Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1866-10-19
MISCELLANY.
Editorial Life-A True Picture

Did it ever occur to you, most agreed
BILE reader, that editorial life is not an un-
ruflled sea? Did you ever pause in look
ing over a newspaper TO think of the
ceaseless toll that is necessary to provide
for you the columns and paragraphs you
so easily see? This editorial writing
what ceaseless tapping of a mans brains
is it !? No matter how he fecls-the paper
must be out at the appointed time, and
his usual contributions must fill the accus-
toned niche.
Editorial writing is pleasant enough,
and easy enough to man accustomed to
it-whcn he has once determined what he
shall write about. For single paper or
two any man will find subjects at hand !;
but when it comes to writing to the same
readers year in and year out-when one
calls up the subjects already presented,
some briefly, others more elaborately, ell
ther by himself or by correspondents, the
difficulty of selecting SO as to avoid self
repitition is quite embarrassing. As TO
waiting till something suggests itselt-till
it comes to you, that is out of the ques-
tion. The respectable but ill-named boy
is at your door already. He is calling for
copy. You must sit down and write at
once. What if half dozen persons in
the office are discussing church matters or
politics? What if you are interrupted ev-
cry moment or two by some prevalent in
terrogatories, urged with singular indica-
ton of obliviousness Of what you are
about? You must hold on to the thread OF
an idea, if you happen to have one, and
still do the agreeable 10 your friend-you
must write with some appearance of un-
derstanding what you are saying whether
in reality you know what you are about
or not, you must feel your way through
like man walking in narrow path dur.
ing a dark highland having reached the
end of your sheet, you may take long
breath, and turn away in search aftel
some other object. And there is no enc
to this, for as soon as you have succeeded
in arranging for one number, the bur,hel
of another is upon you-from the frs
week in January till the last of Decem
, Der.
I But TO the writing of editorials is to b
added the aggregate of other duties. Her
!. is correspondence well meant and full {
3 3 sensible sayings. But it is badly writer
I perhaps badly spelled, perhaps poorly pr
le together. You must dash out an unne,
essary word here, and put in an omitte
word yonder. You must be grammar
an for the writer, who has either neve
learned grammar, or has permitted himsel
to write without revision. You must, i
short, prepare his irregular composition 70
the press, and, when you cannot make ou
precisely what he intended TO write, CUES
at it and let the reader have the benef
of your guessing.
To read newspaper for pastime is
very inviting employment. But here ar
J twenty received by the mornings mai
. You take the scissors in hand and glanc
] over them. What treat these would b
to some people-people who have leisur
to read them through. But your work
! to scissorize. You are looking for scrap
Here is one but it was in your pape
, last week. Here is another; but it is tc
sectarian. HeIe is a third, but it is or
! of last years creation that has lodge
D awhile on the shores of forgetfulness, ar
is now swept again on the tide of news
, float until it can find standing plac
6 After an hour or two of search you gat
} er up the result. 1t is your column
= clippings from the exchanges. What
, search for so meagre a reward
n Well, have you done? See there is
roll of proofs. The type is set, and t
foreman wishes to make up the forl
Here is letter upside down--there is
es. word you never saw before-here is Sc
tence without meaning. What are you
: do {? Look at every letter-read eve
line-n.ark every indented corrections
and send ii back to be printed after yo
alterations shall have been made. Y,
. must do this at once. Delays are da
I. gerous." You must not take a half-d
The for it. Drop everything you have befc
you, and read the proofs. The press "
Is, be waiting for you, and unless you are
.on q time your place will be taken by anoth
Gus and your issue delayed. Happy the e
tor, who, when his sheet is out, does
our find dozen errors that he could no, Fl
before! Thrice happy he, who, beside
iih this, does not find many that he did
Cts still glaring upon him in all their ugly
MS formiiy and provoking calmness, desp
of all his carel oa