John Kendrick Bangs

The Enchanted Typewriter John Kendrick Bangs

Book Excerpt: ...e. Since my first interview with Boswell the taps seemed to speak, and if some one were sitting before it and writing a line the mere differentiation of sounds of the various keys would convey to the mind the ideas conveyed to it by the printed words. So, as I say, my ears were greeted with a clicking "Hello, old man!" followed immediately by the bell."You are late," said I, looking at my watch."I know it," was the response. "But I can't help it. During the campaign I am kept so infernally busy I hardly know where I am.""Campaign, eh?" I put in. "Do you have campaigns in Hades?""Yes," replied Boswell, "and we are having a--well, to be polite, a regular Gehenna of a time. Things have changed much in Hades latterly. There has been a great growth in the democratic spirit below, and his Majesty is having a deuce of a time running his kingdom. Washington and Cromwell and Caesar have had the nerve to demand a constitution from the venerable Nicholas--""From whom?" I queried, .