The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1871-04-27

AAHe AftM NltH aIst"F tHaa" et"t st
iu the Geld Of slang literature, considered
from q purely literary point ol view, isa
piahls failure, Net that t6is work IS des-
dtutc Of wiiheriug satire and genial
humor, bus iis noblest thoughts, which
should have been auayc1 iu prinecE
habit, appear to us go garments of dcsii-
tuition and bcgeary,
4 coin of value, lest in tla depths OF a
dlthy gutter, fails to excite au ardent en-
thusiasm ia tbe efforts Of those aucmpt-
ing It's recovery
In the most happy expressions of the
poet and prose writer in cur language
IN each famous couplet and striking sem
teucs. chat have become familiar house
hold words-stampgd, is ii were, indcli-
by upon the public mind, the dignity
the sweetness and the grace of the cN-
preston, invariably approximate, If not
equal, the inherent nobility Of the
thoughts Il utters.
That the gifted author Of the "Bigolow
Papers, whose admirable prose essays
at once challenged the highest respect and
admiration Of every philosophical mind &,
should have worse than wasted SO much
valuable time in the production Of an ct-
fort, that has done so much TO ytiate the
popular taste is with some, TO say the
least, matter of sincere regret,
Provincial expressions, crowded with
idioms in which false syntaX bad spelling
and hobbliug numbers seem to contend
for prominence, strung upon some thread
Of quaint, unique humor, are read and
praised to-day as gcuuine poetry.
As a result, the press is being deluged
by such stuff as is found in "The Fate Of a
Fighting Dog" aud "lIcathen Chince,"
by Bret Harte, and ''Little Breeches" and
"Jim Bludso," by John Hay.
What would be thought of Emerson,
Bryant or Whittier if either should per-
petrate any such atrocious ribaldry as the
following, and then attempt to palm it of
upon the public as poetry
"But the old woman allowed she'd bo blessed if
he did
Aud snatehod up an old shotgun
Which was fred and pepperod his diaphragm
With bird shot number one.
They toted him home on window blind,
Aud the doctor cured him up;
But he never was known to fight again
Or, own another purp.
Folks may turn up 6.er @ioo's at this ere rhyme,
l don't care a cuss for that
All want to show is that lighting dorgs
May tackle the wrong Tom cat"
Or this;
"Ho weren't no saint them engineers
Is all pretty much alike
one rife Ia Natcbez uftdet' He hall,
Ind another here bt Pibc.
A keeress man in his talk was jim,
And an awkward one in a row,
But he Heeer .iltabel and Re aerer bci
reckon he never knowed how.
''Ho weren't no saint but at Judgement
III run my chance with Jim
l'g"6 gt o,ae 49,, n 9g's I'' ., ,, ti,,
He sees his duty dead sure thing,
And went for it thar and then,
And christ oba going 10 be too hard
oaa laa" that d'ea Jor men,
What pure, chaste, noble sentiments
whatrcfned morality is thisl What unity
in thought
,o.-.... ,..-.,..,,.,Y
w Wv ~ - ~, 49,
'''''
"Bat he never Aunked and be peeer Hed"
u,nd chri.t amt . min, a.. bo ,,a 1o,,l
On man that diea for men
The first ouotation will be recoqnized
as part of Brete uarte's popular
noem( y entitled "Tbe Fate ofa Fighting
Dog" and the second as belonging to one
by John Hay, entitled "Jim Bludso.'
Now respectfully assert, without fear OF
contradiction by any person Of good taste
that if either Of the above qotations, or
if either poem, considered as whole,
rom "ll''" 'i'' "0''' q'''"''0''7 ''
taken, Is genuine poetry, theh lhe loil""-
ing description .! d nue. u'"' o0'uIlou
between TWO fouSh' ID AfNonsa'' 'A"'
met many years ago III u 9oo'horn pa
per- belongs to the same class
They fit Ike rival Thomas eats,
Ul,. ' .''1 .,au' Ia, a1t. hnt,aaa Gnld a,c.,.
Around. where at THE fighting pair,
UntiIat length all scattered round,
They lay ia bits upon the ground
30 dfeadiuily TINS PAIR 'h'y IT. .....
as 'Ns' s''U'A' ''I'' al" 8''s'' "''' ''''