Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-04-03
Raw Meat.

"McQllrter is a peculiar fellow,
said Tom BpIeS. the other day leaning
back and gaping, until it seemed a- If
his entire head would become "A yawn
in. cavity. Il Wa- going to say that
| slept with him last night. but, hang
him, ! didn't sleep. ! went 10 hi
room, having accepted an invitation
To cat oysters and sleep Il, hi, expense.
Mack, you know, Is sort of literary
man. He writes poetry on the death
Of friends. aud II seems 10 me that he
j.. AWAY, glad when "A valued friend
drops of, for it gives his grim muse n
chance TO come out OF II, box. Will,
after We had Gates the oysters and
settled down To the comforts arising
from briar.root and tobacco, Mack
looked up suddenly aud said
Tom. | am going to write poem
"Who'. going to die | asked.
Hang it all, YOU fellows think !
can only write when somebody dies.
You take my muse for an undertaken,
don't you? ] have written many
poems on live topics, let me tell you.
ID, YOU know what kind of poetry
takes bes.?'
The lightand breezy kind, .hould
think
That where you're wrong. H..
the terrible verse that captures the
people. Fine drawn sentiment only
appeals to a few refined people, where
a. well ver-ified description Of jim
Jams IL understood bv the ma-.r..
Take, for instance, the Maniac Don't
YOU remember it. Stay. jaiIer, -tIy
| am not mad and 50 on. Had that
been a love scene it would have been
forgotten years ago. DO YOU know
how that was produced No, Well,
III tell you. Raw meat
Raw mcatY' repeated, looking
up in a-tonshment
Raw meat" putting vigorously at
his pipe. One night the author 90
that tragic poem went home "a hungry
as 4 wolf He could 6ud nothing loo
eat but some raw ham. Tie didn't
take time to cook it. hut deyoured a
quantity Of it dry 80, a. the colurry
people say. That night he had vivid
dreams of startling terror, aud the
next morning he wrote the poem
Thats true, and YOU needn't grin with
such broad mouth OF inrredulity.
This set me to thinking. aud upon IN.
yestigaton ! find that Byron, Milton.
aud even the great ha<cspearc him.
self ate raw meat to induce startling
dreams, for, from the lurid scpnes thus
flashed aihwart their minds. they, upon
awakening, could draw wild picture
from recollection. No trouble at all,
YOU see, only have to spin it Oh, aud
then watch the public Stare at it.
Now, I'm going to cat lot nt raw
meat, aud tomorrow morning, fresh
from scenes that still hang before me
in Wild glare. | shall count off the
thrilling number. See here y going
to the wood box and taking out an
enormous ham--"bought it for this oc.
caslon. All I-brushing the dust
from it--",here is more inspiration in
this than there is in all your hours OF
hard work. Coloridge did not believe
in tho ham theory, taking up a
knife and cutting into the bacuncd
muse-"jeclared that he was not
ham fatter. Took opium aud other
stuff to make him sleep in dactyhc
cat.naps, but Shakespeare snored in
peutameter. Won't you have some -
depositing five or six large slices on
the table. "Nol You are no, literary.
OF course it is making reputation at
the expense of the stomach, but he
who would not make sacrifices to ad-
vance a noble calling should not be
recognized by men who have gained
] emineuces" -~
lie flushed bis raw repast in silence.
After awhile he said
Suppose we turn in. Believe | can
sleep like top. That meat falls so
naturally into the grip Of good digcs-
ton, that | have some doubts of it