Paul and the Printing Press

n the presence of the waiter, very young indeed. Had Mr. Carter simply been making game

of a newspaper was such a difficult and

e was to print, and if a press were at hand it must be the easiest thing in

ked home and turned

y sober for him; so sober, in fact, that his fa

if your last friend on earth ha

smiled

ing,

if there weren't. Come, tell me

the man regarde

just th

g pretty solemn, I'll be bo

ngs on my mind," answe

ve me a sample

ness," rep

Cameron laughed. How often he had met his w

since the burdens of business ha

yeste

with worry?" commented his father play

chool

be able to p

t through all right, although at this moment I don't exactly s

goes with it, that makes printing an expensive job," explained Mr. Came

ys have to pay s

lways use to hav

ened hi

they print

ok or a paper if they had had one. In fact, many kings, bishops, and persons of rank could neither read nor write. Charlemagne could not sign his own name. The era before the Renai

ry old writings in s

re not written until long after they had been chanted or sung. Poets and minstrels passed on their tales to other bards; had they not done so, Homer, Ossian, and the Sanscrit Vedas would have been los

nod

lls of vellum or papyrus, and in that way more of the ancient literature was preserved. There was only a small reading public in either Rome or Greece, and those who were interested in books could secure what they wished through professional scribes, or c

he way we got o

food, shelter, and clothing in return for their labors. Of course they were not an educated class of workers, an

I suppose," interrupt

been a great loss," declare

Nor Cicero

old and interesting

have told me something about them," ad

meron. "Fancy, for example, a hand-written scroll of a book selling for the equivalent of two cents in our money; and fancy others not selling at all, an

lau

to be the rightful possession of the rich and powerful, and whether the kings or nobles of the court could read or not, most of the books were bo

ust have taken to make them

r. It must have been a sleepy, tiresome business to write out even a short manuscript so carefully, to say nothing of a long one like the Bible. What wonder that the patient workers were so

car of the Collegiate Church of Saint Stephen in Metz, on the Feast o

e to God,

ion of his manuscript, but I am sure he must have been human enough to draw a sigh of r

he was," a

ow who drudged so mechanically at his task copied the errors in the text quite as faithfully as the rest of it. In consequence, it at last becam

the quick and the dead, that thou compare what thou transcribest and correct it carefully according to the co

o others. Nevertheless, solemn and reverent as was this warning, it did not prevent errors from sli

not make a mistake would cause me to make one. Besides, I should get so sle

h of the time

ought a

for their hard work, so it was only fa

or great sums; but any monies received from such a transaction went into the coffers of the Church and not into the monks' pockets. The Church however, in return, provided them with all they needed so they did not go entirely unrewarded. Some day when we can find time we will go

the pages as well as print the

ecoration and sketched it in. Then it went to the colorist, who in turn illuminated, or painted, the drawing. You will find every inch of some of the more ornate manuscripts filled in with designs. The great

smi

n the text of our school paper wi

ther with amusement. "So that's the ti

n't seem to think o

are you coming with the pr

-a li

u money enough to induce anybo

d Paul confidently. "The Echo

meron regarded the

s,

The Echo of all people! Why, I should as soon think of asking the government to do it! Their ra

Dad. They were perfectly serious. T

did yo

Car

ter himself? Mr.

es

d have a nerve, son! Why, nobody ever asks a favor of Carter. I wouldn't, for a thousand

" Paul waited an instant, then added dryly:

I

oy ch

s you to subscri

a broad-minded Democrat into a stand-pat Republican like himself? The old fox! He just enjoyed sending me that message, and by my own son, too. I ran against him for Mayor in 1916 and lost the fight because I wouldn't use the weapons he di

his father wit

on't help us out, it's al

goat of you, son, that's all. He never meant to print your paper. He simply made up a lot of conditions that he knew co

have to take it as a joke. I can take him seriously, fulfill his contract, and make him live

boy's eager face a few se

observed. "We'd have Carte

be s

"I'll do it! I declare if I won't. I'll send in my subscription to the Echo to-morrow. I nee

t some ads for

he

e Damon for six articles

League of Nations is like a red rag to the Judge. He can

n was an expert on internat

t expressing his opinion of The

wouldn't do

m? Merc

" murmured Paul, with a wistful,

e joyousness fade

im to put up such a game o

nto his pockets he st

"but what, if your uncle knew the circumstances,

u thin

ge shone in

tty sure

brow becam

him I have yielded up my preferences for the common good and tha

s,

He adores that boy of his. You leave him to me. I'l

the

" was the terse reply as the elder man

igh of satisfaction. With such a sympathetic colleague to f