Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-05-04
Communications in Verse.

are to be observed by the cditoria
practitioner, long experience leads
us to tho belief that Spring-tido i,
most fruitful Of this lamcntabls yef
fection. As April advances, and ms
the traditionally sentimental May
approXimates, we observe that oul
rythmatic remittances from all the
quarters of the country arc multi
plied-a fact which we are inclined
to attribute, in part, to the vcrnaI
vacations of the boarding-schoois
We have at this moment before us
II small mound Of manuscript, sent
to us mainly by misses who think
that they are poets because they
read poetry with pleasure, and who
write for the most part from the
recollection of what has pleased
them in others. With these "offu-
sions" there come to us small notes
made up of personal condolences
and fragments of personal expert
ences, morsels of aspiration, pretty
little mock modesties which never
deceive hardened old executloners
like ourselves, and appeals for
sympathy which we are always
ready to extend, both to tho deserv-
ing and the undeserving. While
we are obliged, in reference to tho
waste basket, to consider these con-
tributions in the aggregate, we try
mover to forget that each of them
has an individual history sufficient
ly pathetic, and that each contribu-
tor must bear personally the pain
and modification of rejection. We
wish that we could hope to make
our young correspondents under
stand that no real good could come to
them, but oftentimes much harm,
from the printing of these dona-
tions. We wish that we could
make them all comprehend that the
quantity of mediocre verse at pres
ent in existence is quito large
enough, and that the world has
no need OF any addition to the stock
in hand. This, we would point
out, disposcs at once of tho matter
of publication. Our typographical
resources arc large, but they are
too small to be wasted in giving a
new form or any degree of perman-
ence TO that which is. essentially
valulcss. OF course, we publish q
great deal which is shcerly ephe-
neral but we try to publish as lit
tic as possible of matter which has
not at least " modicum of human
and social interest.
The pretty songs which are sent
to us, harmless enough in them
selves save for the wasted time and
emotions of their writer's, ifsubmit-
ted to the test of utility-not dry
and prosaic, but IL generous and ro-
fined utility-would be found la
mentable wanting. Tho test may
seem to our young correspondents
harsh one, but it is that to which,
sooner or later, all literary work
must come. There is no magic in
printing which can give value to
that which Is wanting in tho Gle
ments of value. Between not be-
ing noticed at all by the world and
noticed only to be instantly forgot
ten, we think that q noble nature
would choose the first. Publica-
tion is only of real service TO that
which has merit making it worthy
of publication. Particularly of po-
etry let young aspirants for tho
laurel understand that mere poetic
feeling is the commonest thing in
the world everybody who breathes
has moro or less Of it-men and
women and children of all ages and
conditions, tho refined, the shrink
ing and the silent, rs well as the
coarse, loquacious, and the bold
If it were otherwise, life would be
less tolerable, and chances of hap
piness greatly diminished. 1t is
as natural for growing girl to feel
POLITICALLY as for her to have the
measels; yet what Miss Alice or
Miss Mary, strilon by that incxor-
acle though not often dangerous
disorder, thinks it necessary to
communicate the event TO The Tri-
bune'? Many experiences are COM
mon to all-pct birds and dogs will
die; flowers will bloom and wither;
hundreds of thousands Of misses,
this very month, will arrive at the
age of sixteen, leave school, be dis
appointed in their friendship, or be
met by this or the other of those
countless vicissitudes which are
made an excuse for lndulging in
rhyme-not in rhyme to be sacred
lv locked in the desk, kept as a
memorandum in q commonplace
book or communicated rs a great
secret to q halfa dozen dear friends,
but rhyme to be written out, with
many a long tailed "g," upon fair
white paper, duly enveloped, and
sent to us at the expense three pence,
and declined by us at the expense
of three-pence more Sent, too,
with such pretty, insinuating, mod
est appeals, so that the very ink
would blush, if black or blue could
blush atall Nobody seems to think
anything of our own feelings, or to
remember how sorry it makes us
feel to say "No"-how we try in
vain to convince ourselves that VIC
may without mortal VIOLENCE to our
better judgement say "Yes"-how,
almost with tears, wo dictate the
fat of doom TO the gentlemen
whose vocation it is to send off the
stern but wholesale negatives J 1t
is all miserable business, and We
enjoy it about as little as anybody
else.
We have spoken frankly and
plainly, essaying a little surgery as
gentle as possible; bat we should
be misunderstood, if it wero sup
posed that We deprecated the cul-
tivation of refined taste, or the
i.b;t of lootino for the nonfical