The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-06-28
PROOFREADING.
A Scene With a Spring Poet.

PROOFREADING.
A Scene With Spring Poet.
From the Brooklyn E,gle.
| II think you were just too mean for
anything!" exclaimed a bewitching dam
sci as she bolted into the managing edi-
tors Office, sank into chair and burst
into sobs.
"Oh, ilook herel DON'T" remon-
strated the managing editor, slip
ping the cork-screw down the back of
his heck and the still ligeted pipe into
bis coat pocket. ~ published your
poem, you know? Promised I would
and can show it to you. Don't make
a row!" And the managing editor
wrapped a beer bottle in page of man
uscript and, ordered the Office boy to
take it to the foreman, with instructions
to carry it as leader under penalty Of
law. sit was the prettiest thing we ever
had in the Eagle, and set it up in
type myself so there wouldn't be any
mistakes. Let up on the weep now,
that's good girl"
"I-I know you pub published itv'
moaned the fair visitor. "But what did
| it look like when it came out? When
GWEN meet in the alley with poker and
longs"
II wrote it;
"We'n meet in the valley with jokes and
songs.
| And then you made me say.
sHere's to the madam that hove me swill!''
"And if you had any sense, you'd
have known that it was:
"Here's to the maiden that loves me stilll'
And here she went into d fresh
set of commissions.
''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
realistic school Of poetry, and I tell you,"
that poem, just as it appeared in our pa
per with your name attached to 1t, has
attracted more attention and been more
extensively copied than any other pro-
cuction that has appeared in our paper
for 20 years."
"Do:you mean to tell me that as a
fact?" demanded the fair poetess,
Strengthening up with jerk. Ills that
really so?"
eff it hadn't been that we run short of
Eagles and had to let people have our
exchanges 50 they could scrap that poem,
I could show you the gem is in over
1900 first class Journals" replied the
managing editor, smiling cheerlully and
rubbing his hands.
Didn't any of them seem to notice
that awful blunder, where it said:
''Fine pigs illume the monkey sinner"
"When wrote it;
"Pine sprigs perfume the mountain side!'
"Didn'J they seem to think that was
"a little far-fetched7"
II think more people bought papers
on that one line than any other" pro-
tested the managing editor. Zone crit
ic came out boldly and congratulated
poetess who had the nerve to do what
you had done. Any one can string
rhymes together, can talk about sprigs,
but where's the artist who had the auda-
city to put the domestic animals into
fiery verse and make poetry for the first
time in all history the medium for con-
veying the simple experience of all the
world to the mind of even the humblest
reader? That's the way people talk
about that poem, that you, in your mod
esty, pretend you saw no beauty inl II
you could hear that poem talked about
as have, think you'd want to die"
and the managing editor assumed a vir-
tuous 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 an
appear to take the line:
''Really I've forgotten whether wrote
it in that way, or whether I put it:
t'The balmy winds like corn silk blowl"
"Do you remember how that VAST"
"We printed it just as you wrote" re
81 am surprised that you should charge
this Office with the grandest poetical ef-
fort of modern times. That is over
modest. and I'd rather you would be
frank and truthful with me-"
'Pardon me-" besought the fair one,
resting her hand on his arm. II was
wrong. Forgive me, and to make amends
will let you have four more poems that
had intended for other papers!'
The managing editor blanched, but
his nerves came to his rescue. II think
the effect of the first will not wear off
until fall,' said he. "We can let these
stand over until then, or even until
winter. There is no use of blasting a
reputation by exciting the enmity of the
critics and the envy of the old hands at
the poetry business"
"Of course you know BEST" replied
tho 1;oo hoo,,kv SST ~ wiliir mr.
to leave the whole matter with you, for
am sure you will watch my interests
better than could, but don't you think
you could get them out before the cold
weather."
bitterly out ofthe question" respond
ed the managing editor. assuming pro-
digious Independence. "In fact, 1 think
they would do better to wait perhaps
two or three years. The other one will
last at least that length of time. No. l
must decline to touch them under three
years." and the managing editor turned
to hisswork and relighted his pipe, as
though he had not seen q visitor that
day: :,
editor, strolling in as the lady took her
departure. when she first came I
thought you were done for"
l vi, uO, T0pllCu lilo ludIldkluX Gull
tor, carelessly. "You have only got to
know how to handle these people,"
"But the poem she was talking about
wasn't hers at all" continued the city
editor. ut was written by one of the
porters as a bit of fun. Her poem is out
| on my desk now"
"Kill itr' roared the managing editor
turning fiercely on the city editor. "Kill
the thing, and by the way, 1 saw that
two of the New York papers heat you
on an item of Brooklyn news this morn
ing. The next time that happens you
will be hunting around for some one to
start paper for youw and as the crest
fallen city editor turned away the man.
aging editor commenced an article on
''The Press as Moral Guide and an Ed
ucator of the Masses"
The Little Boys Secret.
"Where d. y get 'em? ''Well, I might
a-ketched 'em in the Sawkill, or the
Raym'skill, or the Capow. Or I might
q yanked 'em out o Gorden's mill pond
/ didn't though. But Eve got EN-.
The Pike county small boy knows tha'
! if he brings in nice mess of trout be
fore any one else has had good luck OF
any Of the streams he is of IS much i'm
In0rtance "a a circr1a urt,ct. SaiOn and that