The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-08
OPPENHEIMER AGAIN. IN TEARS.
Another Interview with the Obituary Clerk
OF the Great EIegInc hard.


OF the Great Eieginc hard.
PHILADELPHIA, May G.-I am so great
an admirer Of the genius Of @. Washington
Childs. A. NJ. that would rather miss dinner
than n copy OF his newspaper thought knew
his poetic style by heart, but some recent scn-
tlations-and that word may certainly be np-
piled to his sad yet cheering productlons-havo
both puzzled and annoyed me. Lately hnve
seen in the Ledger several such poems rs this:
tear within fathers eye,
mothers aching heart
Can only tell the agony
How hard IL Is to part
Our first In heaven.
You perceive that tho wondrous wealth OF
fancy intimated here loses its effect because the
verse is left disjointed and unfinished.
Here. again. is carelessness:
All dark within our dwelling
Sad Is our hearts to-day,
For the one loved 80 dearly,
Has forever passed away.
Asleep In Jesus
lat first pnrdoned the great elcgiac bard on tho
supposition that he might have resorted to bad
grammar at the request Of an illtcrato pur-
chaser. but n proper regard for cultivated STYLE
such as is always employed by the nobility and
gentry Of Great Britain. would certainly have
required n change in the first line 80 ms to make
i read all are dark" to balance sad IS our
htNftt.
Eighteen months had passed since my last
visit to my old friend, the obituary clerk At the
Ledger Office. but he knew me at once. Why,
Oppenheimcr. old boy. glad TO see YOU" he
cried; some one dead again, oh Well that's
business. What line Of goods shall l show you 2
We've got over 10000 boss verses now some
Of them mellowed by time others MS fresh and
bright rs new tinware. How much do you want
quarter worth. II dollars worth. or"
] affected sufficient good humor to reply that
all tho Oppenheimcrs were enjoying good
health, but in my heart was not pleased. |
have not forgiven the muster " mOurnful verse
for changing my name to "Oppenhem" to
with blame" and " Oppenhump" to rhyme
with trump. when my uncle died. two years
ago. / told the obituary clerk OF my alarm at
the reduced quality of the pOesy which had APP
penred in the Ledger Of late.
Now, there" replied the clerk. you are not
talking like u wise man. In monarchy, where
u poet stands chance Of being subsidized by
hs king. "a high standard is maintained: but
this Is an ungrateiul republic. and the muses.
are run on business principles. q. Washing
ton Childs A. NJ, Is no such SLOUGH rs to permit
bad grammar or careless versifcation in any
ode 10 the virtues OF "a great or a rich man but
when an ignorant laborer that can't tell b from
A. NJ, jerks out the first thing that pops into his
head. That All is Dark poem sells for only
thirty five cents in its present shape, whereas
we should have TO demand forty cents for
one insertion IL good grammar was required"
The clerk. with the aid of two men. lifted down
any ! had ever seen-and. turning the leaves
rapidly refreshed his memory. Now. that gem.
A Tear Within Fathers Eye cost only thirty
cents at the start Deceased was poor. you see.
Had the remains been wealthy. II would have
been improved and corrected. like this nifty