The Portland daily press., 1879-01-18


your arm about her waist, or saunter along
thoroughfare in rustic fashion With her hand
in yours. Whenever you see woman sup
porting a man on her arm-uness it be the
daughter leading blind father, or wife or
sister or friend assisting an invalid or some
thing like that-you can always set down the
couple as belonging to the class familarly
known as the feller and his girl.
To Yorck's mind one of the most ex-
pressive bits of slang in the English language
is: "He bit off more'n he could chaw." 1t
concisely and graphically expresses the large
expectation, the ambition which outruns all
possibilities of fulfillment, the tendency to
seize upon great undertakings without much
care for sufficiency of equipment that, though
not peculiar TO this country, is perhaps more
pronounced here than elsewhere. The ex-
preston, like the absurd habit of hanging on
woman's arm, mentioned above, is an
Americanism, and unlike that does not GRIM
son the cheek at thought of its origin. We
own it with great complacency, and are even
at some pains TO point out the American
mint-mark upon it.
Americans are certainly much given to
biting off more than they can chaw. The
tendency is observable in most of our great
undertakings-in our railroads for example.
Few of our large communities that have not
burdened themselves with enormous debts to
aid these or similar enterprises! What is
fru of Of holds
good Of individuals. How many people Of
wealth have lost their wealth by going into
projects too mighty for their resources!
The self-confidence of the American is some.
thing fearful and wonderful. He has no dis
trust of himself, acknowledges no limitation
to his powers. He never thinks to question
if his resources are adequate to the compile
tion of his plans. He confidently and care
lessly goes to work brick-making though he
knows his neighbor has corner in straw.
Our literary men are frequently undertaking
work TOO mighty for their hands. It is
charitable fashion to give them praise for the
nobleness of their ambition, the loftiness of
their aim-the builders of the Tower of
Babel can be praised for that. Our public
men also have the fault of too ambitious
attempt. There is even general suspicion
that our worthy President in undertaking
civil service reform bit off more than he
could chaw. And certainly some of our
seli-taught financiers have.
Yorick is inclined to think that the news
paper is often an illustration in point, and
that even "the great metropolitan dailies," as
they delight to call themselves, undertake too
much when in their Baconian ambition they
try to cover the whole world. The result is
the inaccuracy, injustice, and insufficiency
that are sure to follow haste. The failure is
still more evident when made by smaller
journals of narrower resources, and becomes
enormous disparity between aim and achieve
ment. 1t is always funny to see in country
weekly the headings "The World" "The
Union," "The State," and then in inconspic-
uous letters the real object, or what should be
the real object of the publication, "Local
Items" One wonders why another depart
ment, "The Universe" is not given. The
trouble is that in undertaking to cover the
world the vicinity is neglected, the bone is
dropped in vain pursuit of the shadow. The
mistake, be it understood, is not universal.
There are country papers in this State as in
others that Ito make use of phrase about
given up to men who resent the desire OF
women for larger liberty) discreetly copfne
themselves to their own proper sphere, make
it their chief business to collect the news OF
their neighborhoods, and do not attempt to
compass the globe, contenting themselves
with brief and judicious mention of the chief
or most interesting happenings of the out
side world and Illuminating comments there
on. A conspicuous example of this class
Yorick finds in paper with which he has
long been familiar, the Biddeford Union and
Journal. The paper substantially assumed
its present form and became favorte
in York County while in the hands
of Louis Cowan, one of the pioneers of
the Republican party in this Slate, and a
power in the politics of western Maine
twenty or twenty-five years ago. The Dem
ocratic leaders paid him the compliment of
hating him far worse than they did the Devil.
Since Cowan's day ths Journal has always
been a newsy paper and under its present
management fully maintains the reputation
won years age. Its collection OF county news
is full. and not town nor village is neg.
lected. So it has come about that York
County men, those at home and those away,
delight in the Journal for its home news
though not few Of them detest and revile
its politics. Doubtless there are other papers
in Maine that are as good in local news as
this one, but Yorick mentions an example
with which he is familiar.
Speaking of York County calls to Yor
ick's mind its shire town which takes it
name, the Maine Register and the more
| learned inhabitants tell US, from Alfred
| the Great. The village, where the publ,
buildings are, was in the days of stage coach
| ing meeting-place for the eastern AM
| western lines; and but few years since th,
| old tavern at which Daniel Webster onc
stopped,-but was soon set a.going by tn
impatient stage-driver,-wa pointed at "witl
pride" by the villagers. 1t went up in fir
one stormy January night ten years ago, ant
with it another hostelry of local fame, "th
Brick House." The Brick House was, in tn
early years of Names Statehood, famou
resort Of lawyers and politicians. In court
sessions it was crowded. Those were th
days when York County ruled the court an,
camp, had some of the ablest lawyers at th
bar, and comfortably filled many of the Stat
offices and most of those in the nation tina
fell TO the share of Maine. Old men live i
Alfred to-day who remember with joy th
blazing fire in the ancient bar-room who's
dented mop-boards and dirt-staned walls ha
long sworn off from soap.and-water, an
would, at the approach OF scrubbing-brust
rock with fright until one could hardly dii
tinguish the tobacco-streaked floor from tn
smoke-bedmmed ceiling above. There ou
Statesmen gathered and gossiped, and mad
states and broke them, all the time drinkin
mighty rum punches and keeping men run
ming to the trap-door which led to the ampl