Smyrna times., 1880-06-02
Troubles of a Poet.
MAX ADELER.

While Colonel Bangs, editor of the Argus,
was sitting in his office one day, a man
whose brow was clothed with thunder en-.
tered. Fiercely seizing a chair, he slam.
med his hat on the table, hurled his
umbrella on the floor and sat down.
" Are you the editor?" he asked.
eyes"
"Can you read writting?"
"Of course"
"Read that, then," he said, thrusting at
the colonel an envelope, with an inserip-
tion upon it.
"B--,' said the colonel, trying to spell
it.
That's not B. ltan S." said the man.
IS; . yes: | see Well the words look
little like salt for dinner or Souls of
Sinners" said the colonel.
No, sir" replied the man, nothing of
the kind! That's my name-Samuel II.
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"
81 don't remember it," said the colonel.
"Of course you don't, becaues it went
into the paper under the infamous title Of
'Smearcase Tomorrow"
" A stupid blunder of the compositor's |
suppose"
Eyes, sir, and that's what want to see
you about. The way in which that poem
was mutllated was simply scandalous. l
haven't slept night since. 1t exposed me
to derision. People think l am an ass.
Let me show you.'
$50 ahead" said the colonel.
"The first line, when | wrote it, read in
this way:
Lying sIGnt BY weeping willow, underneath gentle
That IS beautiful, poetic, affecting. Now
how did your vile sheet present it to the
| public? There it is Look at that Made
it read this way:
| Lying to weeping widow to induce her to elope'
Weeping acitoo0, mind you'll A widow o
thunder and lightning! This is too much
It's enough to drive "a man crazy!"
Pm sorry" said the colonel; "but-"
But look ahere at the fourth verse;"
said the poet. "That's worse yet What
| said was
Cast thy pearls before the swine and loose them in
the dirt
| wrote that out clearly and distinctly, in
a plain round hand. Now, what does your
compositor do? Does he catch the sense
of that beautiful sentiment? Does it sink
into his soul? No, sir! lie sets it up in
this fashion. Listen
Cart thy pills before the sunrise and love them fthey
hurt
Now, isn't that cold.blooded outrage on a
mans feelings? I'll leave it to you if it
isn't"
" It's hard, that's fact, said the colonel.
"And then take the fifth verse. In the
original manuscript it said, plain as day.
light
Take away the jingling money; it is only gltterng
| drOss!
A man with only one eye, and cataract
over that, could have read the words cor
rectly. But your pirate up stairs there, do
you know what he did? He made it read
Take away thy ieering monkeys on sorely glander-
By George felt like Draining him with a
fire.shovel! | was never so cut up in my
life"
1T was natural, too" said the colonel
"There for instance, was the sixth verse.
| wrote
am weary of the tossing of the ocean it heaves!
1t is lovely line, too; but imagine my
borrow and the anguish of my family when
| opened your paper and saw the line
transformed into
am wearing out my trousers till they're opened al
the knees!
,, That is little too much That seems tC
me like carrying the thing an inch or two
too far. | think | have a constitutional
right to murder that compositor; don't
your
81 think you have"
"Let me read you one more verse.
, wrote
f I swell the flying echoes as they roam among th'
: And feel my soul awakening to the ecstacy tha
thrills
c Now, what do you spose your miserable
outcast turned that into? Why into this:
smell the frying shoes they coast along the bulls
J. And | peel my sole mistaken in the erctary tina
> whirls'
f Gibberish, sir! Awful gibberish! 1 mus
: slay that man. Where is he2"
He is out, just now," said the colonel
, "Come in tomorrow"
81 will" said the poet; "and l will
come armed"
Then he put on his hat, shouldered hi
umbrella, and drifted off down stairs.