Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1886-06-24

. udls
And then there was a light step at
the door, and a person wearinga severe
countenance and Il shawl came in and
took the vacant chair.
I am very sorry he said, in meas
urcd tones, and with Il fixed and crili
cal stare at the end of the editors nose
i am very sorry to notice that you are
giving in your columns so little atten-
ton to the cause of Prohlbition--the
noble cause of Prohibition. You must
rouse yourself upon this great question
and give your readers page Of it
weekly. | am not subscriber to your
paper, but borrow it every week of
my neighbor and | loan him the Ban-
mer of Light in exchange. So You will
observe that have been one of your
faithful readers aud know Just where
you fall short of making a good news
paper. ! will leave you a few tracts
from which YOU should make liberal
extracts from time to time. You will
notice that this one entitled, Dash the
Cup Away!' is written by myself. You
are at liberty to print it in full. And
when | come across anything particu.
larly good IN the columns Of the Ban-
no of Light I'll cut it out and send it
around to you. You have a grand op-
portunIty to make your paper grow in
circulation and influence, and hope
YOU will come boldly to the front on
the right course and no longer con-
tinue to devote your valuable space to
trivial matters. BY the way, have you
u few exchanges that you are done
with? All, that will do: thanks; good
day
In the door the man in the shawl
pa :sed person with a merry twinkle
IN his eyes.
I like your rapcr-it is hrst-rate, he
said, as he dropped into the vacant
chair, except that it does not contain
humor enough. Why don't you fill
her full of Jokes and bright things by
the funny fellows and make your read
ers laugh? Nobody cares a cent for
those political editorials and those
scientific articles, and that stuff about
the tariff you print. That puts me to
sleep. Give us plenty Of Jokes to shake
a mans liver up and let the tariff take
care of itself. That's all. Be in to
see YOU again when I've more time, ia,
ta.'
The next person who took the va
cant chair had countenance as SOL
emn as second hand hcarse. lie did
not look as if he had smiled more than
once in forty years, and the village ed
itor took him for an undertaken who
wanted to advertise a patent embalm-
ing process and pay in trade.
Sir said the solemn man, after a
silence that became very painful to the
village editor. 4 am grieved to notice
the tone of lcvity that has recently per
valed the columns of your paper, and |
am compelled to ask You on that ac-
count 10 take nv name oft your list
You seem to forget that this is a world
of calamity and woe, and that a spirit
Of levity in the press Is unscemly, and
tends to draw attention from the sol
enn realities of life and the near proX-
unity of death. Last week you declin-
ed to print my article entitled Re
Elections on the Grave, alleging that
Won did not have room for it, and then
gave mp nearly column of your paper
to frivolous Jokes. do not intend to
read anything light this year. This is
all have to say; good afternoon
The door closed behind the solemn
man and then softly opened again to
admit dreamv-cycd man with poet
ic brow and general expression that
seemed TO indicate that he wanted
something he had never had and never
expected to have.
II merely came in to remark, he be-
can, AS he took the vacant chair, that
vou are sldly neglccting the literary
department Of your paper. | have not
only noticed it myself, but several of
my friends have called my attention to
it. You should by all means run a
continued story and have from two to
three good short stories in each ISSUE
Good stories is the thing that is want
ed to make a village paper POPULAR
Everybody you ask will tell you that
4 little news and some local matter
and the marriages and deaths should
be printed,o! course; but you shouldnt
let anything crowd ont the stories. |
don't take your paper, but my BROTHER
-. l,, ..,.i | l,,rr,,v # rf him