The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-03-16
Prose and Poetry Again.
Editor Post:

I/UtVi 4 O't'
In YOUR last issue ! notice criticism
from Mr.. w. 4 Gordon, Jr., on an article
written by me and published in Your issue
Of March Cd. From the familiar manner
in which he calls me JOSH" from the
bright humor of the article and from the
cratic manner in which he slOshes around
and hits at verythinS-except the point
! infer that it was written by my OLD
friend w. +. Gordon, and that the Il. in
the name was but IL slip of the pen, due to
an over-hcated brain, stirred to IFS depths
bv my supposed SANDER Of country pco-
ple."
Allow me to say that am country
man myself. in the country born and bred
and while | have not had as much expe-
ricncc as friend Gordon in country mat
ters, have very great respect for country
products; and if my article had been pub
lishet as written, his defense of country
people would have been wholly unneces-
sary. What | wrote was concerning a
"negro funeral in the country" but the
printer left out the word negro
Nv critics own good sense might have
supplied the omission, however; for few
lines below occurs this sentence, "1s he
thought less of than his negro servant
who was buried Yesterdays
greatly regret this mistake. 1t put
me in false light before the readers of
the PosT, and caused friend Gordon pain
full emotion; for nothing else, am sure,
would have aroused in him so serious a
mood as he was evidently in when he
wrote the latter part Of his criticism.
painful emotion" did say? Pardon me;
must seek some other term to convey to
him my meaning; for, as | understand
him, the word emotion, to his mind, signi-
tes ga kinder working Of the feelings OF
the tender sort" and is never felt except
when the clover comes face to face with
the object Of his love and thinks it is for
the last time" / will say, then, that but
for that sad mistake he would have been
SHARED "kinder working of the feelings
of the serious sort, which I know must
have been to him intensely painful.
am glad that he has corrected my
4 . Cf /, md
cOoi;0n but it is so much trouble to use
his expression, that fear will have to
quit talking altogether about the things
would have heretofore called emotions
For instance: heretofore. would have
said, "when she heard of the death of hcl
father she was affected with deep emo
zion or "the witness clicked with angr,
emotion etc. Now | must say 'wher
she heard of the death Of her father she
was deeply affected With a kinder work
ing of the feelings of the crying sort
and "the witness chokcd with n kinder
working of the feelings Of angry sort" etc
Well, the world do move, and we live ant
le RI, but life is too short to make use O
al, we learr-at least, / AIN sure tits SO whcl
friend Gordon is our teacher.
And he does not understand what
mean Ivy saying that 1.-The feeling Of th'
man of to-day is far more intense thai
that Of his l,arbaric ancestor u ant
MS long as this is so his feelings are no
So easily aroused "a formerly" l. ii pos
! sibe flat he never heard that s'still ws
ter runs deep?" D. not the school girl
tears CONC quicker and With less cans
han the tears Of the stalwart man? bu
! when the latter weeps, are NOT his feel
ings more intense ihan wllcn Tie tnrmc
cries?
He says Poetry, as ] take it, is ne
accessaril, in rhsme; nor II, ell It scan per
fectlv.7 In this, he differs willsone, pei
laps all. OF the lesi authorities, For ~
stance the Encyclopedia isritanica dc
fines poetry thus. !" AlsolGtc poetry is til
concrete apd artistic expression OF u