The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1866-03-01
For The .Jefersonian.

late.
The criticism of "Priscilla" on the
"Whackhammer lectures" has brought to
my mind the saying of DR.. Brown:
"That the best sense he knew of, was
common sense" There is certainly not
much of that commodity in "Priscilla's"
article in last weeks Democrat.
1t reminds Inc of young student who
was requested to explain why, when parts
of torn Bank note were brought togeth-
er, and briskly rubbed with a polished
instrument they would adhere-replied !;
that "by the rapid friction of the parts in
contact they first ignited and then con-
gealed"
''Priscilla" commences by saying that
she is 'but an occasional reader, in the
temporary indulgence of intellectual re-
/ taxation"
If Priscilla means that she is only Gan
occasional reader" most persons will con-
cur in the statement; but if she means
that she is reader in a work entitled :
"Temporary Indulgence Of intellectual
relauation," we feel like envying her for
getting hold of work with such glow
ing title, in advance of the publishers an
nouncement. She has 'but recently be
come cognizant of the cosmopolitan pub
ltcatton of Mr. Whack hammer lectures"
What does this mean? 1t beats "tempo-
rary indulgence of intellectual relaxa-
ton"
Whackhammer is not a citizen Of the
world, and the "Jeffersonian" lays no
claim to being universal publication es-
tablishment.
Again: ga circumstance the more to
be deprecated" What circumstance is
this ? That she is only an occasional rea-
der? ergo, very bad reader. This in
deed is circumstance much to be depre-
Gated. "If 1 had been simultaneously a
ware of that amalgamation of miscellane-
GUS memoranda | could have contributed
personal quota of characteristic colo
quial concomitants.
What pity Priscilla had not been
"simuhdneousiy aocare" of all that " hack
hammer had been doing! How much
the world has lost by not having her 'Iper
sonol quota" of the numerous articles Of
Whackhammer Then we should have
had her "colloquial concomitants added
to his lugubrious "reminiscences" Shade
of Mrs. Partington or does the old lady
still live? Priscilla says too, they would
have been ''characteristic." Characteris-
tic of which, Whack hammer, Priscilla or
Mrs. Partington?
At this stage of the communication
Priscilla becomes dreadfully "o3tasca-
ted"
She has evidently in one of her brilliant
flights caught her foot in her "Hoop
skirt" and comes down with crash, and
then it is that she sees the sparks fly,
for she speaks in hurried accents Of "bril-
liant sinctillations." She evidently hurt
herself too, and perhaps mortally, for in
the next paragraph she vaguely hints at
"defunct Iunsindries."
a gay young traveller fresh from the
schools reins up his horse at the Hotel
and accosts the hostler thus =" Halloo
you inferior, extricate this quadruped from
the vehicle, stabulate him, donate him an
adequate supply of nutritious aliment,
and when the aurora of the morn shall a.
gain ilIumine the oriental horizon, | will
award you pecuniary compensation for
your amicable hospitality"
This sounds very like Priscilla" though
differing in one important particular, and
this difference is between gh-fown
sense and high flown nonsense.
Priscilla asks the Squire's "periodica1
permission to adduce some repartee from
his anecdotical memorabilia"
Now all the world knows the Squire
is the most obliSing of men, as we'll as
editors, and grants the most liberal use
of his columns, and though he may take
his periodical imbibitions, | cannot see
why he will grant only "periodical per-
mission ITO Priscilla's 'anecdotical memo
rabilia"
Whackhammer's lectures are certainly
liable to criticism. They are greatly in
ferior to his poetical productions
of which have decided merit.
There is not enough thought bestowed
on these lectures. They read as though
they had cost the author nothing, anc
that he was able to accomplish better