West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1881-03-23

enough.
Which we were careful to put right
under the weather report, feeling
sure that when our readers came TO
look for the weather they would
certainly see it, and all would be
satisfactory. But the trouble didn't
end here. The next week, travel
ing agents and runners begin to
call some on their own account,
some bearing messages, in reference
to the exhibition of our ignorance.
Letters and postals began to flow IN,
among which the following:
CEREDo March Is.
En- FREEMAN: In your issue of March 8.
Won have an article from a mother, ana you
allow her to say that Honor ana Snaine
&c" is from Longfellow's Psalm OF niIe: II
shows ignorance enough to credit IL 10 Long
fellow at all, but to say tits from the PsaIn, Is
still worse. Those who know anything ABOUT
literature at all, know it is from Popes Essay
looked on as unlearned, &C. So don't make
such glaring errors any more. AFR1END.
We had no trouble in understand
ing an epistle like that, but our
friend would not have hazarded
friendship by giving his or her
name IT'S true, it's good to be crit
cized at all by a friend, but vast
ly better when we know who the
friend is. Howbeit, we'll be CRATE
full, and profit by it all the same;
meantime not admitting that
Temperance people are looked on
as unlearned," (ourself excepted.
Then again, from the literary hub
of West Virginia:
MoRaANTowN,, WEST Va,
ED. FREEMAN: "The mother without
signature" in "Genteel Professions" in No. )
of your paper, had better assign to the proper
authority, the couplet
"Honor and Shame from no condition rise,
Act well your part, It's there the honor lies"
If mistake not ste will find it in "Pope,s
Psalm of Life" Yours, &C., l.. Is. -
This, over pretty name by our
self unknown and unsung," with
delicate chirography, and sim
plicity and frankness of style and
tone, betokening fair hand, ma
king the criticism the more eXquis-
itely pungent.
But time protests and space for
bids more
And now having admitted the
facts, may it please the Court, we
demur.
Admitted, we robbed Pope and
gave Longfellow more than meet,
why all this hubbub from the Pan
Handle to the Big Sandy? Whose
business is it, we'd like to know,
but that Of the distinguished gents
interested.
For instance, to illustrate: sup
pose we should want to use a little
epic Cor epic-urean, perhaps we
should say poetry, we remember to
have heard some place, (if we
get it right and should print it in
the FREEMAN thus:
''Mary had little lamb,
It's fleece was white as snow"
whose concern would it be, whether
we got it all regular or not? FL
neither Miss Mary, the lamb nor
Mr.. Milton raised any objections,
we take it no other heightened in
dividual would have any right of
action against US; nor would we be
liable to be sounded in damages up
on complaint of anybody what
ever, And besides. is an editor
expected to know all the
poetry in the world, and who
got it off? The idea is preposter-
Gus. Why, bless your dear troubled
souls, in our sugar-making, COON
hunting days we ourself wrote Just
stacks and stacks of first-rate poetry
that we wouldn't begin to know
now, should we see it going
round in books and newspapers.
And suppose we run across some of
tin big type, or under gilt covers,
in periodicals or books, with such
names as Hezekiah, Shakespeare,
Robinson Crusoe, Rory o. More, Bill
lings, Hamlet, or the Pope himself
(we've been studying up since the
storm set im hitched on to lido
you imagine we'd be SO idiotic as to
get on our mettle about it? Not at
all, And we'd be willing to wager
our reputation for spelling and
geography, that if anyof those Hon
orable poetry-makers should meet
with any of our poetry connected
with their names, in the public