An Erratic Writer

When Thomas Bailey Aldrich was a small salaried clerk in George W. Garleton's book store on Broadway, Fitz James O'Brien was in the habit of dropping in to see him, and one day came in rather more than half seas over. Aldrich decided to take him across the street to a hotel and put him to bed. Cautiously and carefnlly he led O'Brien, but before he had got half way across a friend stopped him and asked: "Why do you want to bother with the fel) ow. Let him ga " "I will not, " replied Aldrich. "He borrowed a dollar from me a few days ago, and I can 't afford to let anything happen to him. " At another time, when he was not strictly sober, O'Brien found himself out of funda. He wandered into a publisher's office and asked for $25. This was refnsed him. Angrily seizing a placard O'Brien reversed it and made in big letters on the blank side: "One of 's authors. I am starving. " Tying a string to the card, O'Brien placed it aronnd his neck and paraded np and down the street, to the great amusement of a large crowd. He was of course requested to desist, bnt nothing stopped his mad course until a $5 bilí was presented to him as a compromise.