The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-03-28
THE GENERALS ARTICLE.
The Good Result of Paying Extra Att
 tention to the Study of Rhetoric.

General Meckleham, in imitation of greater men, decided upon writing a series of war articles. "Why shouldn't I, Maryp" he asked of his wife, who be- longs to literary society and who is con- sidered an excellent critic. "I should just like to know why ought not to give my experience? went through the war and served with distinction, if 1 do say it my self. Another thing in my favor is that know how to write. understand the construction of sentences. under.tand the use of vigorous English. What do you say, Msry?"
 "Why, by all means write your expe- rience. l do not see why you should keep back anything that might prove of inter- est to the public and result ia profit to yourself"
 "That's it, Mary; that's it. You have hit the nail squarely on the head. While was at college, the students used to laugh at me for continuing to devote so much attention to rhetoric. It will all come in handy now, you see. We'll, I shall go 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 ?" &
 "Yes."
 He read it to her.
 "What do you think ofit?"
 "It is good"
 "Don't you think it's 6rst-class?"
 "Yes, do."
 "I have never said much about it, Mary, but am writer. Many a time while visiting newspaper offices, have said to myself 'Ah, well, you fellows think that you are great writers but you haven't learned your first lesson.' So you think its 6rst-class, eh2 Now, shall wad it up and send it to a maga- zine. 1 ought to get at least a hundred dollars for it."
 "You are going to copy it, are you not2'
 ooh, no, not necessary. It's as plain as print"
 "I didn't know but you might want to make few corrections. Let me see the manuscript a minute. Listen to this paragraph: General Beauregard seeing that the left wing was weakening, deter mined to reinforce them Don't you think that you should say it instead of sthem P"
 "Why9 Refers to the soldiers"
 "No, it means wing, which should be 'it'"
 "Well, go on, go on."
 ~"The general at one time,' continued the woman, finding another objection able paragraph, was much moved to sec a soldier dragging gun with a broken leg"
 "What's wrong with that2 It's fact, for l saw it myself"
 "Yes, but how did he drag a gun with broken leg?'
 "Confound it. don't you see? The fellows leg was broken, but so deter mined was he that he still stuck to his gun"
 "But he didn't drag it with his broken leg"
 Hang it, the fellows leg was bro- ken" VI understand that" @Weii,- then. Leg was broken, but unwilling to retire from the field, he crawsed along, dragging his gun" "With his broken leg?" Mary, haven't you got any sense at aile The statement is as plain as day. light. When you strike a woman on military matters, dad blame it, she can't see two inches"
 "i understand it well enough. The man was dragging his gun with his broken leg, which, should think would differ vezy little from dragging his broken gun with his leg"
 The general wheeled around in his chair, shoved both hands into his pockets and in calm voice, slightly trembling on the bosom of struggle, said:
 @When l married, thought that my wife vas . sensible woman. thought she was woman cf literary tsste. Ah,