Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-07-14
Heu x,.rk Twain Once Edited IN Agri-
cultural Paper.

DID not take the temporary cultoi snip
of an agricultural paper without misgiv-
ings. Neither would q landsman take
command of . ship without misgivings.
But was in circumstances that made the
salary an object The regular editor OF
the paper was going of for holiday,
and accepted the terms he offered, and
took his place.
The sensation of being at work again
was luxurious. and / wrought all the week
with unflagced pleasure. We went to
pres, and / waited . day with some 90
iicitude to see whether my effort was
going to attract any notice As LETT the
Office, toward shutdown, q group OF men
and boys at the foot of the stairs dispersed
with one impulse, and gave me passage
way. and l heard one Of them say:
~That's himp I was naturally pleased
by this incident. The next morning l
found similar group at the foot OF tie
stairs, and scattering couples and individ-
uals standing here and there in the
street, and over the way, watching me
with interest The group separated and
fell back as approached, and l heard
man say: "Look at his eye" l pre-
tended not to observe the notice was At
tracing, but secretly was pleased with
it, and was purposing to write an account
of it to nv aunt. l went up the short
flight of stairs, and heard CHEEKY voices
and q ringing laugh as drew near the
door, which l opened, and caught
glimpse of two young rural looking men,
whose faces blanched and heightened
when they saw me, and then they both
plunged through the window with .
great crash. was surprised.
In about half an hour an old gentleman,
with flowing beard and fine but rather
austere face, entered, and sat down at my
invitation. He seemed to have something
on his mind. He took OF his hat and SET
1t on the floor, and got out OF 1t red Six
handkerchief and copy OF our paper.
He put the paper on his lap, and, while ne
polished his spectacles with his handker-
chief, he said:
care you the new editor?"
"Hsve you ever edited an agricultural
paper before
aNo," said "this is my frst attempt"
"Very likely. Have you had any ex-
perience in agriculture, practically!"
"No, I believe haye not"
"Some inst met told me 3d. said the old
gentleman, putting on his spectacles and
looking over them at me with asperity,
while he folded his paper into conven-
lent shape. II wish To read you what
must have made me have that instinct.
It was this editorial. Listen, and see If 1t
was you that wrote it:
"Turnips should never. be pulled-it Injuries
them. 1t Is much better to send boy up and let
him shake the tree.
SHOW, what do you think Of that
For really suppose you wrote it?"
"Think of it," Why think it is good.
I think it is sense. ! have no doubt that,
every year, millions and millions of bush
els Of turnips are spoiled in this township
alone by being pulled in half-ripe condi.
sion, when, if they had sent boy up to
shake tree
~Shake your grandmother Turnips
don't grow on trees
"Oh, they don't, don't they? Well, who
said they did? The language was intended
to be figurative, wholly hgurative Any
body, that knows anything, will know
that I meant that the boy should shake
the vine"
Then the old person got up and tore
his paper all into small shreds, and
stamped on them, and broke several things
with his cane, and said l did not know
rs much as COW; and then went out,
and banged the door after him, and, in
u,
he was displeased about something. But,
not knowing what the trouble was, /
could not be any help to him.
Pretty soon after this long, cadaver-
Gus creature, with lanky locks hanging
down to his shoulders and weeks stub
BILE bristiing from the hills and valleys of
MS face, darted within the door, and
halted, motionless, with finger on lip, and
head and body bent in listening attitude.
No sound was heard Still he listened
No sound. Then he turned the key in
the door, and came.elaborately tip-toeing
toward me, till he was within long reach.
ing distance of me, when he stopped, and,
after scanning my face with intense in.
terest for while, drew folded copy of
our paper from his bosom, and said:
There-you wrote that Read it to
me, quick! Relieve mel suffer-"
read as follows-and as the sentences
fell from my lips could see the relief
come-I could see drawn muscles relax,
and the anxiety 60 out of the face, and
rest and peace steal over the features like
the merciful moonlight over q desolate
landscape.
The guano IL fine bird, but great care il noe.
essry IN rearing it. 1t should not be imported
earlier than June nor later than September. In
where 1t can hatch ont Its young.
1t 10 evident that we are to nave z backward
season for grain. Therefore, II will be well for
the farmer 10 be setting out his cOrn-stalks and
planting his buckwhsat cakes In July instead OF
August.
~Conceming the Pumpkin.-This berry IL r.
Sorite with the natives OF the interior OF New
England who prefer 1t to the go0seberry for the
mixing OF fruit cake, aud who likewise give II the
preference over the raspberry for feeding cows as
being more hlling and fully % satisfying. The
pumpkin IL the oily escalent Of the orange family
thxt will thrive In the North, except the gourd and
ore or two varieties Of the squash But the Gus
tom Of planting II ia the front yard with the shrub
berry 10 fast going out Of vogue, for It 10 now gen.
orally conceded that the pumpkin, a. shade tree,
10 failure.
Nov, ~ the warm weather approaches, and
the gandere begin to epawn-"
The excited listener sprang toward me,
to shake hands, and said:
"There, there-that will do! know
am all right now, because You have read
1t Just as did, word for word. But,
stranger, when first read II this morn
ing, said TO myself, never, never be.
lieved It before, Notwithstanding my
friends kept me under watch 30 strict, but
now believe am crazy and with that
/ fetched a howl that You might have
heard two miles, and started out 70 kill
H.