Every day of my life I am more and more impressed by the genius of two men. These men are Gutenberg and Morse. Gutenberg invented printing and Morse was more or less in at the birth of telegraphy. What should we do without either?
It is morning and I turn to the paper. It happens to be The Daily Graphic. What do I find? I find Gutenberg and Morse once more in collaboration. Thus:—
"MR. BALFOUR LOSES HIS WAY.
Cannes, Monday.
Mr. Balfour paid a visit yesterday in pouring rain to Mr. Chamberlain at the Villa Victoria. Mr. Balfour lost his way, and passing the house strolled along the Fréjus road, scanning the name of every house until he found a chauffeur who directed him to the Villa Victoria. Subsequently Mr. Balfour returned to the Hotel Continental and motored out to dinner.—Central News."
What, privileges we enjoy, we moderns! Five hundred years ago, four hundred, the world would have been in ignorance of any event of this kind. Statesmen would have lost their way in foreign towns and no one at home would have known. Think of the privation! But now, not only, thanks to Gutenberg, do we know it and think accordingly, but, thanks to Morse, we know it the next day and our thrills are not delayed.
So much for the morning.
It is a few minutes later—evening. Not really evening, because it is before lunch, but evening enough for the Tenth Muse, bless her! I open The Evening News and what do I find? Gutenberg alone; but how full of matter! Thus:—
"SEVEN.
The mystic number seven is curiously associated with the baby daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Knight, of Old Swinford, Worcestershire.
She was born at the Seven Stars Hotel at the seventh hour of the seventh day of the seventh month.
There were seven customers in the bar when her birth was announced, seven persons were present at the christening, and there are seven letters in her Christian name.
Her father is the eldest of seven children and her mother the youngest of seven. She has seven uncles."