of ink is queering me at a terrible rate
and I am sure that I would die of softening of the brain if I were
to keep it up any length of time. But I presume to say that your
sceptical little Bessie will think this the most beautiful page she
ever saw. I am sorry, but not surprised, to hear that your passes
failed you on the Canadian Pacific. You should have applied for them
sooner. I have always [_d_] found railway officials the slowest
people in the world, and they are particularly slow when it comes to
the matter of passes. Of course you are having a charming time with
your home folk; well, you deserve it, and I hope you will make the
most of it. Give my love to them all. You see I regard myself as one
of the family. Let me hear from you whenever you feel like writing,
but don't bother about it.

Ever your friend,

EUGENE FIELD.

Small wonder that even Field's patience revolted at the self-imposed
"business" of writing this letter in five different colors of ink. The
first page, which ran down to the letter "a" in the above, was written
in pale green ink; the second, running to "b," was in black; the third,
running to "c," was in red; and the fourth was a medley of these with
purple, gamboge, and mauve to make the six colors. The fifth page from
"d" was completed in plain black.

IX

CHICAGO, Tuesday, September the 21st, 1886.

What you say in your letter, dear chuck, is quite true. The paper
has become fairly disreputable of late. The issue of last Saturday
was as base a specimen of daily journalism as ever was inflicted on
a civilized community. Stone (who has returned from Kansas City)
says he was disgusted with that Saturday issue, but I have heard him
suggest no scheme whereby the dawdling condition of affairs is to be
bettered. The whole staff is demoralized, and I believe that, so far
from getting better, matters and things are steadily going to worse.
The outlook is very discouraging. One sensible thing has been done
in hiring Reilly to do regular work. Under the new arrangement he is
to receive forty dollars a week, which Stone considers a big price
for an editorial writer, but which _I_ regard as too measley
for any use. Still Reilly is satisfied, for he will be able to do,
under the new arrangement, as much work for Rauch (of the State
Board of Health) as he has been doing in the past.

Not a word have I heard from my spouse since she