The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-06-15
And here she went into a fresh set of

And here she went into fresh set of
commissions. ' y
But that's all right pleaded the
managing editor, wishing he'd left out
that whopper about setting up the mat
ter himself.
The new idea about the alley was
an Improvement on yours, because it
brought it under the head of this new
realistic school of poetry, and I tell
you, added the managing editor. SOL
EMMY, that poem. just as il appeared in
our paper with your name attached to
it, has attracted more attention and
been more extensively copied than any
other production that has appeared in
this country for twenty years.
DO you mean to tell me that as a
fact? demanded the fair poetess,
Strengthening up with jerk. is that
really sop
III it hadn't been that we run short
of Eagles and had to let people have
our exchanges so they conid scrap that
poem, | could show you the gem in
over two thousand first class Journals, !"
replied the managing editor, smiling
cEeerfully, and rubbing his hands.
didn't any of them seem to notice
thatawf blunder, where it s1id:
Fine pigs Hume the monkey shineY
when | wrote it:
Pine sprigs perfume the mountain sideP
"Dldn they seem to think that was
IA little far fetched?"
Il think more people bought papers
on that one line than any other" pro
tested the managing editor. ''One critic
came out boldly and congratulated the
universe on the development of a poetess
who had the nerve to do what YOU had
done. Any one can string rhymes to-
gether, can talk about sprigs, but
where the artist who had the audacity
to put the domestic animals into fiery
verse and make poetry for the first time
in all history the medium for conveying
the simple experience of all the world
to the mind of even the humhleSt reader?
That's the way people are talking about
that poem. that you. in your modesty,
pretend you saw no beauty in! If you
could hear that poem talked about as |
have, | thin k you'd want 10 die!' and
, the managing editor assumed virtuous
expression and then looked hurt.
''Of course, no genius is as good a
Judge Of their works as the intelligent
readers of papers. understand that, -
and the new poetess simpered and look
ell downca5t. But how did they ap-
pear to take the line:
The qualrAg winds like cows milk fiowr
Really I've forgotten whether |
wrote ii in that way, or whether | put
| it:
THE balmy winds like corn silk blown
'Do You remember how that wasp
We printed it just as YOU wrote, -
returned the managing editor, severely.
81 am surprised that YOU should charge
this Office with the grandasl poetical eff
fort OF modern times. That is over
modest, aud Id rather You would be
frank and truthful with ne -
Pardon me- besought the fair ono
resting her hand on his arm. Il wa
wrong. Forgive me-. and to max
amends, viii let YOU have four nor
poems that l. had intended for othe
| papersI'
The managing editor bianched, bu
his nerves came to his rescue. Il thin
the effect of the first will not wear OF
until Fall said he. I'VE can let thes
stand over until then or even until Win
ter. There 10 use of blasting rep
utation by exciting the enmity of tn
critics and the envy of the old hands a
the poetry business.
"Of course you know best, reptile
the disappointed beauty. If am willin
to leave the whole matter with YOU, TO
am sure you will watch my interest
better than | could, but don't you thin
you could get them out before the col
weather.
Utterly out of the question, " re
sponde1 the managing editor, assumin
prodieious independence. I'm fact,
think they would do better to wait pei
haps two or three years. That othe
one will last at leastthat length of time
No, | must decline to touch them undo
three years" and the managing edito
turned to his work and relighted hi
pipe, as though he had not seen a vi:
itor that day.
Pretty well done, smiled the cit
city editor, strolling in as the lad
took her departure. when she fir;
came thought Won were done for.
''Oh, no, replied the managing &c
itor, carelessly. "You have only
know how to handle these people. "
But the poem she was talking aboU
wasn't hers at all. continued the cit
editor. 1T was written by one of ii
reporters as a Bit of fun" Her poem
out in nv desk now.
kill it!'' roared the managing editor
= turning fiercely on the city editor
xiii the thing, and by the way, sa
that two of the New York papers be:
) you on an item of Brooklyn news tn
morning The next time that happier
| you will be hunting around for SON
one to start paper for your and ,
, the crestfnllen city editor turned ava
5 the managing editor commenced an a
E ticle on The Press as a Moral Guid
D and an Educator of the Masses. -
Brooklyn Eagle.
Making those Things We Strike at an