Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-03-20
yewsnaDer Writing.

The Philadelphia Age has the follow
ing;
The mass of people fancy that Il Is
the simplest thing in the world 20 edit
newspaper. A man may have grave
doubts about his talent for public speak
ing, may freely admit that he cannot
turn a tune OF recognize one when turn
ed by anybody else, may confess that he
is no poet, not much of a scholar, and
nothing OF an artist, but there is no
creature 80 poor spirited as 10 asow his
incapacity to edit n newspaper. On the
contrary, that is work TO which every
man has manifest call. No matter
what his actual business in this world
may be--preaeher lawyer, physician,
butcher, baker, or eandle-stick maker
he has secret fancy that IL he only
had chance he could make a newspa-
per little bit spieier and livelier than
anything in the shape Of a public Journal
that has ever come in his way. This is
one OF the most amusing and universal
weakness of latter times. The number
Of people who are infected by il is known
only to publishers, just as the extent to
which opium eating is practieed is real
lied only by druggists and physicians.
The drawer and waste baskets Of every
leading newspaper office overflow with
evidence Of the ambition and harmless
sssSsFsansuF composition which nobody
can be induced 10 print
Ltmust be admitted that there is
something enticing and enviable in edi-
toral life, as IT appears TO the outside
world. The delight of getting into print
for the first time Ia one of the keonest
enioyments of life What, therefore, we
reason, must be the pleasure of that hap
py man who daily feasts the public with
bus wisdom and whose smallest scrib-
bling hnds it way into type without eriti-
oism or delay. But this reasoning is al.
together unsound Little boys who cher
ish the solitary bit Of mint-stick which
q chance penny enables them 10 buy.
who enjoy every bite with keen relish.
and feel their appetite fc- the sweet NOR.
sci keener that ever When it has melted
away, fancy that the lad in the candy
shop who lives in bower of sweets,
and has every variety of CONNECTIONS
from which to choose, and as much of
each as he wants, must be the very hap.
piest lad in the world. How previously
are they mistaken. To that unfortunate
youth, ever since the beginning Of bis ap.
premiership, when be sickened on a sur
felt, the sight of the shapely sticks and
dainty drops and balls is utterly loath-
some. His day'dreams are of pickles
candies are his nightmare.
As with candies so with editorials. IL
is enchanting to wright lueky one
which friendly publisher puts in fair
type In his leading column. You have
written It at your leisure, crossed every
I, dotted every i, inserted every comma.
read 1t in manuscript TO halfn dozen'ad-
miring cronies, and the sight of the de-
icious periods and the we'll turned mira.
SEES staring you in the face from the
second page Of the city daily, is certainly
one OF the most thrilling and exhilarat-
ing of spectacles in the world. You car
ry that paper about with you. Hourly. |
yea oftener, in sweet stealth you read
the dear effusion and wonder if there
IS such mortal ass extant as 10 deuy |
that it is about the most pointed and ele.
CANT piece of newspaper writing that he |
has ever seen. You dream and dote |
over that sheet till it is black and latter !
ed. This is one of the most innocent |
and blessed of human pleasures. Ii is 1
the solitary mint-stick which whets your
appetite for sweets.
But the editor, that envirble man who
leeds on the casdy which you have only
got taste, 10 in truth as unhappy and /
snrfeited person as that pickle craving
ad who weighs out the bonbon. The
freshness, the exquisite charm of SEEING
ais reflection IN print, has long vanish,
ID. He writes painfully, and under
pressure-often times harassed by a
thousand petty vexations, with a gRbhle
,f score ofidlers in his cars, with ach-
ng head and weary hand His work is.
If all works, the most wavering and vex-
.tions 1t is tread-mill drudgery. 1t ex-
lausts body and brain.
The call for copy is memorable and
'annot be refused. He must write He
must mature the most contemplate and
continual criticism-must bear patient
ITO be esteemed dull when he cannot
'e witty, and to be applauded for witty
ghen he knows that he has been Gull. .
svery olockhead who ever spends a
lime for his paper, feels that he has pur-
'hased thereby an indefeasible right TO
hctate the manner in which il shall he
.ondueted, to criticise sharply every 4
nlng that appears in it, and to elevate
3 tone with his own asinine lucubra-
IONS, fairly written out and inclose in a
ioIe demanding their instant publication
igned a paying subscriber" Zone who
luys yoar weekly, or, former purcbas.
If you were &c ask this modest f.;o., J
cut your coat or measure Won fo~
AIR OF boots he would indizpantIv -, 7
mad Maa not hia a. l.. S~.el hCPll !