrative on hearing the fact, and waa ibr having a grand ovation of some kind in boner of the occasion. The treasury hjxd diminished until ihere wrs lesfc^ th&n a dollar left. Now that it had come up nth such a jump they decided to indulge in a few luxuries. After boiAO discusaiun thuv cAvnclnAtnl tn vicrif fl>i> K^^^f^n as A BKPUKTER. 105 Maaeam that evening ; their diasipationa up to this time u having been confined to the free shows o4i the streets, and Hfeligiovs gatherings. " Do yo-4 know Spuds," obeerved Joshua, glancing oter that party's garments," do you knc»w that we shall have to punihase you a suit of clothes, just as soon as tl^ ^^^f^y get up to tliat mfti'k.** - '' Spuds looked ruefully over his travel-stained raiment, and thought of the impression a new suit would make on Elixa - the landlady's daughter over whom he had got so eloquent on their arrival - and remarked that he guessed it would be a good investment That evening the boys made their preparations, and walked down I'remont Street in the direction of the Mu- eum. On the way a thought presented itself to Joshua and he quickly made it known to Spuds. *• See here Spuds, I don't believe wo will have to pay . anything to get into the show after all, if we only manage this thing right The cashier in the Globe office gave me a press badge and I think with a little manoeuvring we can block the theatre folk for two passes. " I don't believe you can fetch them. Josh ; this is not like a country plaice by any means. It is worth while trying, however, and if there is anything in cheek I will back you every time." On arriving at the theatre they found they were con- siderable before tne time of opening, but the ticket seller was already in the office. Joshua walked boldly up to the window and asked for passes for two, showing his badge. The ticket-seller remarked that there had been tickets sent to the office, and demured a little, but eventually passed out the necessary paste-boaixis. Our friends soon found themselves in the Museum. They had some time l>efor the performance begin, and they occupied this in viewing the objects of curiosity gath- ai'pii frnm .all mivin of t!iQ world, tobefouudin the Museum pro[)er. At eight o'clock they repaired to thetliuatro Hall, hi ' 1 f4j < i fi ;•! 106 OUR JOSHUA and giving their checks to an ULlier were shown to their seats. The play on that evening was "Lottie", and the acting and scenery was naturally far beyond anything the boys had ever seen in their country home. They therefore thoroughly enjoyed the prrfonnance, and it was with a sigh of regret they saw the curtain go down on the last act The performance was over ; everybody pushed for the entrance, and the boys not being used to such large crowds got separated on their way to the door. Joshua did not mind this, particularly as he knew S])uds could find his way home easily enough, and that he had a latch-key, but on arriving at the entmnce he found that a heavy rain-storm had come on while they were in the building, and Rs he had the only umbrella the firm sported, he saw that it was very likely Spuds was in for a drenching if he h.id stai ted for home alone. 'I he entmnce and side- walk were completely blocked with persons looking for friends, or waiting for "the horse- car to come along that would take them nearest home. Joshua pushed his way through the crowd to the edge of the walk and there stationed himself, vainly endeavoi ing to discover his friend amid the throng Gradually the crowd dispersed, and soon there were but half a dozen people alKDut ^ the entrance ; still there was no sight of his friend. In looking around his attention was attracted by a young lady, who was standing in the hallway, endeavour- ing to tie a handkerchief over her hat, aad at the same time hold a fan, mantle and oi)era glass. Our hero glar ad around and failing to see any escort with her, ste]:)ped forward and asked if he might not be allowed the pleasure of assisting. She looked quickly up, but appear- ed reassured by the appearance of our friend, and after a slight liesitation accepted the })roffere«bt you have a good reason. I can a.ssure vou if I had not thought you were a lady, I should not haj© been so anxious about your welfare" " ^Z*™ '^"'^ I a'» flattered *in having your good opinion, and 1 thmk after your kindness, I owe you an ex- planation. Well, the way of it was just this, I came to the theatre *his evening w.th my sister and a gentleman friend, but during the crush in getting out we became separated, and I suppose they must have thought I had met with some friend and had gone home before they got out. You must excuse my hesitation in not nccepting your kind ofier at first, but I really was so entirely over- come at my situation that I could hardly think." "Don't mention it. 1 pray you; I am sure I feel only too ha^^y to be able to be of /any assistance to a lady in di8tr«ss. "^ From this to the end of their walk they conversed quite freely on genera,l subjects, and disagreeable and all as the weather was, Joshua regretted exceedingly when they arrived at her home. During the whole of their" walk It had been raining steadily, and seemed to be mther increasing than showing any signs of holding up. Arriving at the door, Joshua was about to bid her good night, when she requested him to remain for a moment while she procured for him' her brother's rubber coat, HO that he would not be washed away completely, as she laughingly observed. He protested against the trouble, but she would hot listen ; " beside, " said she, " This will be an excuse for you to call, and I know well you are just dying for an excuse. *'0f course that puts a new phase on the question, but yotr doir't even know my name, or addi-ess. and how do VOll know that t will Pvov rolnm U ?" "Oh! I shall risk that I pride myrelf on beii^a AS A REPORTER. 109 •7 bmi great juJge of character^ and I have not; wie aq^^test; doubt about it Wmw rdfctimed. : i* •' W;ell," remarked JoBhua. talking the coa^ " I afcall give you my card and I can a^ijre you that you* will receive your coat all right." "When you .»ome with it you can enquire for Maggie^ Selwin, aud I think Tuesday evening I shall be at home ; if you are rt liberty that evening I shall be pleased to see yoUv^B Remarking that he would certainly be there, our herb bade her 'good-night' and made hia way to his boardii^ house. ' '^ On entering the room be found Mr. Spuds nicely tuek^ ed up in bed with his nose just appearing in vidW from among the coverings, and his clothes scattered prottiiscuous- ly over the articles of furniture, in anything bttt a dty condition. '"'. '^ « Hello !" ejaculated that individual, '* when did yoii fall heir to that Mackintosh. You're a toce man to call a friend, now ain't you. Gaze on those saturated garments and behold my Sunday suit in ruins - actually spoiled. This application of water will certainly take some of the dirt out of them and the office hands will think 1 baye been at a fire, and jmrcJtased a new suit Gaze aroun^ you my friend, and behold the entire personal effects Qt the immortal Spuds ? But say, where did you come across that water proof?" •* Oh t go to sleep ; 1*11 tell you all about it in the morning." " No you don't Joshua my boy ; hanged tf I go to sleep, or let you either, until you have made a full confession. Have you been spending your sustenance in riotous living, or rather in Mackintoshes, in this far off country ? No it ain't a new one, because f see there are two - buttons off, and a rip in the sleeve. Say ! did you find it?" "No 1 . ' no ! I tell you I will set your mind at rest in the morning, I think that ought to satwfy you ; but if you must know, I got it from a young larty," " Eh r Id 110 OUR JOSHUA. m. " I got it from a young lady. You are not turning deaf with all your other infiimities are you?" and Joshua began divesting himself of his clothes, j,'reatly enjoying Spuds' surprise. " See hei-e, Josh," remarked Spuds, mising himself en one elbow, and gathering towaixls and ai-ound him the greater part of the covering, '* you may think these re- marks of yours savor of witticism, but you are sadly mistjaken ray bucolic friend ; I fail to see the point of the joke, particularly coming as it does at this late time of night, so come, confess as to your incomings and outgoings, and where you ^have been keeping yourself until this f Jate hour." ?. .^^\ Knowing ttere was little chancfi of his getting any sleep that night unleps he satisfied his fi-iertd s cuiioslty, he gave him an account of his evenings adventui'e. "What are yon going to do about it, Josh. You fcai^en't forgotten Kat6 already, have ^*ouf" " Forgotten It$Lte I not by any means. I shall certainly let my lady frifend know about hfer at by ftn^toppoHunity. I^halltak^ the wa^-pt-dof home dii Tuesday night, and if I can get any pleasuTe out of the visit, I tm»k f sball be perfectly justified in doing so. This is what Kate's good sense would approve of; but now let us go to sleep and try and get some rest, for it nwast be Sunday morning. I don't think this conversation is particularly apprqariate "'for the Sabbath, Spuds my boy." 'l^eKt day they attended thurch, as they had ma?*^??r*^ m ^'« ?]^«on»fv«*oiy was s(wn«thing,ftir beyoiid aiMttog ho had ever fie^i^ before, aaid was nUed wit^ planip frbm aU countrksand elimea. While admiring «he Iwiiirtifiil display in Mr. SeWin's herbarium H)ur hero foimdit im- possible to be other than intere^d in ishe descrtetiott of the plants and the InftMrraation imparted^ hint by th*t gentleman, as ttiey passed aXcmg the avenues resfflend^t wiUi goFgcouj^y colored flowers; and the ail* la<»Mi ' with sweet perfumes. This was much mi^— r At the end of the half hour Miss Selwin Ai5 A HKPORTfill. lU pTorapUy made her appearance, and he was led inside and introduoed to a number of ladles. Hehad tlie pleasare of escorting 'Miss Mkgg^ down to supper, and Mr. Selwin who appeared to mve Hken a great interest in him, would have our herd seated a,long- side him at the table. In a very shoi-t time the fehful feeling wore oif and he was able to enter into t!ie pi^^iistires of th€s quietly informed him that he had not Ithe »U^t- est idea oimaking any such hazardous leap, nor did he proj^ jgetting off that train until they arrived at their ^jde^i^tion;.and then he p^roduced his Globe badge which Jmoll^ed tne cpnductor 9 little.* He hummed luid hawed, and chewed around for a while, but eventually concluded r^hftt Jqshua was there to stay. The traiil was made up of only two cars, and the engine and tender. Joshua went through them * and inade a note orthe various pi*eparations being made to ,giv6 relief to those injured. The accident had happened some thirty mites out of ^^Wii^andhad resulted from a broken rail. The ttain had run off the track and piled up two passenger coaches on the eng^ie and tender. A large number were injured and five persons killed as near as he could make out. His unceremonious method of get^ * ^ rm ^board had noi in- gratiated him VAry highly in t** ' ^Wion of the coii- ductor, so he was not able t ^o i uch iniorroation from him; but one of the surgeons voliuiteered the facts as far as he knew. The titun arrived at the seene 'I'^m than an hour, and Joshua lost H\e full particulars, and also as had come out with them and it was hi» the first extended account into his own of th€f accident^ iJi no time in getting complete a list as No other re? prter desire to get paper. They AS A KEPOKTER. 117 were some miles from « railway station and it was not Hkdly that any correspoiKknt would get the paif ieulara \a timtt for the ftitt edition, ' ■ '^ V^ ' In about twenty inimrtes he had gathered all the t)oitffiB he required, and any further delay in re turnings to the city wati « waste of tifnc. About three miiea acrobs the country was another line of railway, and not far np the line was a stattdn* Be felt s«rfe ^^H *rc get ^erd he wt)uld find no difficulty it* catching ft tr«iti 80 as to be in town i« dme. The relief train in which he had coihe out would not return for «li hour or more and it Waer bis obj^C tb- be to before thrit lime. V' , > Making inquiries of dome farmers wbbi«¥fe l^viftjg their assistaii^e in clearing the track and' looking A^r the Inittted, he ienrned the dh^ctioti ?ittd started oh A ^un; He arrived at the statior otitof brea*, but was tcwtrded by catching a down train a few moihentl laftfer his Wval Before boarding the train heMvir<*d tb the (??o&6 to bofd a column of spaC3 opOn fts he h^d «he>artleulai^ of a rail- way accident. On the way in he carefully revised his notes, and- f*- wroCe^hem in an extended manner; On the arri^M ^f 'fte train lit the city station, he rusbed mi and hailing 4 Uh was driven at a gallop to the Globe office, whet^ ^l w^s excitement, 'J he news had been received at the oificb that an accidenthad occurred out on the line, but the manage- ment of the road Were hot too ais^ioos that the press should be accommodated with the full patrttculaw as toifhe extent of the loss of life, and wimldnot supply an extra train as the newspaper reportfera desired. They had exited to go to presfe with only wbat thijy could catdi 0iHn iymg rumors, whibh ar6 ^vet to be depended ijpoti ki the caw of a ra4t#ayaecidene,^^ when Josh«ia^tf telegram was received. The copy wa« imittediately iKiridedto the piwatersi and^n just eight minutea frdm the t^me Joshua amved; at .^ Aaar nf the QI^Am o^c«= *^& ?»aper oontaidmk * fell report of the ancident WfS^Utig^tttrth^atr^et. '-^m omoa as QUB, SOHdUA The extra train despatched, twenty minutes after hm Arrivaf, to assist k clearrn-g awat the debris, and having on board several diiectori of the road and a Humber of reporters, had also copies of the paper with all the partkuflays, and the naroes of those injft>red. 'J his lucky hit on the part of oar hero, . brought Urn prominently before the managers of the Globe, and the Chief Editor saw that Joshua i^as ohr who could be i - trusted with important mattcFs, ai>d from tl>at Ibrbt he was given special work. He had made a friend in tbe City Editor who had assisted him to the position oti the Gld)e, That gentleman gave hira a great many hints ^nd sugges^ons which were an ines'imable assistance to hiin in his work. It was largely thiough his instrumentality that he was given the pofeitioB of Theatrical critic for a while, the gentleman whost, duty it was to attend to this line, Having been called from the city by sickness in his family. It was while doing this work that he bad quite adventure, in fact his first appearance on the ftage. From the nature of his occupation as theatrical ter he soon became exceedingly well acquainted with the difierent managers of companies playing in the city, and instead of taking a seat in front of the curtain as bad been his former ambition, he now had thv entree behind the scenes ; and soon became quite well acqainted with many of the leading actors and actresses. The night referred to was particularly disagreeable. It had been raining hard all day and Joshua had prepared himself expressly for the weather. He had on a pair of high boots, with his pants rolled up and * a led in the tops of thftm ; an old slouch hat on his head ; and ari ex- tensive watcr^proof dangling nearly to his heels. The company was playing in the Boston Theatre at the time, awu >i>\j p'»y 'Vus v»iit/ tOpruoctttiii^ A-jnotci u "iit;. lut? ladies in the cast were very airily attired to represent a little Bostoo repor- m AS A HEFORTi'iR Ud fairies. Joshui had become well acquainted with the «tar, and would often chld not appreciate a good bite to eat, or allow it to isterfere with his three hearty meals daifyr K:>w Eliya was inclined, Kke many others of her sex, to» he exceedingly jealous minded, and strimgiy objected to* Mr. Spuds going o§ to places of am'osemenfi without without her conrpanj ; and in all probability Spuds reap' ed a rich harvest in the way of pantry delicactet b jf leBBaioing at home. nmmwmu ■» w. hwim CHAFl'ER Xlt. jIBIOTMER rORT. —AN ADVERTISING DODOB — riSWT FKORI A COUNTRY EDITOR -^A VACATION. In a few months oar hero was given a desk in his friend, the city editor's department and acted as assistant to that gcntltjman. This placed upon him much more rospon- sibility, and although he did not have the out-door exerciss he had enjoyed previously, he was greatly pleased with the change, and found it more congenial to his taste. Wn now Hud thu BfraQ^iQEf &nd sun^rvlsififi of f>ciT!v Hud the attending on visitors with long winded correspondence, and such likg.''^^- '*^ * *' - '^ - »'^- ■' t. AS A REPORTER. The first day after taking possession of hic^ ^"^ iwhile the city editor was out he had a Tjsit^ MjT revmng some Assomaced Press dispatches ^?«" » ^J^^ eyed, long-haired and seedily dressed specimen 6f t^ f/enu8 homo cautiously opened the door and V'^'^^ Seein- the occupant to be o< 8«ch a youthful and appat- entlv innocent character, he cautiously poshed the door open and glided in softly closing it after him. In tne same cautious and impressive manner as bad n^a'^^^? «^« firstappearance/he slid over to Joshua's desk, and with a gesture as though for secrecy in a low whisper asked : ^ « Yoang man have you a soul for poetryT and a^ be did so, drew from a large satchel he carried in his band a roll ot about two hundred pages of manuscript poetry, and laid it mysteriously on* the desk before J^*^«^v , Our hero lifted up one of his number fourteen f6dt atid placing it on the desk in close proximity to the roll ot crpy " i don't know, you had better examine it yourself; if it is not a sole for poetry. I think it might wuik m well """"^hr grasping his giip sack closely in his r>Tns and glancing up to the ceiling, " I see thei^ is no opening here for rising genius. You have no mmd above the sordid lucre of the world." . , , "You are entirely mistaken my dear sir as regards tho opening. The architect in planning the building wisely provided for just such an emergency Ihere it is. point- ing to the door. « you will find an appendage on the outside designated by prose writers as a knob. You are exi ected to close the aperture aft«r you~-turn the knob to the left ^y ou will thus save the expense of a coroner s |n;iuest. « Am I to understand by this, that you will iiot Insert thefi^ few verses ?" ^ '4*lLam«« «Otel no sir. not by any m^ns, I cantJtnagine whence you conceived that idea. VV e sliail be piuas«a air to insert them ; in fact if it will give you any pleasure you ill t ^1 ! A 122. OUR JOHHUA ve? 'Z^^'T 'k "?"'*■' ^■"'' "nde^-eath the table. Ah! poetrj Jt w manufactured a little more fancy than thn common one for long-winded co.Te,spondence YouTee it ml wri^ /h ^- /■"" '"'■'y- *»"§'> that you dM mLZL ."" '=''^"<"' I^P^^' "^^ "lean siting the bundle of manuscript m his hand as though iud»in« "nthar^v' ^'ll "''«'«■»«' be nearly, thri ^"nd: cente for J. u" .?"' "'""'^^ ''^ " '''^«'- Vin of three cents for us By the way, can you tell me why the in ,.11'^ ? .?' ''^'™«^" ^"^ " '° "^"-^ his hair longf dr^ss vad na^h ''' r"'- ""* P^^f"™" "fP""' whisice^pe! vadmg the a.r in his immediate Vicinity, and havina the trvtaLT^'TK'? "' " ""^''-abused tmmp ? I h te teen trying to figure this out for some time paTt. Won't you enlighten my ignorance V ■' mT" ^f" Tt * ""*" '""' '^ y™--'' <^^ not be ox- ITWK- '"'^"''^'^ <"■ Wwciate the glories of the fn,.'!?""^^' I always thought my sole was laige enough for any ordinary man. Why, let me tell you a little 'rrrT^ ""r' '^"^ ""^'^ ^^ ™*«'- ^'- i -^-^nt down town the other day to buy me a pah' of boots. Now in n lindane sphere, I had a shoc-makcr who twk the con- tract Ia sujiply lue with understanding (»■) and- About two cow-hides to each foo,t I should say," re- marked tlie poet, gazing at Joshua's feet. " Correct ! con-ect, perfectly correct ! at least that is what ho ..yeragcd it at although I felt ^ positive that he sometimes worked a pair of baby shoes out of he corner of one of the hides, but I neyer thought It worth while to kick on that; however, as I was wyinn no tuok I lie contract and so I never had much di.ficuhy about the fit of th.l pan of my wealing apparel. AS A KEPORTER. I2Jlr Poor man he has ixiled since that. Well it becam'? necessary for me the other day to replenish my wardrobe i» that respect so 1 took a turn around the city in search of a pair of boots that would. fit somewhat easily. I went into several establishments but cbcy didn't have anything near the size. A I last 1 struck a large wholesale firm and ex- plained my predicament. The proprietor set one of the clerks to work and we tried on about all the boots in the place. As a last effort the clerk opened up a packing case that had just come in. and we sorted and tried thorn all oij until we came to the botto..i, the clerk drew out the last pair and handing them to me, observed to the proprietor who was walking around solicitous as to the reputation of the establishment, ♦* there that's the last pair, if they don't fit you'll have to try on the cose.'* It may be a satisfaction for you to know that that last pair fitted, although they were a little tight at first ; and still sir, you will say that I have a small sole." ♦'Ahfthisis but jesting. You have no soul for the infinite. You grasp shadows. You have a small puny brain. Ah !" " I have, eh ! well, if I have a small brain I think I have proved to your satisfaction that I have a well devel- oped understanding. I think by the way, that you had better propel yourself out of these premises pretty lively as this thing is becoming slightly monotonous." " One moment sir, before I depart Let me read. Let me in^ire your soul with a quickening tire !" ** Its all inspired now, and you'll be fired out in about five minutes by the clock. I'll just give you five minutes to do your quickening and at the end of that time you will think a cyclone struck this .building." •' Five minutes, ah ! it is an eternity - it is a life-time," '♦You'll find yourself in eternity, if you ain't out by that time But go on, fill in the agony while you have the time." 'i>L mi n ''■ ' 4 :i4 T-iU, .1 12^1; OUR JOSHUA II He with the long aad tangled locks, and wierd air, nn- rolled the manuscript and tragically read : BACK TO THEF. Back to thee ; 1 do flee, . . ; . . , • With my poor heart ! ■ 8p*ed I on, to thy throne '''•'' We fih^- ne'er part. " Hold, on, hold on If you wrote that for this special occasion you will find that this is no place to lay up for repairs. We haven't got any dry-dock here.** " See here " suddenly observed the poet, glaring down at Joshua," if you'd keep that mouth of yours closed for about five minutes, there might be a grain oi a chance for something to remain in your head. Now you listen while T read the rest of this or 111 walk all over you." " Hello ! hello ! Why, I'm blessed if there isn't some- thing of a man about you after all. Why, it's a genuine surprise. Shake hands. Dear me, appearances are decep- tive sometimes. Now you go on with that poetry, and after that exhibition of spirit on your part I may be able to listen to it with some resignation." The poet continued : I have faults that I thought Darling were faulUt of thine. . , I do find I was blind, And thope fimltB are all false Andw«re mine. " Glad to notice you are like the rest of us, not in- fallible. I say ! I suppose that fault of yours was an inclination to get on a bender occasionally." •* Silence sir! Listen to this heart-rending appeal ': — Briffht as the beacon star Shires o'er the Bca. Does my heart from afar Beam forth to thee. Am I then doomed to be AlwRVs alone? J >'i'' Oh. call lae back again To thy dear home." -'?»!?til see, you are looking for a chance to block it in on the lamily again ; but do you supi ose if she saw that in print AS A' REPOftTER. 125 that it would have the desired effect ? m «a«t is, mydear sir if you would brace up, and ^low your energ^to develop in the way of buck-sawing wood now, you would find the world would appreciate your lalents better, and give you a much more respectable outfit. Now 1 would suggest as a step in the right direction, that you have thosfe flowing locks of yours sheared off to the customary length and also get a shave. I have an idea, somehow and 1 am inclined to beUeve it is becoming more prevalent eve^ day with those minds which are controlUng modern thought, that the man with an extensive crop of hair has, as a general thing, a limited amount of braiqs beneath it, be he poet, preacher or sinner. It is now nearly lunch time, and you will have to perambulate. I shall not charge you any- thing for aU the good advice I have given you this afternoon, S the time 1^. If you feel inclined^ to leave yoi^ poetry I will insert an ad. something to this effect m our next issue : Fo»8alb!~A Umloiot vewea on lovo.wd spring, »a good a* new grass to feed goats on." • . The poet, however, concluded not to have the advertise- ment ruB in just then, and walked off Miih his grip sack in one hand and his manuscript under his arm. While seated in the office one afternoon after the^first edition was out. a Uttle wiry individual with a soft felt hat and a cotton family umbrella of a rusty shade of brown, came swooping into the offi 'e. ^ - « \Vell! said our hero, "what is troubling gtottft this ^^» Do you exchange with the Enterprise of Randolph ?" " Randolph -Kandolph --let's seel where the dickens is that anyway? Up in Canada, somewhere, am tit ? " No, young man. it is in Dodge County, Wisconsin, I came f^m there and I should. like to see what has been nniiia on in mv absence." »• , "V.'lfit'is a weekly,! am afraid we do not exciiaiige with it. llowovor/you carf go in and see the horse ^11 ^1 m f.i Ml /• 126 OUR JOSHtTA i i:l :i editor — second d(x>r to the right— he is pretty well up on OMWL^^untry exchanges and I think he comes from Wis- consin somewhere." . . *• All right, I will Call on him in a moment. Let's see ! this is the City Editor's room isn't it?" ** Yes ! here is where that personage general! y holds out, when he isn't dodging hook agents " " I thought I saw that name on the door as T came up. I have here an item of news that will be of considerdble interest to youi readers. You can run it in in your second edition," and the visitor drew out from a much worn pocket book a soiled piece of paper and handed it to our hero It contained the following :— We had a sociable call this afternoon from Mr. EWnezer Shortgrass, the renowned inventor of the inflixible hen-roost. He has secured a patent on his very u^ho\v| thinjr^ were going on in his native place. His. toother had been quite well in his absence, but'hekh«W She must be very lonely, and felt anxious to induce her -to come on, if p<)ssible. He felt very much as though he should like to make a flying visit to the little Canadian town, were it only for a day or so, that he might see his mother and Kate. . He broaclied the subject to his friend, the City Editor, who promised to do all he could to assist him. The Chief was intervievyed and the coveted leave of absence granted for a week. He had been on the Globe staff about three years and had well earned the holiday. Without difficulty he secured railway passes to Caneville aad with a ligljt heart and a well filled pocket book, he started for home, one Monday morning in midsummer. He had written to his mother that he expected to be home on Tuesday, and he JUR iTOSHUA^ rr-i ('^Joshun'g trip otifc into the world had changed him so ttmch that Small Pica did not recognize him at first. Our hero hailed him as he was going up the isharf and inquired as to how they were all getting along at the MerM. Tih5fiw,R ^ . " My gracious, Josh Bangs as I live. Where did yon rain down from ? Why you are * tuckered out ' in great style. Dropped into a fortune, eh ? or have you been adopted by a rich and eccentric old gentleman ? " Oh no ! neither of them ; I have got a position in Boston on the Globe, and have been there nearly all the time that I have been away. " W-h-e-w, you don't tell me. On the Boston Glohe, eh. Gracious that must be a first rate job. But why did you come back to this pokey old hole ? Didn't get the grand bounce, did you f* " Oh no I I am going back on Friday. I just came on for a few holidays, and had hard time enough to get off at that Well, how is everything up at the JBeraW* "Humph! all right I guess, but I am not on the Herald now. We have dissolved f)artnership. I had a row with them, and have been working for old Jones this* last year or more." ^ , - « Is that so. Why, how do you and Muffins get along together f I thought you and he could never pull in the jame harness?" . ^ ' « Well, you see it was a case of necessity, as one might remark. I wanted a job and Muffins wanted a hand, so we undertook to burv all old animosities for the mutual good. The fact is Muffins ain't such a bad old fellow, and we aH get along quite harmoniously. Muffins is getting on in years now, and his eyes are not so bright as they used to be, so we gay and festive youths have to humor him a little. You know he is susceptible to flattery and taffy, and when he gets on a high horse we ease him down "tenderly and he comes out all right. I suppose you will drop ill ana see UB i „ , '^J may if I get a chance,but how is Mr. Jones making out? ■J ill AJ|/./^ BElKiRTKR. 091 iitn so first. rf and Id yon 1 great u been bion in all the Globe, it why get the Etme on get off dr on the [ had a aes thi!» it along L in the s might land, so mutual ow, and getting as they ) humor «ry and m down you will ing out?" ( V Ph! every novv and t^en he takes a crink in ms b4<3 OP * twist in his leg» and gtta laid up, at heme for a week or 80, making things very unpleasant lor us at th^j offing but we have always managed so for, to get the papei out somehow. I guess he is getting awfully behind-hand in collecting the subscriptions* I heard him say to Muf- fins the other day, that he wished to goodness you? had not gone away, so that he could get some ot thos^. old bills hunted up. You must come in and «iee us. I knOw ftU hands will be glad to have a talk with you You must hot hold any animosity with me Josh, On acoounfi- ^^^^^ scrapes! P'on my word I am just as glftdto 8ee''^(^f%^ though I never had stole your clothes or given ybii a poundmg. , ? ? ^ « That's all right, Small Picfe', tha^ t^ ftlf tf», mr^^ no hard feeling between us with reference to the past I aiii assui-ed, or at least as far as I am concerned, but as re- gards that pounding now ; I ha\^e a faint Suspicion that you came out of that pounding secoiid best. That is if my memory serves me right." „ ^^'^ " Well Josh, we won't argue the point, I atri'not one t«rho delights in harrowing up the feelingS; particularl/ on the occasion of our re-union— so to speak. Buppc»fie we call the whole thing a * passover,' and take'a now deal" They separated htjre, Joshua hurfying«tWay to where his mother resided, and Small Pica going into the #m office. His mother had lef the cottage, ahd had been boarding for some time, so that it was not the old homie after all that he was returning to. \ .' . "The "probable s<.n's " return was"' iT'^t^St day of rejoicing in the house of Bangs, and the Usual supj^ty of delicacies were brought Oh in lavish abundance. Katb dropped around for a few moments in the evening, and Mrs. Bangs wisely retired while the yoking people wen talking over what had taken place duritig their lott^ separation. f , . -i- in to see Mr. Muffins and the hands in the Era office. \ 132 OUR JOSHUA He leraembered that this was the day on which the paper was issued and as it had generally been prepared the night before, he felt pretty sure Mr. Jones would not be around the office. , i j u -i r„ v. The awn was over the door on the same old building in which°he had had so many youthful adventures, and as he climbed up the well worn stairs, he wa,s remm Jed by the frescoing on the walls of the time when he had made his first artistic effort with a paste-brush. 1 he monument of his genius had stood the ravages of time, and the bold figure of a man with a long pipe m his mouth, and an extensive amount of coat and cane— a (combination of paste and printing-ink- stared down on him from over the office door. „ , . -.t, i. He did not stop to knock but walked m without ceremony, and he was not c^uite prepared for tne scene which presented itself. Things appeared to be a little mixed inside. Mr. Jones was there, but his condition and appearance would not lead one to imagine that it was the same Mr. Jones of old. The whole trouble had been caused by the press. When they had put the forms to press that morning, something about it had got out of order, and they could not get aii impression. Mr. Jones had been hurriedly sent for, and word had been sent oyer to a machine shop for a man to come and -bxamme into the trouble, but they were so busy at the shop that they could not .pare a man, just at the time, to look ^ Every effort had been made by Mr. Jones and Muffins to get the press to work, but without success Mr. Jones had ilkm off his coat and hat, and had roUed up his sleeves and gone to work in earnc'st. When Joshua came in ho had crawled under the i^onfi-ame work and was lying on his back, clawinL^ at part of the niachinery with his legs just visible. The hands had taken the forms power trauslei hand-pres^ and Muffins and Small Pica were perspirmg at ? ; J V 5 ' < i' ^ ^ AS A REPORTEH 133 h the Id nob iil(]in<]c as, and ninied ien he h. The if time, in his ane — a >wn on vithoufc e scene a litUe ndition that it ; press, lorning, d they ,d been rcT to a Into the at they to look Muffins ss. Mr. oiled up I Joshua ork and tchinery, ken the pi ring at a great rate while tugging the papers off on that instru- ment of torture. On seeing Joshua, Mr. Muffins drew the back of his hand across his forehead to remove some of the surplus perspiration, leaving a track of lubricating oil and printing ink, which did not add materially to his beauty ; he then advanced and shook hands cordially with him. *• Real glad to see you, Joshua, although you came in at a most inopportune time, so far as we arc concerned. The old press has gone back on us, and we can't get it to work all we can do. We have been trying these last two hours and it does net work as well as when we began. I was very glad to hear that you had been doing so well in Boston. You will excuse me going to work again, but these papers hnve got to be run off somehow, you know. I suppose this is not much like what you have been used to lately?" "Well, no, not exactly, but then these things occut sometimes and we can't always help them. I am glad to see you looking so well Mr. Muffins. You are looking remarkably well, m fact younger I think than when I left town." "Do you think so?" observed Mr. Muffins, drawing himself up and smiling as sweetly as a lady under a ^20 spring bonnet. " Why of course I do, I couldn't help but notice it the first thing, but is there not some way I can help you out«of this difficulty to-day ? I am at your service." Just then Mr. Jones emerged from beneath the power- press and .'ame forward. Joshua was not exactly certain of the reception he was going to receive from that gentle- man, but time, they say/heals all wounds; and Mr. Jones did not appear to remember anything of the past but gave him a hearfcy shako of the hand, giving him also the nil which he had got on his hands .f « A. ,j-%ir\ a 1 tf i ^lT««-k .V»li P in his frantic efforts among the machinery. " Glad to see you Joshua ; glnd to hear you have been 4'' I M dUR josntTA j^rospering so well. Heard you were in town and thought yon would not slight ns hy not giving us a call. You find lis in a bad predicament to-day. Everything seems to be going wrong with ns lately. On the Globe I believe?" i- •'Yes, I am attached to the Olohe and have a ver/ good situation, but I was just remarking to Mr. Muffins t'hat if there Was anything i could do to help you out, ^ should be pleased to do it Suppose I investigate t> g old press. I remember when T thought I knew some* ig about it; that was when I had to clean it up, and fee( the ** No. that would be an imposition, you would get your- self all over oil," replied Mr. Jones. •• We can't have pur visitors treated in that manner. Come into the offloe and have a smoke. Learned to smoke yet?" " No, not yet sir ; but never mind the oil, I can put M that linen duster of Small Pica's, and I guess I can keep from getting oil on my clothes. You ^j into the office and scrape off some of that oil, and Mr. Muffins and I will get these papers off all light" *• Well Joshua, if you can do anything I wish you would ^.' You probably know more about the press than any one of us 1 am willing to acknowledge that 1 know very little and that I am not particularly anxious to learn, at tay time of life. If you will excuse me, I will clean up a little and look more presentable." rf* Certainly, sir," and Joshua drew off his coat, and pulled on the linen duster ' '' - ^ '"Now, Mr. Muffini you must consider me as one of the staff for a little while, and not as a visitor " With the assistance of Small Pica, who handed over the Ink roller to the devil to roll off for Mr. Muffins, who oon- timied still toiling away at the papers on the hand press, he began examining the old press. After carefully running 1^ A e A. a^vn tfk w«#« 1/ yI^II k/n» iv%r^^ AV %JVk\jt!k^ tV «,;^MO f«AAV« AV/A « *^a it- closely, he saw where a cog had got out of place, and ifler a little trouble he got it back to position again. It A3 A RB^RTEft. m was now ready for \he forms, and they were very quickly transferred from the hand-press to it. Ten minutes after leaving the room, when he again made his appearance at the door, Mr Jonos found the papers being run off as usual and Joshua removing the oil from his hands at the wash-stand— that memorable wash-stand of old, more dilapidated, if anything, than ever— and pleasantly conversing with Mr. Muffins. A gentleman called in to see Mr. Jones at that moment, and our hero continued his conversation with the foreman. "Well, Joshua," observed that gentleman, " so you like working on a Boston daily." " Oh, yes, I like it very well. Sometimes the work is pretty hard, but one gete used, they say, to anything but hanging, and I suppose they. WQuld get used to that if they were not dead." . ,rr - f-rip ^rr +>_ '« That's so, that is so ; but what is your idea about those Boston papers ? Is there any money in them ?" i(.*'I should suppose there would be, although I do not have anything to do with the business department, and all I know is from remarks I hear occasionally." «• From what you have seen, Joshua, which ii the best paying part of a city daily— the sales or the advertising ?" *' About the best way to answer that, Mr. Muffins, would be to repeat a conversation which took place lately in th« Olohe office. A number of the staff were in the Chief's room, and I happened to drop in to see the city editor about something A boy had brought the papers up from the press room from the first edition, and each one was looking over his particular column to see if there had been any mistakes. • Well,' said the Chief, * this is a good paper to-day. NoW that leader is the best pohtical article I have written for a long while I was just in the humor for writing. You mark my words it will have an effect on tha— i * It is a good paper— very good indeed,' interrupteu our funny man, as he glanced down his column, aivi twitch^^ 136 OTJR JOSHUA a cigar oat of his vesb pocket, ' I haven't got very much in, but it is all sharp and pointed, and it will be clipped by — ' 1 aui sorry they cut, out so much of our loci^l matter,* observed the City Editor * but after a" we have given them a good newsy sheet, and that is what takes with the public. We have an exclusive thing on that railway accident, and that elopement—' ' Well, gentlemen,' said the Business Manager, his face beaming over the top of the paper he had been glancing at; ' well, gentlenicn, it is a heautiful paper to-day Very little in it but advertisements, but there is where the money is;' So you see, Mr. Muffins, that the Business Manager's idea of a good paper was in the amount of advertising matter ; although I believe the sales amount to quite on item in the course of a year on our dailies." Joshua conversed for some little time with Mr. Mnffms, and then, as the editor was still engaged with his visitor, slipp3d(piietly ont. . i The next morning he took tho boat for Caneville, and from thence the cars to 15ostoT\, arriving in that city on Saturday evening. He did not see Mr Jones again during his stay, although he unders'ood hmn Small I'ica, who had come down to the yvharf to see him off in the morning, that that gentleman had expressed a desire to se-.' him. and regretted that he had not come in again that afternoon He was met at the depot in lioaton by Spuds, wlio had been expecting him on that train, and who was anxious to h«ar from home, and to get all the news. Spuds would have liked to have accompanied Joshua on his trip, but everything was rushing so at the office that it was im}>oa«. sible for him t^ get tlie necessary leave of absence. 'j \ ti- , ^gjAp:ER XIII. ^ C0NVRU8AT10N AT MR. JONBS'. -CORRESPONDENCB. - '^woman's rights AOAIN.-MARHTAOES.-COKCLUSION. "'«' Didn't 1 hear you coming in late kstmght, Kate,** reuiaiked Mr. Jones at the breakfast table on the Friday morning on which our hero Ipft Swampto^n after his flying visit. »/*t'ff iji»# «« I was out a liitle while last evening, sir. . ' .^tt apoears to me that it mu3t have been after eleven o^clock when I heard the noiae d -n stairs. Were you out as late as that ?" . , . i - It may buvq been. I did not notice the time as I came in." .m .r. i* " Hnrapli! whire under the sun were you until thit late hour of the night. That » a pretty time to ho out on the streets. If my men.o.y serves me.nght. you have bu n out several times of late, too, nnfl that ""''-^'"ly Z"^" I 1 can't have this thin- goinj? en any longer. You w.U hiive to stop it iminidiiitHly. . .^ .M was down to Mrs Bangs' spending the evening, if you a.e so p.. UcululiJi^xious to know where I was keop- .' As Joshua h:is been debarred from coming here to see ,T,c why 1 had no other alternative than to go and see him; and as he was going away this morning I^ may possibly have remained longer last n.ght than usual i_j^_.it :„^««,i I < no othor iilternative, en. inUCCti . i;i--t'.-wt - — •Till Some- thing more going on that 'ohl Jones' .li.ln t know anyth.ug about. Now that we are beginning to understand each 138 OITB JOSHUA. A Other and are having; a little confidential conversation, it might not be out of order for m^ to ask a few more ques- tions. Pray how long have you been on «uch intimate terms with Mrs. Bangs ?" "Something over three years I believe.** replied Kate, complacently balancing her fork on one of her plump and well shaped fingers " '^> ^jr*> ha* never been any effort to have any secrecy abbutn': I know of, father ; I consider her a very estimable laJy and I «njoy, exceedingly, lay visits to her boarding house, besides she is quite lonely now and I think she enjoys having some one drop in and see her." t •* You do, eh! Oh yes I suppose so," remarked Mr. Jones, quietly sipping his coffee. " I imagine you hold .a session of what might be called a Mutual Admiration Association. You each talk about your trials and tribula- tions and vary the programme by occasional eulogies on our friend Joshua. It must be very interesting — to both." ^, " It certainly is. I thoroughly enjoy it," arching her pretty eyebrows, and continuing her breakfast with an apparent relish. ♦* But do you thi'ik you are loving wisely in this case, my dear ?" (, »«• Well, sir, there is no doubt it is better to love wisely, but you know this is a question on which we have always differed ; however 1 believe that it is better even to love foolishly than never to Iovj at all" " Your love don't interfere with your appetite any, that's certain." - . '.iri^i-fe;. '* Oh, no, I don*t allow little things like that to bother me when it comes to a matter of eating. My love affairs have never interfered, with my digestive organs yet, my dear father." *' No I see not. Well, about these visits, I suppose after you talk for three or four hours on the subject of Joshua's perfections you change the conversation to raking 'old Jones ' over the coals for the way ho has acted. I AS AtltPOtCtlSR. ISO bave no doubt my ea« would have tingled had I heard some of the complimentary ex presMoas passed on me. ♦* I don't remembet ever hearing your name come up in the conversation, at least not often. Mrs. Bangs alway* speaks of you with esteem attd gratitude for your kindness to Joshua while in the office.'* ^ ,, , i t > 1 ** And a pretty way he served me after all 1 had done for him ; going off and leaving me just when I want^ him most. However, that is only a sample of the thanks one receives in this world for doing a person a kindness " You seem to forget, father, that you told him to leave the house that night and never to come into it again. ^ « Oh. well ! the house was not the office, and he might have known that I was in a passion at the time I spoke that way. He knew well enough that it would not have made anv difference in our-business relations. .« I don't see it in that way. He left the town because YOU would not countenance his attention on me ; and he Lturally did not think it would be very agreeable for any of us so long as you continued of the same mmd. He has succeeded well by going away, m iact a great deal better than he ever could here, and I don t blame him for goins in the least. - Humph! so I am to understand from ih^. remarks that you have not changed your opinion smcc he went away,amir--H^^ m n U&^ ^. , , u ■ u ,* - Most certainly 1 have not, I don't think I have had any reason to do 80." ^ u„«« .' Yes 1 and I am also to understand that^you have been corresponding with him since he left, eh V* - _ - I am not at liberty to control your thoughf s, sir. Yon will have to allow your imagination full^ scope on that question, I am not going to enlighten you. M,And so Kbenezer Jones has been fooled ag^in, eh . ^ •* Ah no. I could have told you aU this long ago, it you had taken the trouble to ask, 1 don^t think no^v, i*i.w, that you can accuse me of having tried to keep my attach- 140 OUil JOSHUA il ment fof Joshua a secret. If you will remember 1 told you about it when he wient away." " A nice thing to have my daughter running after a pauper like this. 1 should think you would have more respect for me — for j'our family. I suppose the next thi g you will be running away and getting married T* " Now, papa, I don't think you have any right to say these hard things of Joshua and his mother. You know you are only talking that way to bear yourself talk. Joshua is earning an honest living and laying up money, and they are all very comfortably provided for. As for my run- ning away 1 have not the slightest idea of doing it, because I have the idea, father mine, that when he is ready and I am ready, that Mr. Ebenezer Jones will be ready. Now there's a good papa, go down to the office and try and keep cool, as it is going to be a warm day, and it won't pay you to heat yourself up so early in the morning." " Well, I guess it is time I was going down to the office. Have you been behind the scenes all this time, mother, as' to how things were going on ?" turning to his wife. *' I was not m^de a special confidante about Kate's love affairs," replied Mrs. Jones, who had discreetly kept aloof from the conversation, '* but I knew Kate was visiting Mrs. Bangy, and I did not think theiewas anything wrong in it. 1 am sure she is a good, religious woman, and there are many places Kate could go that would be much worse for her than there." " Yes; I see you «vomen are Ica.ued together on this thing. I am not. prepared to say just at present what I fihall do,' and finishing his coffee, Mr. Jones arose from the table and shortly left the house for the office. Joshua had been back to the office about a week and was beginning to g(t settled down to actual work again. J iicie la no uOuOt inai ciic urai lev* uajro uucr a vacu.iiv*n are not productive of as much work hs when the indi- \idual has his thoughts and mind fully centred on his I • tllS AS A REPORTER. 141 occupation Joshua found it so in his case. He had been tied down so closely to office work for the past three years that the short v-.cation had created a feeling of unrest. He was surprised to receive m his mail, one day, a letter from Mr. Jones. That gentleman appeared to be in an awful stew with the office affairs. I he following is a copy of the letter, and Joshua's surprise on receipt ot it can be imagined ^ m m^y i^^^MPtowN, AUG. 5, 18— Friend Joshua, ^ r i. n -tu I regretted exc.edln,'ly n.thavin, had the plea.^re of a taUc w^h vou when you were here la.t week. T munt acknowledge that things ao^e notJlingon just, as smoothly in the office a. they were when you and vourTend Spuds Sheldon were here Mr. Muffins i«thinkmg o going Lrsorotier hu^iness. a.d I h.ve often great <^^^^fy^l,l^^lll^_ local work done to suit me, having often to do it myself. JDon t you sup- pose we might be able to make some arrangement by which you cud comeTn^ftakea p.rt interest in the budnes. You know enough rutittodefcermineln your own mind whether t would ^^y^y^Ilonr this and besides you would be to a ceHain extent mdependent, and your own master; that is if there is any such thing as -^^P-^-- ^ *^ J world. I think it would be a good opening for you. You m:ght thmk it over and drop m^ a line at your earliest convenience. Respectfully yours, Ebenbzer Jonks. '^.S. If you could induce your friend Mr. Sheldon to come on with yo«andt.kec'iageofth3me3hxni.al managament of the paper^I have uo doubt he would b3 a 'jreat acquisition aad a^sintanoe. ^.. J. After consulting with Spuds and taking a few days for consideration our hero returned the foUpwing answer :-■ GtoBE Office, Boston, Av^. ^'Uh 18"-^, Ebenezeb J()NE8, Esq., Tlio ba3fs on which any nagotiation could take pl.ce would he that you will give your sanction to your daughter Kate becommg v^ wue, • r 1.1. „ ,».«■ in,iu 5a fitrrftfiable. of oourse. if the young lady is agreeable, of course. llesuectfuUy yoars, AT Joshua. Bangs. .i^[ ii«iiii«_wniii»nlW'*llWPJWl'i>"!W*' 142 OUR jdsmjA. II) ^'^WWWcli ^flef a few days h^^idliM the (mvAng laconic reply : JosHCA Bangs, Esq., Tm blessed if I dn ! EbESKEEB JONFS. Our hcro*8 answer to this was equally as^ brief and expressive : — ?! ^^ Globe Officb, Boston, Avu, t^nd 19r~ ■.. E.^loNB'H, Esq., You'll be blesaed if you don't. yours, &;o.i Joshua Bangs. To this short and delicate effusion our hero received no reply. The idea of returning to Swamptown was not very heartily endorsed by Spuds, and it was well seeing his attraction was now in Boston. One day, as Joshua was attending to his duties in the office, the door opened and a female of the ** last rose of summer" variety entered without knocking, and strode across the room to Joshua's desk. '1 he city editor was out at the time, and cr hero was alone in the office. Hfe took a hasty glance arounu *o see if there was any opportunity to dodge out, but she had taken up a position between him and the door, and there did not appear any way out of the dilemma. It was not very often that menribers of the fair sex gv^ so far up in the building as his fiat, and this also was a surprise to him, 'J'he age of the lady in question was like X in the formula — an unknown quality, with the difference that it would have been a great deal harder to find out. It was undoubtedly on the uncertain side of forty. She had that vinegary cast of countenance which has always been associated with old maids, but why we have been unable to discover. * l*ray be seated," observed Joshua, as his visitor did AS A BEPORTER. m not make any effort to take a chair. . It was not necessary for her to explain her mission ; he ctuld see "Woman's Bights" written in hold letters in every line of her face. She drew a chair over in front of our hero's des^, comj pletely barring his way to the door, and seating herself, said : , *• Young m;m- what do you consider to be woman s sphere in life ?" and she braced herself back in the chair, folded her arms and looked intently at Joshua. " I beg pardon ?" " I think I iipoke plainly enough, sir ; but I will repeat. What is your idea as to the sphere woman should occupy in this world?" *« Well, madam, 1 really never gave the subject the amount of thought a&d consideration its extent and depth * require, and I am therefore not in a position to give an intelligent answer to the question" " Intelligent— intelligent answer -do you suppose I am idiotic enough to think I can get an intelligent answer on this great question from one connected with the press, least of all from a stripling like you? No, far from it, far from it ; but you are young, and I may do some good. I may instil thoughte iti your mind which may grow and yield in after years a rich and abundant harvest. Verily, I have come at a most opportune time, at a time when my labors will not be in vain, or my words scattered to the winds. Young man, 1 am here to do you good. My labor is a labor of love." *• 1 am very busy just now, can't I induce you to drop in some other time, and I shall be pleased to take the dose in any forfti you may prescribe." "Young raan, you seem endowed with a more thati ordinary intellect, but never fall into the habit of procras- tinating. It will be your ruin, your downfall if yon do He who puts off what can be done at the present never s^..»»f.po K^ttrnn.il thf* lower strata. I never procrastinate. Joshua saw that he was in for au " ear-iull," as he IH smAmmK remarked afterwards tp ?puds, so he: leaned V>iick ia his tafft'fi%f'if,.pbi#sime. ^-. . ,^ .,,^. , -^. , ...f: ^,,,.vi ,..»,. , * «**'Wefl.*ttik*l!n,fpy6u wfsH mrto tul you sorne Pt niV; ;j--il^^r„i.il** ii*.>*«v^>^7AVJ>l \ ,1.^^.-00:0 ..Q f the am'o\irit df th?6ii^hf__.„-...^,-,,,^,-^ -,.,,- , Jiave al Ways y^^tf df the I'd^a l^bat woman s true sphere in life was' in; making home the sweetest, purest, loveliest and mb^t ^njoy^afele pf^q^ itf ttie: wliol^ wprld, \J^^^ ^^^ ®^'^^y energy and thought shoulH''f)e fevbted'to'fit ^nd qualify herself "by that higher "education, thaj, Mo^l^fj l^powledge, that her famiVy might loolc' up to jieV; and say ''rnqther' with all the reverence, IbVe^andj respect that ngjine should call» fbl-th^ 1 nray hkve what sbihe1fia4«*tic8~which evi^p to you may appear a's puritan td^as oh this subject, but 1 ,ai^ not a sympathizer Viththe^* Wbnian's Eights' movement when it takes the direction of extending the franchise to that sex. While my feelings are strongly with ':he women in tha manygdod arid laudable' effjrts they are making to purify tho moral tone of the community, I can never sympiithize wiih those ranters who make a practice ot disparaging our eex, howling against the impurity of the time, and the degen- eracy of the world in generai I grant for the sake of argument— if we are going into this thing in the way of an argunienf— that woman is endowed with just as high an order of intellect as man, and is just as competent and able,.a8 f'lr aS ability is. concerned, to give an intelligent vore'on any' gi^eSt giie^tion befbie the country, and I have peen women who were eminently qualified to hold any office in the gift 0! tlie c6untry,'^ut these last we must ackriowh^dge to be,e^c6{itiona! cases. tJpon cojisjcleration, I dpn*t know but that in ma% instances they are rnuch more unbiased, a,i)d less apt to be irifluenced by mercenary motives than the^so- called lords of creation. Now, as regards the liquor trathc ; 1.1 AS A REPORTER. 145 ,. . i that is a question I have ftlwayi thought woman should have a voice in, because they ar^ mere directly interested, probably, than in any other of the great political questions. Some how the word ^ politics ' does not sound, to me, in harmony with the word * woman.' I have heard it argued by some that » christian now-a-4ay9 cannot be a poU^cian -^that he has got to give up one or the other>^church or politics. If this is so with reference to the sterner se|| huw much more would it be true of the gentler and nsbore tractable sex. My opinion of this /Woman's £ight§' question is that as a general thing it is all Sto .litot»' «a«« Si ^oii»*f > ..rAxtl-h^^Mfth -^^^^^^-^^^^ ■ ■■■■■„' - , -, So that, as Laid, the inflil«i«e wiW^ fo^ttd Wf^ potent foe. giM>dr^»riieii Ug^nM hmne, ^t^m^^ ef war inther rfaoe^^llwi^l you tlanl^ ^«t after ^U, you couWdo a great deal more good by end^n^rw^ to bring yoiii^iniiiewi^oii^ ^^«^i'!r^^!^JT^'^^ kt^ §mmet ^^ptertng -your tek irf prml^ Uo%l ^n tMBkyt)»iJiT«*«o» fii#Bf«^ tiitn70lit»k« a4?«^»r !^Sb« arose ^wly and offered hei hand to Joshua, r 'M i«itt gamnr. There is not «u«^ «^ i» fT a^^'I!! you I see as you bave beeu pnmed before hand. I my ia» inigaui to see ytm,'* and before he could hardly realize the fact ai«^»a« g«ie. ^., , . ^ ,„^^ A Httle l«trr m the afternoon while condensing uome fteiegraphic notes, he was interrupted by ,tbe .^B9?ftvag EdHor who lounged in, amdsing a^cifar./ - ^ -^^ ^^ ^' Taking the city editor^s chair and placing bis feet op the . de«k, he leaned back aad remarked to Joshua :--r ; - ectfngi >Meati-^B}eiH»>~^ell I guess he wat. J^b'stttrli^jl' mi^t^aTriieett^i^^ a yard tome- thing like his. Aboiit eyeryt^dy 1 llttow disliked him. Hare vo% got that- doWfcl^^m 'm:i' ,f^->- l^m ^UtU ^B- '^^*' All j^i^l?/ Bob, iHiit %a» itd mil^at0Qi0mi^^mm ^it depriv«#tliJs^l^otiii bf ^is^^ivordiy intiiei,''ii»mMi»d loih^a ai^%e l^r^^fi^ -tt^ kkt^^peodl preparatory to finishing the' article^' ■ \ '--■■"•'• ' -??!'. 5?;'-r ■—'■>^'::.- ^ -'That is |he most comical part of It^Th^ did duffer was choked'' to death ' wliiie endeavoring to mnillow. a toagh pieee of steaks I itippost^ it wat tke first wisce «C meat he had eaten this year, and it so surprised hit thfoat that it ftHTgot to fulfil 'ita i natural fanetioiia^ .-^ Hatnral fuiicttons are good w<>r€byJo8b^ better work .Ibnmi'in soMie h&iv.^ »*i-^;;.f- fSiLi-..^.x; r^san;;/'! /i--! '^-"if-H rrw «« -ssf. J', i^.v-j;' " Alf ffgfit, t*v«f goC fh«t dwfn wfa«t ^^nrai, raflllio have any wife or children or any relatives P u ' ; '* He had a wife but she got a divorce sotaie years ago as she could not live with hisa, he would nave starved her to death. He had a number of children too,' bat ^leyolU took a hand for themselves as soon as they were able to enter the game. It he has any relations, they do not show up much ; the report of his rocks may bring them though. Got that downr •* Yes, well what'eUef*- •■''■ h :.u w.ti-ruff unr n,.. .-i "His politlml career is not as claw it HanltnV record. He was a man who never^ could be induced to vote for less than five dollars and all the rum he could drink, which was no small quantity. Party was no object §o long as he got the money and rum. Got that down f* 4 ; "Allrightl well?" .jt^Rair,. *' «* It's not worth while roiAing it too extendei^, you can end up by saying that everyone will be glad to learn Ai»t * he has * kicked out.' When yon get that down you can ^ read it over to me. and 1 will see whether she trots akng 148 OUR JOSHUA Kyi smoothly, and how 7 can do an " over the line " articJe. By the way we ought to have a dU|»lay heading to it, i'W Fa6sed in his check*," how would that d©, m again -4 " In at the Finish r Just use your jijidgnient ahout those headings hat I think them awaiy up." ^ i -^ «• S»7 1 aHi^t you going to read that oirer»fe6 «a t ' as enf hero started as if to put it in the copy dmwer. «« Oh, certainly I di^'t^iok you partieulwly cwrcd »bou» hearing it." ^ ^ i^ ANOTHBJE PEOMINian' CITIZEN OONIL "^i rrrrt^R' ■% 0»« e{6uvinoitrw{Met«4otiis«»a, Mr,3»hn Bjoklapd, w&oR»«ifui«^ftiid pMIaatVoi4c lurtw* w*# w«ll known to ikoMvlth whom he caflW itt :U "So yon arc going to borrow the paper rbu read iii" '•A grtmt Was the odly aiiswor he received. .. ^ ■•'«Do you know,*' observed Joshua. elev^^iugTifl fdtjfe on a cnair near, and tilting back in Iii.«i 8(^t -•♦ du yon \^m tUit I think that a man who will borroM- a paper to read '■?p^ rp'r. OUR JOSHUA ,hen he is perfectly aUe to bny one. is so '*'««r^*« Hb^M- ^mi» Ms «oi»lB »va w«Mu^ out hi. teeth., when theyaiB ai*» to ilonUni^ .A-;/^^ *°r *v„,?^ •"^ff rt:£» toSiiS? few* 1. m^nt 18 a^nftWirai e>eju»w»' *« TS^riai I'll tell im. . A wiin.iM& ^ r?"" . ? 1 f|. I V ^^ Jii^o 'kdr ' « That IS wm mv»uwlc in ais oounky.' lematked that f "'^"^'M.'^i'™. ',Jd .visitor. < You Make *I*P«^«l'?«^ Sfott^' So Tto owhiei informed him aftorwards that WJ'*'*"^ S^e^wa stairs and paid «'««"^«"^""J^ ^p^pS ^Tat.c«. mthbnt saying a word, and had had m» p»P» ■^£h.a been*.^*^ -^ -nt^ *^'^ was having a pmtty. hard time to "^^i.^^'^^j^ter. officii. Kate had kept him P"*'?^^" ^nin hi. to^tive and ttinain gfJneral as they ^«" /T* "" ^ §,. J,tes ' febce andfee was +ery sure he wotfld heai ttom mt. ^C?W'«"™t„ -rfe was therefore not surprised wUeu «W . #ivXKe ii:^lett«r fro«thatge«tlo»an..- , >t .luoh >' kS 1 EEPORTEB. f roil a. 9^ xcite- roubie ft wi^ i^i..,>. So of all up.** tor had year in LB paper .war: f. Jonei ) lU^ die inattera [g liatiTe [r. Toxies « iMHI qftwn JHB not M bii«k M f kairo fite m ^'•itpt |{<»^.^ aO^ f}i*^tMaMm U hoih. enng m vwy mA, tUa s^iftg/tiM'S^^M^iijriaM t^'iWiitli^it ▼•ry loBg if ibMw itwHtk lit-nir iaA# t | i i i ^ ^-^ riU«iteii%yyrfii:^W^Ii« lMtt«r ft good deal o< %^, mmI aafymi aa^lKAMlMKri i | y iiM i tlT * — dq y p your HiHids to j(^ fortte«| ia tbi. f t|(«r8^ «•» '"'^^il^ **^ iftnMl . •fnungf- loent by viiieh yo« couUl oopifi ,J|«ni"|ttd )§^vff 1^. jeipt of tl^ letter over and deter- mined to have a talk with Sj^uds ahout it tliat night. He had oonoluded to hroach.the subj^pt to that i]ige of the imnwaftal poet, 'stiU yo^.a^,; this fluttejwg, strnggbug and imprisoned spirit beatii the bars o^ ii^ ||(»1^D^ cage, disdains the silken fetter ; it will not dose its eyes a^ foW its Vings ; as if time wewi not swift «(nougb. its swifter fchougbtB outstrip its mpid flight, and onward, cuiwwd do Uiey wing their way to the distant mountftkis^'to ithe fleeting elouds of the future, and yet I know tbi^ ere long, wearv and waywois-. and diguppointed. they slaaH return to nestle in Uie bosom of the p««V"'j and ' " A^'X'KEFOSTIBK 153' ' - Joshua after this d«cIafiiatoiy ^ffort^ leaiied hack ji hir' chaw^witha teog atatm fikoe, and' # Mtt§$^ wfeV^ W filS ' handg-'^i \-^ 7:-:'-^rWiyiX ^!>:i; t'l'^^t/yrf.-; F .ut^tf/i^ ^i;w i fcja JaI'^ thepresenfe^ U^:^mfs'&mil^W^^^ym^ ^g^tlki--^^ haok to soiiielMag te^ttffet. *^- tm is#il«bget!^i^ tik)- s^ijjt < for us to be gbmg aiw»ftd4^irff 4d^ Kk^Wj lae 4!fer' un-happypossesBor (^iai&^**^""'^^'- ^^feow 1 5fu;'t,aoo bn.« I" So you wajife ti^ iiAvkJe, eh,»* 6b8eift<6a t^ l&ro. throwing back ^ leoat^'aiid fUdhg his thtiikhB itf Hi© arm holes of hwTesti « Well, I s«ppo«d if yolr hi^ ifeftlly made ,itp your mifld t& the dk^iffi(ser' &i^^ i»^(PMto*l could say that wauld chatige your iWitiSTf Mt Bm^i Ay boy, marriage b^ttgBgfeat ^ei^t^ibmt^-^^^tei^toyi- bilities. For a per*m df y6W ^bi« ii^d^ ^iti't tklfe cAt6 of himtelf yet, it i* «»)ti&hifl[g «^ o^^lA^^tes efforts intayi&g^tb 4ke (^"bf i^^ ^Spilda^%i?^ ^ really tho^^thismatAerroveriiJg^^yr^^^^ tm'xokn )m *i?*See here, J^wh, now let UJ oft thi^ tf&kalfeii^; iHiVl^ getting her t» look aftiprine ? %6tt te^ 1^ VHii ^ toiemam with me ftt\«i^y», and- I think I #ee iign^ ofk dissolution of our common interests in the htfitioilet^ti no w*^ so you see I must look out Icir BftySelt''' C^ « I ' " ** Well, rfpuda, if you have really inadM 1i|i tett¥ filfti^ fe^' that course, I suppose the only thing for m^ to ■ d5Wt(J ' assistyon out of it as Well as possible. ! riitist saythiift ih^^ think Eliza will make you a good wife— in fact « good'dfi^- • better than ymi deserve, but then thet^ a^enw A •'fi^iilf '^ about good wives getting p&or husband«, »t* t suppose thfi^; is only carrying out the established ralel I reoeiired iel/^ letter from Mr, Jones feo-day; hena It i^ iPeAd it di^e* HxtS'^ see what you think of it anyway," iiwd Josihua jphxltioed*' the letter and handed it to Spuds to p«*ug(e. * " Well, Spuds, what do ywi «iittk'<|f tfee' proposition f as his friend finished reading tiie 9pi^te: "«T)o you thlnl^^^ we ^m eniof oijirnBlvAfl as wnl! sjo^ &'aw>itit!*e t^^^ipu i^ a |3fiQ|t imjMjrt^^ factor;' ir/o<|^ 1 4<»^'tJiipL0Wf Joflt; up|o^, w^ wouldnAlike to «ayrw^hoi|tiiybi^!>i^ i%mm xWh9f( 4o ;^p|i 8*y to p^lliag ag Mutasitid «4l (iC^tt^<4Wli8W^'te%'f tog^^t^^^^ As. aha is going to 1»* aiknt pijr|BeP4^ tliiafiri»^ be jjif^t V '« Alfc r^fe^ Spjids, saak ^ a|> ; thei Vj^r/iluiig J was going to propose." ' MliEi ^ir««^<«ttid lip im^ tWofifer laid l>ef^^ her. She WA# iBtpftrtioakT about reaidiag iur Boston, in ,£»^ she rl%i^ l^yoted th4 idea of the change ; 6q» after talking the tilfiftterov^ and sifting it thorougWy^k was decided that Jx^^ua should write to Mr. Jones and see on what ternda he ^otildl^e willing to dispose, of the office. The next dajf tji^t ifero wrote to that gautlemm asking for particula^d. fh'it©^ diys he recaved an answer which was qnite iStilfictoTy tothe "syndicate" which now included Miss EUia, and it was decided to accept Sir, Jones* offer. The iie3^ thitig to do was to lay the matter be&ro the city e^itoi wliich Josiua did the naxtmorniQg. He e?:plained to that genttenian how his mother had been very lonely iii hiVahseiice and that he had^ it impossible to induce li^vtq rempye ffOlttSwamptown; that Spuds and his young l|4y >S^e^^ to ;^ have a change of air, as the close jx)i^finement was materially reducing that young gentle- i^ijapt's. weight, and thfit individually he saw in this the .^CQppOTtunity of settling down and in bringing about the consummation, ivl the way Qta, wedding between himself and Kate, which he had bean striving for so long. L Ai" So Joshua, ^ou think of leaving ^B ; of going out and ifgoulcjUftg public ihoiight a«d opinion. We shall all be Slurry tojose you, my boy.. ^M always remember in your ^Jpu^nal^ic.ca^iBer that true greatness consisis in doing _ what dfif ery^ to be wrijteu^ meriting what deserves to I ^ read, and ip n^^ng mankind better ayid^ happier fVora yoUr having lived. Ut course you shoiud foov at > ihi«|,frgi5i|^ypur own standpointjkud decide #hich will be " ^-m u ' tbu inllulnefe ybii'm your ^ d^idil/ ' ¥btt%aS ii^ ^tsr Jrou like e^itmg a pstpbr M ycmr Mve ^^lAc^fibd if jsou do h>t; il^nd it as satisfactotv Wy6tiifln*^ firtd an otiefiing on te &^6#i*^t4ii| feryo^* ,. w' Joshua expressed his deef^t thitokS; fo^ the wktor* klMiiea^: Md made the ti^c«8^y anii^pSnwnte toMve oa the following Mwiday. ^ Q^^ That «vMittg tti had made all the necessj^ry pr^i^ratioflff to r^xyf ^^t^ which would consist as our >hfa:<3> r^niarjt^ ^^urci^ijaH boys with tin whiatlefi^ o% tfee mt^arf di^pif ii^gL^f ^ mai^ic as the boat wJ^ the h^?|iy couple a*fii^.^#»v^ ha^ been the recipidat of a vo^vi^iAoua,oM» pf wedlock, and until they could together selecfi and furnwti |heti^ home to suit their . tiste; Jkir. .^ones )iad advocated this course, who, now th^t h^ had given Jiis. sanctiOti to thejr union, appeared desirous ol attwwpg for Aiiy , liikewarm- ness in tlie p^t. Ho had m«de it a point to call npon Mrs. Bang^ a^d talk over the matter \i^lth hef, and had his wife invite that lady up to the house to spend^the day so tliat all could have a betterOppprtuhity of getting well acquainted, as he remarked. The reporters on the Globe with whom Josh\m had been thrown in daily contact during tlie past foui* yeAts, clubbed together and tendered hfti a «oraj)Hiraent«»ry " lunch in a Sfltaurant near by, W 'irlit^the w>h<3^ «^^ of the Gf^o6^ were invited: Sp&wsTie^ Were lii^'de e^pihteism^ the regret felt atjiis leaving the iofl|Ce. find hopCS for Ji» futiireprospenty' ' ' ^. Joshua made 4 fiireMfeil call on Mr. Selwin and ma M U^ 1?' JOSHUA sticcseSs in Hi^ %'6'W. the eorry th^ €^dbe. Mr. Soii&s famttirr'a*^ liJt^lMtt^djI^ tW^>?tttl^)PW^lke nature of tl wHd}wifent ^owrti to the depot ^ , ,. |;kmy]^d la itSi^fwP^^ Joa«6 itttf^El&liiid liift ; K^^ Psy ir^i^tai diiven /^teheti oihis :ex{>eria[ic& on _^ i in hw ^ovtlb. betn connected with a city 4aihr, and these reminiscences cfdled to his mind thd ttHies ne h«Wi, ^o/ed "^ nejvapaper work. He alito recotitttfed a number^ his youthM exploits, after which as it 1W gettinigqui^ late i^ the eveitiinff» Joshu* >!i,nd hk mother, accQtnttanied to the door by Mr. Jones and Katev retired to their bparciing house wi4^ was a few lilocks awav' '' "'' ■ *^^ In the morning Joshua called around at the J')^ oflico and h«wi a Ibng conversation with M?:. Muffins before Mr. Jones gotaround. Mr. MuMns' eye-pight was failing him greatly i>f late, and he feared he was straining Vm eyes by working tdb much at the case ^ night. He had concluded to open a grocery and provision store, and he was only ws^ting for Mr. Jones to get some one to take liis place before doing so. He wa^ much pleased to seeourheroj and expressed the belief th^i he would do well with the office, which only 'reijuirc * yirorkin*^ up ' to bo a good pay- ing! pfop^tV:^^^, -ff '■.!'' "^~ ■■■ , V . . : ' Wh^ Mr. Jon^ ,:. '..iljiv «■- '■■■ Wl After safcisfacfcorilv getting fcjiiiiffli ,mto linQ ft^ reg%^d» the office, Joshua cifled upon M^.!Bli©l!a^^, Sp\icU fiktber,> and informed him of the aiTa,pgemept ti^Jftiljf^ fjr he and Spiids; to take the Era, aiiclfTf^ *&! tU son was shortly to be married an^ 6ome oa,to ^m^ia^j^^,f^yr^ Spuds had not kept up A very 9 And now we are arriving near ^le clpae o£, pu¥ shdrt ' story. Very little more remains to b-e iAL Qn ie first. <- of the monfcn Spuds arrived ^th his bricle tpad was met r at the boat by all the friends. Mr. Sosm threw bif aouse opeii ou ihv occaiiou, and a number of tlie iiidmaj|€4^rt; "• " * yj *** ' * "* ** " j ' ? '*'''^'sfesg#*gy**'*'"'**^ WWW MiM SSBS 156 oumsoamjk i'm kiuiwi^niani^cvimnoiil^rft^ i^gltled iQjout^iwd ifionlbr iift^ this amolW ki|^H»nt Qvmt with Miss KAte: The chrettmD^ tciok fliiW at Jlr. ^ones'v rend«iuar«iit a»uit»d ilie lnidB ioolE!Bd>" pm^ty lovely/' aiidi«^ the yjtiapitifni^^J fMofaMtthohi^^tianr iiiaia #itt dottbtb^s not ^l satis- i^ ti]il6i&^%^^«w.whill thabiide wore Oa the hspfiy oecMlMni:} r^Mr^^r Jdaet awd'^t®' d|qf dowra deep inUi his pw^t h*bk to^Bjeet^ihe fec|)^fi^ trou»4ef«ij Imt i4^lie mi^ hi^ gnkiietliii\^mte l» ©erer ^«»s h««rdi td limfiior ki pi^^ i«- *he midee^i)^ th«i weddltig gn^ the brides eosiume aB foiiows. and of coui-se the fashion«dltoi? on that paper must bay© been correct and we would not undertake to gainsay his statements. " The bride wore a white brocaded satin with a fan jdaited front, and embellished with flounces of rich Newport lace, with a bertha of same and a bouquet of natural Jacque. rosea , upon the corsage, gold ornaments, and the usual thing in the way of orange blossoms and veil. She held in her hand a magnificent bouquet of natural flowers as also did the brideg-maid«." The happy couple took the boat for Caneville, and from thence the train to Boston, where Joshua and his fair bride spent a pleasant week in visiting the friends he knew, and the places which had become so familiar to him while attached to the Globe. After a two weeks tour they returned home and took possession of the little cottage they had fitted up. The "oldest inhabitant" was heard to remark after- wards, that the charivari whidh was given the young couple on the night of their return, beat anything he ever saw in that town. " ' AS M webowcier:^ 159^-1 1*51 c The band serenaded thsm in the svsnii^ aid wp^ m vited, alon^ 'VP'itb «mfimiMr of thpaewlu^ were a^acted _ by the ma«ic, into the house, when Ifis.. Joshuft Bangsij presided with the qaost becouiii^gmce over ih» luinivies 4 which were so lavishly '^spemod txi Hie httngry wd« , ^his ends the experiause of< ^^Oxju^ikxmvAi'AM: a Be- peBTER," he now fills the editodal chair of the J^^ where; We shall leave him fot^ the tuRei^t. v ; , In writir^ this ^lort JMEetd^ iilmnhe&h iimeademvowi as raudh as possible to por^yi^K9)iou'iHi^tire.vIii^iiCir^: ingo^er what has been wnttea we see iio^ fiu:^ w^ come frottt the reed m our humble efl^t iikhas^bei^t \^sefy said that each liaibaa^llfe is afei^til leathern thkiil a s>»mc«t| that it kM inf^n^^ fiMe« Aatl) that eat^ fi«»Mo«»»> to him who sees iti^ a completf 11&; azid yet ap^^tlie &ce8 forin but a part of^^^e^one; ISfe whose de^s are ecoicaalirv ed from sight Only -nhen w» make theiieffbric ddi wcf discover how little we kiio#, haw Uttdbl v« cia^ j^teoe^oax paper of that great problem-^lift^'-^- '.:■ ^. s>ff> ?.f--fT^''v; \t J-,;;^j THE end: ■J. :;■!'.■• " ■II"'.- - . , ^.«j< ,u d '4;|f m-t •■mw .nWvJ i&4*,i iU WJftfe IWfJ' •■^.. ..