Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-04-27
HER LOST
POEM

maid. She was thirty-six. She had
had no romance in her life and as far
as her closest friends knew she didn't
in her character. She wrote poems
and sent them away to publishers, but
as they were always rejected that
didn't weaken her case.
One particular poem-composed on
a rainy, dreary day, when all nature
wept and sobbed and old maids could
sit in the house with their hair down
and be sure there would be no call
ers-was poem on love. 1t wasn't
such poem as is usually written,
telling of the joyousness of the senti-
ment and the delights of rambles with
Cupid, but it was satire-a damp,
chilly malarial satire 1t was meant
to reduce the market price of love by
80 per cent. 1t was meant to warn
the young man of twenty and scare
the old man Of seventy. 1t took up
the sentiment of love in sixteen
verses and showed beyond cavil that
there was a heap more money in
raising squads or running boarding
house. So far as Miss Abigail went
that poem was a success. She envel-
oped, put in return postage and
mailed it to a magazine.
Two weeks. No answer. Four
weeks. No answer. Then Miss Abb
gail Baxter sat down as she had done
on several previous occasions and be-
rated the magazine man. If he hadn't
read that poem and made up his mind
to accept or reject by this time then
he was no hustler. He had no right
to keep people waiting. He needn't
think he was tin god because he
was magazine man
The letter was a satire as well as
the poem. The editor answered back
that he had rejected the poem after
reading the first verse on the day OF
Its arrival and had at once remailed
1t. He could also write satire
Miss Abigail Baxter was aroused.
She was determined to have it back
at any cost of blood and treasure.
She wrote to that editor again as only
strong woman thirty-five years old
can write. If he had remailed the
poem 1t would have reached her.
II that poem, which hadn't one
single fault, and the man who said it
had was not a respecter of truth, was
not In her hands at the end of two
weeks suit for damages would be be-
gun. She was no worm of the dust
to be walked on, and so that editor
would discover.
He replied that the suit would have
to come, but warned her that she
| would surely be beaten. The red.
headed office boy clearly remembered
taking that rejected poem to the post
office on certain day and hour.
Miss Abigails answer to this was
brief. She simply took her pen in
hand to say that she would at once
| put the case in the hands of law
yer who could not be bluffed nor
bribed and instruct him to carry if
clear to the Supreme court at Wash
ington, If necessary. The worm had
been patient. The worm had suffered
| The worm had asked only for Justice.
Now the worm had turned, and if a
certain man ended his days behind
the cold iron bars she must be held
blameless-that is, the worm must.
Few poets in this world can bluff
magazine editor. They are engaged
because they are good at bluffing
other folks. Mr.. Nicholson, the edi-
tor In this case, had turned down DO
cts by the score and never got a
knockout In return. In this case, how
sver.a he became alarmed. His curl
osity was also aroused. He was an
old bachelor Of thirty-eight and some
thing seemed to tell him that this was
the crucial point in his life He was
served with legal summons to an.
pear in court and he put on his hat
and went down to Roseland to see
Miss Baxter He expected asperity.
acidity, aggression and lots OF other
things, but at the same time hoped
against It,
AS soon as Miss Baxter learned
who her caller was she expected de-
malls, assertions. protestations, def.
ance and other things belonging to
the profession Of magazine editing.
but wished it might not be so.
II am sorry that this has come
about" began the editor in pacific
tones.
And SO am l.
II must beg yosr pardon for the
way l wrote YOU"
and l said more than / should"
Anger drove me to criticise your
poem. | did 1t an injustice. The
trouble with 1t was that 1t was TOO
lengthy"
II was afraid OF that when / sent
It,"
Miss Baxter. l believe you scan
write a poem on love as 1t is. I wish
you would. l should be glad to pub
lish 1t. Make 1t the most holy and
blessed sentiment Of the human
heart"
II will try"
That law suit never came of. but 3
poem was written and published. Mr.
Nicholson also frequently found his
way down to Roseland. Poems and
love were discussed. The lost poem
-