Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-09-05

condolences that are poured into ones
unwilling ears Or Set before ones re-
luctant eyes Why should Mrs Jones
suppose that | could do anything to pre-
vent her husband 5 paying any more at
tention to that "horrid other woman"
than to his lawful spouse?
Why should Mr.. Jones or Smith CON
suit me on the morality Of lotteries or
the ethics Of pugilism? How can 1 be
supposed competent to counsel a clergy
man at war with his parish or maiden
Of uncertain age who finds herself lonely
and forlorn?
In fact, why should literary life be
supposed to endow one with wisdom,
knowledge patience, time, self forget
fulness and benevolence equal to those
of Deity itself?
More in the line of business, but not
the less impossible, is another huge
army Of letters recurring daily and
hourly. These are mostly from women
who, owing to this or that form Of ad-
versity, have at length resolved to sup
port themselves by their pen, = and ac-
cordingly send to me, ia fellow wom-
an, " their first literary effort, with the
request that will correct anything that
is amiss and pay as good price as pos
sible.
After the details Of the domestic
emergency are given, and l have more
than once taken the trouble to write a
kindly line of refusal (fo~ to write for
the press is not a mere question Of de-
sire to do 50, but it involves education
and training), have received a still
more eloquent appeal for acceptance
based upon the fact that Edward has
lost his position or is laid up with
chronic illness, and there are six small
children to support. and if refuse her
poem how is this to be done, etc.
Sometimes one finds letters Of ecstatic
praise of one's efforts, sometimes lauda-
ton accompanied with catechism as
to where one obtains certain facts, what
proof one can bring forward arguments
as to ones theories, controversy as to
ones opinions-in fact, the basis Of an
extended reply if one takes any notice
at all Of such letters. Again, there are
fierce and furious letters Of abuse and
contradiction, angry demands as to what
one means by writing of the north,
sOnth, east or west as inferior or su-
periOr to other sections Of the country
indignant protests against personalities,
where one has not given names and did
not even know the personality Of the
writer and has only mentioned traits
and incidents common to humanity.
In fact, not to enumerate every kind
Of letter which smiles or frowns up at
one from the office desk of a morning,
one may generalize them by saying that
the mailbag is very like the ark that
Noah builded and proceeded to fill with
specimens Of every creature under the
sun--the companionable dog and cat,
the CHEEKY songbird, the noble horse and
useful COW, and also the snarling tiger,
the roaring lion, the stinging serpent
and lOathsome reptile, the tormenting
flea and buzzing mosquito and the cor
morant and horse leech, which never are
satisfied And still the parallel does
not quite go on all fours. for it is not
stated that Noah was obliged daily to
hold personal interviews or correspond
ence with all the inmates Of his ark,
and one is seized with desperate desire
to see ones own ark swamped with a
total loss Of every passenger, dove and
olive branch included, for the principal
association i'll my mind with my mail
and | think III the mind Of every editor
is one Of intense weariness and regret
that / cannot do all that is asked and
expected Of me BY those who are worthy
and in need Of help Of one sort or an
other, but sometimes a little hungry
longing comes to me for just one single
letter out Of the many offering to give,
instead Of always asking to receive.