Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1880-06-16
The Troubles OF a Poet with the
InselyfReut COmpOsit0r.

Tho Troubles OF Poet with tho
Intelligent COmpOsitor.
While Colonel Bangs, editor Of the
Argus, was sitting in his ofics one day
man whose brow was clothed with
thunder entered. Fiercely ssizing a
chair, he slammed his hat on the table,
hurled his umbrella on the floor and
sat down.
"Are you the editor'" he asked.
eyes"
Scan you read writing'"
"Oi course"
"Read, that, then," he said, thrust
ing at the colonel an envelope, with an
inscription upon 1t.
"B--," said the colonel, trying
TO spell 1t. .,
"rhat's not B. It's an s." SAID
the man.
rs. Oh, yes; see. Well, the words
look little like Salt for dinner or
Souls OF Sinners said the Colonel.
"No Sir" replied the man. "Noth-
ing OF the kind. That's my name
Samuel H. Drummer knew You couldn't
read. called TO see you about that
poem Of mine you printed the other
day. on the 'Surcease Of Sorrow"
III don't remember 1t now" said the
Colonel.
"Of course you don't, because 1t went
into the paper under the Infamous little
of Sine aTcase tomorrow"
"A stupid blunder Of the compost
tors, I suppose"
eyes, sir. And that's what want
to see you about. The way In which
that poem was musilated was simply
scsndalous. l haven't slept a night
since. 1t exposed me to derision. Peo-
pie think am an ass. Let me show
you"
$50 ahead" said the colonel.
"The first line, when l wrote 1t, read
Id this way:
Lying bzA weeping wil,,,w, underneath
the gentle slope"
This Is beautiful, poetic, afecn.-
Now how did your vile sheet present IL
to re publiof There 1t is! Look at that
Made 1t read this way:
" Lying to wsspinS widow to i'duee her to
elope."
Weeping widow, miSd you A widow
y. thunder and lightning This is toa
much It's enough to drive a man
crazy"
"im sorry" said the colonel, but
"But look here at the fourth verse;"
said the poet. "Thas's worse yet. What
| said was:
" Cast thy pesrIs before the swine, and lose
them In the dirt"
wrote that out clearly and distinct
ly, In q plain, round hand. Now, what
does your compositor dor Does he catch
the sense OF that beautiful sentiment
Does IL sink into his soul No sir He
set 1t up in this fashion, Listen"
Cart thy pills before the sunrise, and love
them If they hurt"
Now, isn't that q cold blooded out
rage on mans feelings! I'll leave 1t
to you II 1t isn't"
"I.'s hard, that's fact, )" replied the
colonel.
"Aud then take the fifth verse! In
the original manuscript 1t said, plGih
as daylight"
"Take away the jlngling money, It's only
glittering dross."
A man with ovly one eye and a cata.
ract over that, could have read the
words correctly. But yoar pirate up
stairs there, DO you know what he did,
He made it read:
''Tahe away the ieering monkeys on sorely
glandered hosB."
By George, !. felt like Draining him
with FIRE shovel! l never was 80 cut
in my life 70
ut was natural, too" said the colonel.
"There, for instance, was the sixth
verse. wrote
Il ON weary Of the tossing Of the ocean as 1t
hsavcs ~
IT'S lovely line, too, but imagine my
horror and the anguish Of my family
when opened your paper and saw the
ines transformed into
Il am wearing out my trousers till thoy TO
open on the knees"
That is little too much ! That seems
% me like carrying the thing an inch
u two too far. think have aoonsti-
,utional right to murder that compost
or, don't you !"
81 think you have" !
"Let me read you enc more verse.
wrote
I swell the flying echoes as they roam among
tho hills.
And l feel my soul awakening to the ecstacy
that thrills"
Now, what do you suppose your mlser-
,ble outcsst turned that into? Why
INTO this:
Il smell the frying shoes as they coast along
And peel my sole mistaken in the srctary
that whirls." Ii
sir Awful gibbsrish
must slay that man. Where is he ~
"He's out just now" said the COL
mel. "Come in tomorrow.
al WILL" said the poet; Sand l will
ONE armed"
Then . put on his hat, shouldered ,
is umbrella. and drifted down stairs.