St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-06-09
How Mark Twain ran an Agricultural
Newspaper.

How Mark Twain ran an Agricultural
Newspaper.
| did not take the temporary editor
ship of an agricultural paper without
misgivings. Neither would landSman
take command of IL ship without mis-
glvings. But | WAS in circumstances
that made the salary an object. The
regular editor of the paper was going
off for holiday, and | accepted the
terms he offered and took his place
The sensation of being at work again
was luxurious, and l wrought all the
week with unhagging pleasure We
went to press, and waited day, with
some selicltude, to see whether my
effort Was going to attract any notice.
AS left the office towards suudown, il
group of men and boys at the foot of
the stairs dispersed with one impulse.
and gave me the passage and |
heard one of them say That's him"
| was naturally pleased bN this in
cident. The next morning | found Il
similar group at the foot of the stairs.
and scattering couples and individuals
standing here and there in the street
over the way, watching me with in
terest.
The group scattered and fell back us
| approached, and heard IL man say :
Look at his eyes | pretended not
To observe the notice | was attracting,
but secretly WAS pleased with it. and
was puIposing to write an account of it
to my aunt. went up the short flight
of stairs and heard CHEEKY voices and Il
ringing laugh as drew near the door,
which opened and caught Il 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 II
great crash. | WAS surprised
In about half an hour an old gentle
man. with II flowing beard and Il fine
but rather iuSterc face, entered and sat
down ut my invitation. He seemed to
have sometking on his mind. He took
off his hat and set it on the floor, aud
got ont of it red silk handkerchief aud
II copy of ouI paper.
He put the paper on his lap. and
while he polished his spectacles with
his handkerchief, he said Are yom
the new editor ?"
said was
Have You ever edited an agricultu-
raj paper before 2"
NO" said this is my fist at
tempt"
VERY likely. But have Won ever
had any experience III agriculture prac-
tically ,"
No; | believe have not"
"Some instinct told me so." said the
gentleman, putting on his spectaclcs
and looking over them with asperitv,
while he folded his paper into IA con
venient shape. Il wish to read to Won
what made me have that instinct. Lis
ten and see if it WAS you that wrote it.
"Iurnips should never he pulled it
injuries them. Ii is much better to send
Il boy mp and let him shake the tree
Nov what do You think of that for
really suppose you wrote it p
Think of it? Why | think it is
good. think it is SENSE have no
doubt that every wear millions and
millions of bushels ofturnips are spoiled
III this township alone hy being pulled
III half-ripe condition. when. if they
had sent boy up to shake the tree =
shake Your grandmother, Turnips
don't grow on trees"
"Oh, they don't. don't they. Well.
VIII" said they did The language was
intended to he tgurative holly tigur-
ative. Anybody who knows ANYTHING
will know that. | meant that the boy
Then the .Id y.ntI.u,, ,,, NJ, ,J
t,r, his n,n., I'll mr., .n,.,Ii YI, i
slammed on them and hr,,L. s.,.,.,i
things win his r,ne and s,iI iii n.'t
know ,s much ,s :, cow ,nJ th..,,, ,,.,,,t
out and banged the d,,r .,ft., hin, and
in short acted i'm .n.h =, tI,.'t
f:,uri,J he w,s d;.,J...'..J .,I,'tf,, '"'
thiur Rut not inn,,,;,,,r 'I,, ~
trouble wos ,nuIJ unt h,. ,f .,my h..I,,
To him. 'f
Pretty soon after This g, I,uo ,.,d,v.r-
ous cr.atu,. with I,nky L,clr, L.,n,r;,,.,
down to his shouIders and E, w,.t'9
stubhle bristliuu frnm tho L;IIs ,nJ ,.,I
Ieys of his f,re d,rted within ,J.. .l,,,,.
and h,It.d mn,inmI.ss MI, t,''.a' "'",'
lin and b.,J md I,1, ,,,,,
inc ,ttitud,. ~ '' '''''"
30 snund v,s hand sem h T..
tened. No sound Then he turued th..
kew in the door. and cam. .l,hnr,t,Iy
tiptoeing toward me till he WAS within
long reaching distance of m. when h,
stopped. and after scanning nv f,re
with Intense interest for awhile. drew ,
folded copy of our paper from his
bosom. and said:
There. YOU wrote that, Read it to
me. quick. Believe me: suffer-"
read as follows. and as the sentences
fell from NV lips. | c,uld see the relief
come. could see the drawn muscles
relax and the anxiety po nut ot tb. fac.
and rest and peace steal over the f,a-
lures like the merciful moonlight over
a desolate laudsc,pe.