Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-11

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Twain contains smaller words than
| that of any other living author. Even
the Biblical writers used bigger ones.
Referring, to his dog story in the
Christmas "Harpers," Mr.. Alden, in
| the Editors Study, makes this COM
ment:
| THE more vital the writer. the SIM
pier and more direct his appeal. No
careful student of literature can have
| failed to note that under great stress
| of feeling Il strong writer becomes al
most monosyllabic. In Mark Twain's
story in this number of the magazine
| the number of words averages $50 to
| the page. The usual average Is less
| rnan $50. The shorter the words, the
more of AnGlo-SaXon yiGor. This point
| is of especial interest in the case OF all
author who of all the story writer's OF
our time has the widest appeal
r. X Munkittrick. the humorist, has
always been IL believer in quick sales
and small prof S. says Il contributor TO
| "Collier's Weekly His favorite plan
has been, from his New Jersey home
| to send manuscript to Il dozen different
New York periodicals, wait twenty
four hours, and then journey to the
city and go about from office to office
gathering the checks or manuscripts
as the case might be. He calls this
beating the financial bushes"
One day several years ago Mr.. Mum
kittrick saw displayed in clothing
shop window Il pair of trousers that
he greatly admred-and needed. They
Iol1lrc ~ 10
walked around the block twice in IL
| thoughtful attitude, stepped into Il pro-
tecting doorway, took out ii pad of pa
per and wrote Il set of verses. He took
them to nearby editorial office. sold
them for five dollars and returned to
the clOthi2rS.
But, see here" said the salesman rs
he started to roll up the trousers, you
ought to have the coat, too. Eight
dollars-great bargain Munkittrick
looked at it and agreed With the man.
Going out he again circled the block
and sought the doorway. Approaching
the editor a few minutes later he said:
Really, l didn't finish that poem.
Don't you see how abruptly it ends?
Here's some more to round it out and
give it point. Twice as much as no"
| fore. but you can have it for eight dol
lars
The editor read the verses, and with
some show of hesitancy wrote another
order on the business office. Munkit-
trick hurried away ana made the coat
his own.
That's all right for now" said the
clerk, but when cooler weather comes
on you'll need the Waistcoat. Three
dollars-easy worth four"
See here" answered Munkittrck
with some Indignation. do you think
I'm going to StOop to grinding? Good
literature isn't produced that way. Be
sides, that fellow wont stand another
line" and he walked out with the coat
and trousers. leaving the clerk in Il
state-of mystification.
so much praise has been bestowed
upon the plays and other writings of
| Shakespeare that nothing we can SLY
| will he Of any avail except in 50 far as
| the mention of the great poets name
may recall the fact that his writings
are still the best in this or any other
lanGuaSc--outSidc of the Bible. From
childhood to old age the man or
woman who reads Shakespeare can
find words to comfort and cheer and
amusc every mood and to charm every
| fancy. In thought and in language, in
morals, in wit and in keen analysis Of
character, he was the one man who
| has lived Oh earth who has reached Il
| height and sounded depth beyond
which no human being has gone.
Because of this we are pleased to
| note that many persons in eastern
Maine are banding themselves into
societies for the study and analysis of
| the different plays written by this
prince of poets and king of dramatists.
Shakespeare art is 50 high and so far
| beyond the reach of anything which
the critic can say that no man reads
| the works of the great master for the
purpose of finding faults. There are
| faults, too and many of them, but the
beauties of the author are 50 much in
| excess of the errors that those who go
| to criticize remain to praise. More
| than all other authors. the works of
| Shakespeare can be taken up agaii,
and again, and though We may read
him critically and cxhaustivcly now.
| inside of a month, we can open the
|
| new charms. On the whole. we think
| the community which studies Shakes
peare most is the most refined and the
| most intelligent. Hamlet, Macbeth,
| Othcllo, As You Like 1t, The Merchant
| of Venice! Who has rot read them
| and been the better for the reading:
bangor News.
| William Sharp's quatrain on his
! friend Walt Whitman, in the January
| Harpers, lad an interesting and
| historical inspiration. In a private
| letter from London. Mr.. Sharp re-
| counts that he visited Whitman dur
| ing one of his later sojourns in
America. AS he was leaving, Whit
man said to him:
NO. you needn't come tomorrow.
>. Good bye. Good-bye,... I'm off to
meet the sunrise
\ few hours later news reached Mr..
Sharp that the poet was dead. The
striking phrases had naturally fingered
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