The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-01-16
from the Washington Chronicle.l
ARTENUS WARD.

How He Game TO Hr1te FlFst ''"aA
Figger" Letter.
AS meteor startles us with its brief but
brilliant blaze flying through the heavens
nm the gloom OF night, so the humorlst
Browne fArtemus Ward) burst upon the
plodding world with his unriyaled glow OF
health-proyoking mirth, soon, by the Hat
of fate. to be followed by the other ex-
treme-grief at his prematurely early exit.
There is a characteristic chapter in his
advent vet unwritten, which | only can
give, and which propose to give, suggested
by statement from Dom Piatt. | allude
to the circumstances under which his first
Ward letter was written, and the point he
aimed at. The health of my brother, ).
4 w. GRAY, having failed, | was called to his
editorial chair, and thus became associated
with Mr.. Browne on the Cleveland PLAIN
taealer.
Soon after being thus associated with
HIM lively discussion arose between us,
which was a prelude to that initiative first
letter. in which, to use figure, he aimed
at big game-aimed well, and brought 1t
. handsomely down, but the crowd was SO
charmed with the report of his piece that
no one ever saw the game he bagged.
This was source of infinitely greater
amusement to Mr.. Browne than was his
letter to the people, and as paper after pa
per came in from day to day with his letter
copied, and his point utterly ignored in the
editorial comments, "Artemus" went wild
.oyer the more comical idea that he had
completely hid his subject under the ridicu-
lous rags he had clothed him in only as Or
rsaanents, and what he had intended as q
keen. sharp point was wholly lost.
d He at once decided to hide the game and
accept the plaudits awarded him, for a hit
he had ne idea of making, and never, in any
subsequent letter, did he even allude to the
lost point.
This is its history:
~ We entered the office about the same
time on one very stormy morning.
1.-THE winds did blow as IL they'd blow their last
The rafting rain come pouring thick and last
After looking thoughtfully for few mo.
ments out into the storm, he turned ano
said:
~ deacon, what can have for a sensa'
ton item to-day, for there must be some
thing to arrest attention every day Z"
f,sz swell, Charley, you are the Local. g
out and hunt one up"
ssNo. sir, not if the court understand her
self, and she think she do. I'll maxi
-hs one, - >,
.out regard to truth ?"
Certainly What has truth to do witt
getting up interesting reading matter
Besides, this paper lays down the items
and the facts have got to come to the pro
gramme. Do you suppose Dickens, tn
writer Of the age, follows facts, or care
for fact at all ? Do you believe that III
len, the Lady of the Lake, really had
dog. Lufra? Do you believe Esquire Bur
rs van knew clever chap (PilD who wade
q through mudhole, and saw two lions y
\ ing down in the road? Do you think MI
70 Milton's squad got a sort of hip-lock 0
ESQUIRE Lucifer, and tumbled him over
pressed-brick wall? If so, great is you
faith, Deacon. No, sir. Tell your stor
: so as to elucidate character, illustrate
principle, adom tale, or make pom
and never mind about actual transaction
d, What did it matter whether old Prod kille
"a fatted calf, or kid, or capon? Pare
tai Joy and forgiveness were illustrated
old Prod, and young Prod made fiji
showing of awild-oats farmer retiring fro
business satisfied.
At this point | turned to my desk, al
Charley sat moodily down to his.
BY the time my thoughts were well e
gagged in my ssleader" l heard Charley
his peculiar way showing that his who
soul was absorbed in the development
something rich and racy. He would dri
b. his breath out, making kissing noise, Il
that made by an engineer testing his boilt
then, hating for moment, would hiss for
1.-The half-suppressed laugh; and this
would keep up till his idea was on pap'
beyond loss, utterly regardless of surrour
ings.
~ turned and said: "Charley, you've {
him now"