Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-07-16
THE GENERAL'sARTTCLE'
4 Contribution to History Lost ~ Wiis's
Critical Acumen.

Contribution 10 nistoHy
Critical Acumen.
General Meckleham, in imitation OF
reater men. decided upon writing q
,er;es OF war articles, "Why shouldn't
{ Mary?" ne asked OF his wife, who pc
oncs to a literary society, and who !
considered an excellent critic. -
should Just Ike to know why ought
lot to give my experience went
through the war, and served with DIS,
.inction, even if ! do say IT myself
Another thing in my favor i that
snow how to write. understand the
construction OF sentences. l under
stand the use OF vigorous English
What do you say, Nary
"Why, by all means write your ex,
nerience. Idonot see why you should
keep back anything that might prove
81 interest TO the public and result IN
profit to yourself
That's it, Mary; that's 1t. You
have hit the nail squarely on the mead,
While was at college the students USED
10 laugh at me for continuing TO devote
40 much attention to rhetoric. 1T wili
all come in handy now, you see WEI
| shall 20 to work at once.
The next evening, when the lamp had
been lighted, the general said;
MARY, are you ready to hear my
war paper.
He read IL toher
what do you think OF ity"
at is good.
sDon't you think it's first classS"
"Yes, | do"
81 have never said much about it,
Mary, but iama writer. Many a time
while visiting newspapers offices. ]
have said TO myself, 'Ah, well, you Tel.
lows think that you are great writers,
but you haven't learned your first les.
SON So you think it's first class, chi
Now, / shall wad it up and send It toa
magazine. | ought toget at least 500
Tor it,
You are going to copy it, are you
not?"
ooh, no, not necessary. plain
as print" ~
e"I didn't know but you might want
TO make a few corrections. Let me see
the manuscript n minute. Listen TO
this paragraph: General Bcamegard,
seeing that the left wing was weaken.
ing, determined to reinforce them
Don't YOU think it should say it in,
stead OF 'them'y"
why? Refers TO the soldiers"
''No. it means wing, which should be
it,,
"Well, go on, 90 on" ......-
1.-The general at onetime, continued
the woman, finding another objection
able paragraph, was much moved to
see a soldier dragging gun with brok.
an leg" .... -.
What's wrong with that2 It's a
iact, for saw ii myself"
.Yes, but how did he drag a gun with
a broken leg?" .a-
"Confound it! don't you seer The
icIlow's leg was broken, bus so de-
termined was he that he still stuck to
! the gun"
But heGhdn't drag it withhis broken
leg"
Hang it! the fellows leg was broken
~
II understand that"
well then. Leg was broken, but
unwilling to retire from the field, he
srawled along, dragging his gun"
with his broken leg" ......
MARY, haven't you got and sense at
alp The statement is as plain as day
; light. When you strike a woman on
military matters, dad blame i'll she
can't see two inches.
II understand it well enough The
man was dragging his gun with his
broken leg, which, | should think,
would differ very little from dragging
his broken gun with his lee"
The general wheeled around in his
chair, showed both hands into his peck.
cts, and, in calm voice, slightly
trembling on the bosom OF struggle
said
when I married / thought that my
sife was a sensible | thought
that she was q woman OF literary
taste. An, Lord! Mary, your blamed
blindness has confused me. Read thai
paragraph again"
The general at one time was mucl
moved to see soldier dragging a gu,
with broken leg, All, / see, she ex
| slammed.
II am glad you do, Mary"
'The soldier was draggiuga gun Will
a broken leg-the guns leg was brok
en-"
Gimme that paper" ne exclaimed.
"Ill be eternally burned if ! ALLOW
any one toAlary, | am ashamed o
you. Go OH away, and leave M
alone. To suddenly discover such ig
norance totally brushes me- Do you
think that a gun has legs and arms
like man? DO you for aminute sup
pose go on away, tell your
| HYou mean that soldier with 9
broken leg was dragging his gun, DOM
your"
i "Hah?"
She repeated the remark.
| The general took the manuscript
folded it with mock precision, and put
it in the stove.
+ "Why do you burn it, dear?"
"oh. | was afraid that it might
break one OF It's legs. reckon it 5 sal,
enough now. The next time you ash
me TO write anything, I'll do it, Oh
yes, III seize q broken-legged pen ant
write the life out of it. A prophet il
not without honor, and so ON. You
have beaten me out of 500 in cash
and hope you are satisfied .--Arkan
saw Traveller.