Weekly Trinity journal., 1860-11-10
The Editor.


1t would require u master hand to sketch,
with fidelity, that poor, abused class, known as
editors AS u contemporary truly remarks, he
may be the Irresponsible" the foreign" tho
" literary" the I" local" the "commerciaP-in
either department he is the subject of iaudaton,
abuse, trials and triumphs. He must have
ready pen, remarkable versatility OF knowledge,
u correct Judgment, and considerable nerve. IL
you intrude upon him, you will find him writing,
reading, scssorng. lie will talk, but his pen
does not stop he hunts among newspapers +; he
grows savage in " leader" or he is learned In
o "review" Politicians want to buy him
needy artists ask his favorable notice inventors
have models to show him; some want to thank
him Others desire TO shoot him, lie il address
cd upon more subjects than IL was ever Intended
II single mind should comprehend aud, while
his journal is called by some influential"
" valuabIc," etc, there are those VINO bluntly
pronounce il scurrilous," and "poor." Swim
ming upon Hoods of excitement, battling, chatting,
arguing, consentng exaltng friends and crush
ing foes, thinking, working, Is The sum and sub
stance of au EDITORS career. AT home, he writes
with his wife at his elbow aud his child on his
knee in the streets; he weaves out those ideas
which, In q few hours, will startle the men who
now iostle and crowd him; in his sanctum, he
makes ready thunderbOlts, moulded with pen,
but more powerful than any ever hurled from
Jove. lie delivers lectures he Is politician
he holds Office he IL traveller nc gives
verdict upon manuscripts which are more precious
than the apple OF their eye to aspiring authors
he helps on the opera, he holsters the drama nc
pleads for tho poor he snubs the rich he con-
ciliates, he dcles he arouses nations he de-
thrones kings he Is the guardian OF liberty, aud
omnpotent.
Up in garrcts, In out-of-the-way places-some-
times furnished like q parlor, sometimes worse
than pig penis his sanctum sanetorsm, the
"h0ly of hoies." Are you partial to frownsY
Do you wish TO hear growl Disregard the
notices of " Editors Room" Z" Private No
Admttance," and enter the den you observe
the contracting brow you do not know whether
you are sauted or insulted your tongue pro-
poses to speak. and your legs incline you to run
away Il head lifts itself worn pen and linked
fingers point you a seat, which IL takes you an
instant to reach, but, ere you have done 80, the
monster has his clutches 30 deeply In an idea
that he has forgottea your existence. There you
sit you try to count the pyramids OF newspapers,
and wonder If to be an editor Is necessary to be
savage You sec books and maps but you
would as soon NEEDLE with the cub OF a bear AZ
anything in which the wild animal before you
has an interest. Delegations OF "dcvis," from
the printing Office, come for "copy," and u
great many things going on which are strange
to you. Other gentry come In, who glance con-
tcmptuousy at yourself. They seat themselves,
and you hear nothing but scratch, scratch, with
gold pens, steel pens and goose quills they pull
at their whskers they clean their throats they
look up at the ceiling; they help each othor
when their ideas rua aground they write aud
rewrite they expunge aud they amend they
become cheerful, II their productions please
them and crusty, II they do not. Now re-
member that this mental toll must go on by day
aud by night, when the head is dizzy with
sickness, and the heart weary with sadness,
that IL entails study, research and thought
that the themes are suggested, aud must be
discussed within the hour and you will under
stand why you are not wanted in an editors
room.