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

"Wher isn't tne sPelilAS
right? ?"
TDon't you see that awful mis-
take"
mistake! Amt the stops in the
proper places?"
"Pshaw Can't you see that
couplet ?"
"What? That poetry? What's
the matter with it?"
"What's the matter! Why, you
say there it's from Longfellow's
psalm of Life'-Did you ever read
the Psalm of Life p"
We told him we'd read most OF
the Psalms. :,
"Longfellow never wrote that"
he insisted, growing somewhat en-
phatic, "and any fool ought to know
| it."
Now, look here, sir, our good
friend" we replied, solemnly,
"we're happy to inform you that
this paper doesn't support any cock
fighting editors, but since you re SO
peert, we make free to inquire,
what's the difference whether Mr..
Longfellow wrote that or not? Has
he been maxim any fuss about it?
"Of course not, but everybody
knows that Pope was the author Of
that couplet."
"Pope? Who's Pope ?"
"Why, Pope, who wrote the "Es-
say on Man"
"What man did he write the es-
say on?"
10, fddlesticksP
"Did he write on fddlestlcks,
too ?"
"Its very strange you can't dis
pense with nonsense, sir, and see
that it is an outrageous blunder,
and one that will bring trouble to
our paper, if not set right"
"Well now, sir, it strikes us" we
observed, "you're taking on Won
derfully about little mistake, If
indeed, there be any mistake at all.
How d'you know Mr., Pope wrote
that? Did you see him write it?
Can you make your solemn affida-
Wit that Mr.. Longfellow didn't get
it off? And, granting, sir, that it
is Mr.. Pope's job has he been tax
ing on about its being in our paper?
If not, allow US to kindly suggest,
sir, that you're just little too pre-
vjous with your equinoctial buster.
But we couldn't reason any sense
into him, and went on to get our
breakfast.
This was only the beginning of
trouble. We scarcely got back to
our office, when in rushed the
Superintendent of Schools with
"whoop-ee, where's your literary ed
itor? Trot him out here for an in
terview, and the experience with
the stakeholder was gone over with
again, only more so, and with null
hilarious variations. Scarcely was
the Superintendent gone, till a gen
tie rap at the door called us; when
a pretty school Miss, tripped in
gracefully and with politest apology
called our attention to the gerry unfor-
tunate error IN the paper" she had
justreceived "She had hurriedin
that it might be corrected before it
went further. can earnest moth
er, doubtless by a slip of the
pen, had made d mistake"
Quite likely, madam" we re-
piled: "Many an earnest mother has
made mistakes. We think ours
made amistake, when she taught us
how to read and spell. But for this
mistake Of hers we had been spared
the trials of an editor" However,
thanking her for her kindness, and
promising to have the correction
made at once, we bowed her out and
proceeded to lock and barricade the
door.
And such an experience as we had
during all that week, pen could
never describe nor time efface! We
were way-laid, hunted down and
beseiged, by school mans, petit
foggers, merchants, draymen, and
plow-boys from the country and the
strange part Of it all was, they
found the mistake, and applied it to
us, but didn't notice at all the ex-
cellent lesson and advice in the ar
ticle, meant for them.
At last in our desneration we