The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-19

YOU that some of US have found out
where your verses were stolen from anu
that We have taken the pains 10 let some
other people know. We are not going 20
expose all the secrets of our ue.ghoofS, OF
course. nor do we wish our ne:Shoors 10
expose any of ours. but there are several
OF us who desire fnme as poets as much
as you do. and we are not going TO sup
nit TO any foul riding in that race, we as
sure you, although we did not refuse 10
pay our losses IN the last Cheap Fun Ciuo
meet.
This earnest little professor-iecturer.
with his new degree. and his new specs
und his new ideas-diun, shadowy ana I'M
certain dregs of what he heard N Oet-
many''-quite bushes with literary u
scientific ardor as ne propounds his 'eMs
of environment. or criticism, OF even,
if the moon De right. ethical rioii-s
Surely he is too young not TO De i'o..s
He is commonly safe from search W."
rarts II is trra. because few would Eay
clam to legal property in the hien -
wares which ne displays. But none w
less he fails to hide at least from SUM sum,
of his nefohbbr: his excursions INTO %.
mems preserves. and the knoWiease u -1i'
moral obiouitv is not at AtI "s7' 10y ~
by the feeling Of pity over the unsat tCr,,
sort OF game he has secureSf-Ai1 '.-' ''@&
pro pavone, &c +.o
have often wondered what were the
fa,,T,tr of . r,,a,, who was conscious OF
crime of which m astute barrister was
nrovinr him entirely innocent. l nave
little doubt that the criminal reihotso
denorIs and his seIf-resPect returns WIN
ecl1al step as word by word MS ingenious
legal assoc ate polishes up a mora! record
which is, to say the lenSt out OF FsPa,A'
and T have sometimes imagined that the
y1-DS q
Favorable comparison of his own Veracity
u.itb that of his leurned friend. However
this NAV be. we all may share somewhat
IN his feelings, because, once and again
all of US strnd, ereCto capita, with SWelLeu-
IN head and clothe ourselves IN praises
which we know 10 be the misapprOpriated
garments of a better man. We may get
some consolation from the reflection thnt
there are circumstances in which the
deuce of clubs is a stronger card than
the king OF diamonds; but humbugs are
not always trumps, ard new hand may
be dealt at any tine. Sooner or later,
whatever counterfeit we choose to utter.
be ii of learning or gentIity or religion. IS
likely TO be found out, and we. the ut
terers of base coin, are sure TO be salts
fed Of its currency long after most OF our
neighbours have learned to know the spu-
rious ring.
INtCs Is one place. IpF'Ntl, tiiSiAItN-' ~
the hOmely virtue of our Saxon ancestry,
whore almost every man, although hum
bug. is q trump and where he is hardly
ever found out, no matter how fragrant
his offenses be. The last people, my good
sir who will cease to regard YOU as you
wish, but do not deserve to be regarded
are the woman and the children who
make your home. So long as we remain
upright and pure in these pure eyes, 1t
really dos not matter much if Smith dis
trust our statement and Jones decline TO
| do a bill for us. Smith and Jones are mere
incidentals and go along with US to make
| the sum of things. We know that there
are quarters in which Smith gets no higher
rating that he gives to US. and quarters
where Jones name will Sc more pass
| current than ours viii with him But the
woman and the children in whose eyes
we seem the best of men. these are eS-
| sentials, and the fates go far TO balance
our Ills with good when these retain
their trust in us. Chant. we their peans
| for this blessing. and though, as miser-
| able sinners, ws acknowledge our short
| corninss and confess ourselves unworthy
| of the good pour we lihatons to the gods
for that disguise that shows US in our
homes rs we would seem to be. not as we
| are SPECTATOR.