The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-02-15
John Smith, n Gaenicss, Continues His
Remarks.

To the Editor Of the Comet:
SIR-Notwithstanding my seclusion 1 have
not failed to receive copy of the number
of your paper in which my letter appeared.
This is owing, of course, to no exertion Of
my own, for could not trouble myself for
moment about SO small matter. The
paper was brought to me by friends who
were silly enough to rejoice that my real
character had been discovered
observed that my letter was printed in
the second column of your first page, but
this, however, occasioned me no surprise,
for, if 1 am not mistaken, that column is
usually reserved by editors for the choicest
articles. This additional proof of your
good sense so impressed me that l at once
resolved to subscribe to your paper, and l
accordingly, without loss of time, proceed
ed to borrow the requisite amount which
1 send with this letter.
regret to feel it my duty to lemark
that there is one serious objection to yonr
journal as a medium for the dissemination
of my ideas. 1t is published only once a
week. If it were daily or tri-weekly
it would much more satisfactorily meet the
astonishing demand for my writings. You
need not fear, however, that l will make any
change for shall continue to give my letters
to the COMET for these reasons: First, as
n well-merited reward for the highly res
fined taste which enabled YOU to appreciate
the poem in advance of all your contempo>
raries. Second, to secure to you the pecu-
mary benefits which always flow tosthose
newspapers which are the first to bring out
the writings of popular authors.
By means of that intuitive insight which
is an unmistakable mark of large intellects
I have not failed to foresee that certain vain
persons will affect to smile at the thought
of the name Smith becoming immortal.
They will pronounce the thing preposterous
l can not descend to the plane of these
people, nor waste time in argument with
them. Their levity of department in pres
ence of grave subject and lofty charac-
ter is disgusting in the extreme. l tell
them briefly that the name Smith has deck
ed itself in the plumage of flight. The
eagle as he skins amidst the clouds fears
no less :he school-boy's pOp-gun, than does
the euphonious name, Smith, the puny shafts
of these envious critics as it scars on its
sublime journey to the highest point of
Fame's temple. Nay, more; 1 go further
further than man has yet had the temerity
to advance-for will suffer nothing to inn
pede me in the expression of my honest
convictions believe that the day is not
far distant when even the name Jones. will
become celebrated
Now, lam free to confess, that this last
idea is original, aud will make a profound
impression wherever your paper may be
read. But / disclaim in advance all re-
sponsibility for the consequences. Sir, if
it be my fate to "set the world on fire,
my regret is that l should do it in my life
time; for it will embarrass me exceedingly
to be present at a confagration the great
light of which will reveal me as the radiant
and deifed incendiaTy. These latter re-
marks you will more readily comprehend
by recalling TO mind the fact that l
have been dragged before the public by the
premature publication of my masterpiece