American citizen., 1876-02-26
wouId-be writer's.

The number OF people who believe that
writing tor the journals is like executing
q trade-order, is singularly large. Scarcely
= day passes that we are not asked by per-
sori of articles we are in want Of, under
the confident assumption that, having as
certained the need, they can readily pro-
vide the supply. Do we want a serial
novel, They are at leisure to turn their
hands 10 a serial. Are we dcsirous of short
stories? They would be glad 70 furnish
short stories, historical. romantic, imagi-
native, domestic-in any style TO our lik-
ing. DO I'VE wish essaysY They will
write essays. But do we wish them upon
Literature or do we prefer art-topics, Are
we inclined to social or political problems?
Do We wish the serious or the sarcastic
vein. Shall the tone be moral or aesthetic?
And then are we looking for poetryl Their
rhyming facility would soon enable then
to supply this defciencyf We certainly
must know the sort of literary merchant
disc In which our stock is deficient, and
if we would imparf this knowledge they
would promptly undertake to prepare the
needed articles! 1t is in vain we hint 10
these folks that literary papers, in order to
be valuable, Eusti be the voluntary prod
ucts of the writer's special knowledge, of
his ripe reflection upon themes which he
has Yen studied. They cannot for the life
asks an editor for suggestions as to what
he shall write about only proves thereby
his entire incompetence for that which he
I fain would undertake. One can write well
and effectively only upon that which his
own nature prompts, or upon themes that
are the outcome of his experience or his
study; and hence we beg 90 ask the ambi-
fious amateur how il Is that he presumes
TO enter the field of literature with no
stock of knowledge, with no facts to COM
municafe, with no ideas 10 promulgate.
Does he imagine that a worthless tact in
making sentences, in drawing out feeble
attenuation of conventional alcommonplaces,
is the thing that editors are desirous of
employing, or the public Of paying for?
When man has nothing TO say it is the
most obvious wisdom for him to hold his
tongue; and when would-be writer does
not know more about one thing than
another il is also perfectly clear that his
mission is not literature, but silence
APpleton's Journal
some very disagreeable revelations as to
the manner in which physicians prescrip-
tions are made up are contained in re-
port by Mr.. Ahen, the borough analyst,
at Sheffield, giving the result of an exper-
iment lately tried with the view of testing
the accuracy and honesty Of druggists.
Various prescriptions, each including a
full dose Of some costly remedy capable
OF ready and accurate estimation in u
mixture, were presented to certain drug
gists- A series of three samples in which
40 grains of iodidr Of potassium were
prescribed were found, on analysis, TO
contain 122, 120 and seventy six grains re-
spectively. OF three samples which
should have contained sixteen grains of
sulphaie of quinine, one contained only
-9J< grains. Another sample, which
should have contained forty grains of sui
phate of quinine, had but thirty grains.
OF twelve samples of glycerine, only five
were pure and of the standard strength
Three samples OF citric acid were found to
contain minute trace of lead. In short,
the resul. of the experiment was such as
TO give just ground for apprehension that
druggists are not more troubled with con-
sciences than grocers, and that the effect
of the poisons retailed by the latter is
often enhanced, instead of removed, by
the adulterated antidotes dispensed by the
forner.-fdI Nal Gazette.