Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-08-09
EFFECTIVE LANGUAGE.
rhs Art OF Pa,ting Together words That
Laugh and CRY.

Tha Art OF Putting Together words Thsa
Laugh and CRY.
Did Il ever strike you that there was
any thing queer about the capacity OF
written words TO absorb and convey
feelings9 Taken separately, they are
mere symbols with no more feeling
than so many bricks, but string them
along in row under certain mysterious
conditions, and you find yourself laugh.
ing or crying as your eye runs over
them. That words should convey mere
ideas is not so remarkable. "'rhe boy
ts fat" "the cat has nine tails" and
statements that seem obviously enough
within the power OF written language.
But IL is different with feelings. They
are no more visible in the symbols that
hold them than electricity is visible
on the wire, and yet there they
are, always ready 10 respond
whom the right test Is applied by the
right person. That spoken words
charged with human tones and lighted
by human eyes, should carry feelings,
IN not 80 astonishing The magnetic
sympathy OF the orator one understands;
he might affect his audience, possibly,
II he spoke in o language they did not
/ know. hut written words: How can
they do III Suppose, for example, that
you possess reasonable facility in
grouping language, and thai you have
strong feelings upon some subject
which finally you determine to commit
10 paper. Your pen runs along; the
proper words present themselves, or are
dragged out and fall into their places
You are good deal moved; here you
chuekle to yourself, and half dozer
OF lines further down lump comes int
your throat and perhaps you have u
. wipe your eyes. You finish, and tn,
copy goes to the printer. When IL get
into print reader sees It, His eye
run along the lines and down the pag'
until 1t comes to the place where yol
! chuckled as you wrote; then he smiles
l and six lines below he has to swallow
: several times and snuffie I'd wink b
a restrain an exhibition OF weak ness
. And then some one else comes alon
who is not so good word juggler as yo
. ars. or who has no feelings. and sway
the words about little. and twists th
I sentences, and behold, the spell is gone
. and you nHvs left parce, OF write
. language, duly charged with facts, bu
:. without a single feeling.
No one can juggle with words will
i any degree OF success without getting
9 vast respect for their independent abil
= ty. They will catch the best idea
n man ever had as 1t flashes through hi
n brain, and hold on to II, 10 surprise hil
u with IL long after, and max, him woI
der that he was ever man enough
have such an idea. And often they wi
catch an idea on its way from the hrai
TO the pen point, turn, twist and in
. prove on 1t as the eye winks, and in a
instant there they are, strung hand
= hand across the page and grinnig baC
r Ut the writer: This Is our idea, o
a. man; not yoursl"
N As for poetry, every word that expec
n 10 earn its salt in poetry should have
70 head and pair o. legs Of its own, TO
10 and find its place. carrying anoth
oi word II necessary on its back. III
10 most that should be expected OF al
IS competent poet in regular practice is
a serve general summons and notice
g action on the language. II the wor
- won't do the rest for him IL indicat
y; that he is out OF sympaty with his tool
of lun