Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-01-19
PROOFREADlNG AS AN ART.
The One Successful at II Must Have
Many Accomplish ments.

The One Successful at 1t Must Have
Many Accomplish
A recent issue of a Boston daily paper
contains tho following advertisement;
"Any lady of fair education can learn to
read proof under personal instruction of
one Of tho worlds foremost proofreaders;
q genteel occupation, easily learned pays
$l5 to $50 weekly. First class ever form
ell in Boston now being organized mem
bership limited; immediate application
necessary to enter class. Terms very rea-
sonable.
We heartily favor the proposition that
every woman should be tho mistress of q
romuncrative occupation, by which she can
contribute something TO tho industry and
movement of the world. az we'll as to her
own support when necessary, and we sim
cerely sympathize with the efforts of wom
en- to extend this field OF useful and honor
able employment and to gain access to
new vocations. Proofrending is certainly
one of those vooations But no mistake
could be greater than to think of proof
reading as something that ANY lady can
learn"
Proofreading is moro than trade. 1t
is worthy of being called a profession. 1t
is capable of being made fine art Tho
true proofroadcr is the "fnisher" of the
product. And there is this paradox
about his work-when it il well done there
Is n sense in which it does not show; we
remember the proofreader only whom he
is careless or neglectful But so it IL in
truth with much good work; 1t is often
the not doing or the misdoing rather than
! the doing that enforces attention
The mere mechanics of proofrcading
any body can learn who can master the
| differences of letters and fonts, who has n
quick and accurate eye and who can order
| types and leads and spaces and punctua
| ton marks out of disorder and set each In
! its proper place and relation.
But the mechanics of proofreadinR are
| simply its primary elements. To be abl(
to spell and write tho English languag,
| correctly, to know something in these
days Of other languages, at least the mod
| ern, to have some general knowledge o
history and biography, to have memor.
| for names and dates, to DO able to catci
an author when no slips and check hin
! when he goes astray, to remove the stain
and smooth out tho creascs which some
times disfgure the best of writing, to b.
able to suggest tho last touch Of polish 70
the page In type before it goes to bccom
the page in print-all this belongs to tn
work Of tho true and truly efficient proof
reader and demands a combination o
qualities which it is rnre indeed to find ii
one person. The first principles OF proof
reading ANY lady can learn" but to be
proofreader in the large and distinguish
cd sense 10 the growth of years OF expert
ence and may call into exercise almost q
wide resources Of scholarship and almos
rs great tilisy Of talent as authorshi
itself II is position to which any ma
or woman of brains and gifts might we
aspire. ProGfreaders like tho late Williar
Nichols of Cambridge and like Mr. A. "
Stevens of Lexington exemplify what W
mean. Many an author of famo owes nor
TO the painstaking and ceaseless fidelity {
mis- proofreader than no would himself pei
haps be willing to acknowledge, and I'll
feat of riding several mental horses 1
once is by no means the least of tho man
iorms OF skill In which the proofreadt
must lie an adept.
All success, then, 10 learners of the nj
cient and honorable art of proofreadinl
but let them not make the mistake
supposing that proficiency in 1T Is to |
won in u day. Boston Literary World.