Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-09-01
FROM WILD BIRD.

Correctfon-Address to the Types.
The following from our much ap-
preciated correspondent "Wild Bird
was received several weeks ago. but
owing to the abundance of local matter
we have been unable to give it place be-
fore. We take the first opportunity of
presenting it to our readers, at the same
time expressing regret that it could not
be given at an earlier day-EDs.]
o capricious types! do you know
what mistakes you made in printing my
Christmas poem? Where l said,
What wonder then if Christ should be
mystery to such as We"
you rendered it,
"A mystery to such as me-"
And again, for ''magi'' you put magic
But we expect you do not know that it
starts the cold sweat on writer to see
his thoughts so misrepresented; and you
are not aware q speak to types in gen
eraD how many more would send their
thoughts for publication if they were
sure OF no typographical errors. But an
author fears, lest, when he says.
MY soul, on wings of thought sublime,
Sweeps Ger the rolling sea OF Time, !"
he might be reported as singing
my soul mid winds that fought with Time,
Sleeps on the shallow sea OF rhyme
He trembles lest the pronouns play hide
and seek, and the verbs change their
moods aid lenses; while thoughts he
never dreamed of, spring up like mush-
rooms among his words, laughing at his
misery and glorying in the ruin they
have made. But never mind, We toiling,
weary types; for tLey should have cour-
age TO launch forth and face a whole
tempest of your mistakes, and come off
wiser and stronger for the trial. We
pity while we blame you, for although
your errors would fill volumes, the good
you are doing is yet to fill the whole
world. Though you may seem feeble
and insignificant, your power is i'm
measurable. You were like dwarfs at
your birth, but are now an army of
giants. Once pygmies, now Goliaths.
Once like the little stream that trickles
from the mountain side; now you have
became louder than Niagara, broader
than Amazon. Though rocked in the
cradle of the fifteenth century, you are
now host whose banners CLEAN in
every land. Little did Lawrence Coster
or the Gutenberg family realize what a
power the press would become When
JOB wished that his words were written
with ''a pen of iron and lead in the rock
forever" he little thought that millions
OF copies of his life would be sent out
by the types. When Abraham looked
on the face of his beautiful wife, and
feared lest her loneliness would turn thd
heart OF the king, he knew not that his
fear would be printed for all the nations
to read thousands of years after his en-
trance into the heavenly country. Meth
er did the noble, cody Joseph, as he
wept and prayed in prison, think that
millions would read his life with te arfu
yes and swelling hearts. Thus gather
ing up the records of the past, how
grand has been your work! But when
you are compelled to scatter ruin, spread
scandal, or give the long columns of
criminal horrors, o. do YOU not wish
you were again hidden away among the
| hills, or even seething in the VOLCANOES,
in the molten streams of Mauna Loa, or
angry Vesuvius or Hecla, anywhere be-
yond the reach of human hands? But
take courage, for tho day is coming
when no vile work shall be required of
you; when the angel Purity will smile
on all your labors, and Peace shall reign.
Even now the morning dawns, and your
work increases in power and glory.
For although we should take the wings
of the morning, and dwell in the utter
most parts of the earth,'' even there you
have unlocked the fountains of knowl-
edge and E"Wlsdom is building her
house."
Then precious types, toll on, care
fully, patiently, sending forth the pure
"leaves for the healing of the nations, :"
till every soul shall rejoice to aid in pre-
pairing the highway for the Blessed.
Open wide the gates that the king Of
Glory may come in" WILD BIRD.