Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1885-12-11
WRITING A WAR ARTICLE.

shouldn't l, Mary?" he asked Of his
wife, who belongs to aliterary society,
and who is considered an excellent
critic. 81 should just like to know why
I ought not to give my experience. l
went through the war, and served with
distinction, and know how to write.
understand the construction of sem
tences. | understand the use Of vigor-
Gus English. What do you say, Mary! :"
"Why, by all means, write your ex-
perience. do not see why you should
keep back anything that might prove
of interest to the public and result in
profit to YOURSELF"
"That's it, Mary; that's it. While
was at college the students used to
laugh at me for devoting so niue h atten
ton to rhetoric. 1t will come in handy
now, YOU see. l shall 60 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?"
eyes" she said.
He read it to her.
"What do you think Of it?"
"It is good"
"Don't you think it's first-class ?"
Eyes, do"
al have never said much about it,
Mary, but / am writer. Many time
while visiting newspaper offices, have
said to myself: 'Ah, well, you fellows
think that you are great writer's, but
you haven't learned your first lesson
Now, shall wad it up and send it to
magazine. 1 ought to get at least one
hundred dollars for it,"
"You are going to copy it, are you
not?"
ooh, no; not necessary. It's as plain
as print"
81 didn't know but you might want
to make few corrections. Let me see
the manuscript minute. Listen to this
paragraph: General Beauregard, see
ing that the left wing was weakening,
determined to reinforce them Don't
you think that you should say 1T, in
stead of them p"
"Why? 1t refers to the soldiers"
t.Nn - ,x,o.,e ,y;,r ,,b;ob chould bp
it,"
"Well, go on, 60 on"
"'The general at one time, ," contin-
ued the woman, finding another obJec-
tionaole paragraph, "'was much moved
to see soldier dragging gun with
broken Leg
"What's wrong with that? It's fact,
for saw it myself"
eyes, but how did he drag gun with
broken leg?" .. ..... ..--FT
"Don't you see? The fellows leg
was broken, but so determined was he
that he still stuck to the gum"
"But he didn't drag it with his bro
ken leg?"
"Hang it, the fellows leg was bro
ken"
81 understand that"
"Well, then, his leg was broken, but
unwilling to retire from the field, he
crawled along dragging his gun"
"With his broken leg?"
.'The statement is as plain as daylight.
When you strike woman On military
matters she can't see two inches"
"I understand it well enough. The
man was dragging his gun with his
broken leg, which, l should think,
would differ very little from dragging
his broken gun with his leg"
The general wheeled around in his
chair, showed both hands into his pock-
cts, and in calm voice, slightly trem-
bling on the bosom of struggle, said
"when l married thought that my
wife was sensible woman. l thought
that she was woman of literary taste.
Read that paragraph again."
"'The general at one time was much
moved to see a soldier dragging gun
with broken leg Ah, see!' she
exclaimed.
81 am glad you do, Mary"
'The soldier was dragging gun
with a broken leg-the guns leg was
broken"
"Gimme that paper!'' he exclaimed.
Then he folded the manuscript with
mncL nracision and nnf liz In the sfnve