Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-23
THE GOWNSMAN
An Epluram or SO

| An Eplgram or 90
| TNHERE is classic joke in family of
| i the Gownsman's dear acquaintance;
! "What is the color of a buejayF' But
after all. this is not quite the perfect eX-
ample of an Irish bull that it seems for the
| question depends somewhat on the jay, and
! even when melancholy the complexion OF
! clodhoppcr is not actually ceruean. Here
is the cHScncc of the epigram--a turn. per
I version. n play on the word or thought,
I surprise. what the French call a nuance.
Like a wasp. an cpigram must have sting
! in its tail; like bee II may gather honey
by the way. but the tail is the business end.
An epigram may kill, but it is with a
( rapicr's thrust. Unlike satire, cpigram does
! not distigure the corpse. An cpigram is
small affair for the same reason that the
! wasp and bee are tiny. An cpgram of epic
| length would be as insuffcrable as a hornet
! the size of a hippopotamus or as an epic
! 1t would demand instant determination. As
| to brcvity. all real poetry is brief. His
! toricay. the cpigram was snort because 1t
! was an inscription. and il costs like fun to
! have long scrccds cut even tombstoncs
Now, of with the gown.
! TNliE cpitaphist of Fork creek, to whom
| L the Gownsman has already introduced
! MS readers. is also epigrammatist. In
TACT. 1t may be surmiscd that J. b. B. is
| species of adjustable poetCal resonator. l
!
| dear friend. is an empty space which vi
| OratoS SympathetiCally when its note Is
sounded on musical or other instrument
An adjustable resonator would re echo to
| many different sounds and noises, howsoevcr
| empty in itself: it would be musical, so to
| speak, in species of sympathetic catholi-
cism. Highbrow stuff all this. Yes; but
another trait of the cpgram is that it is
! often caviar to the general. i'll fellow that he
| is not to enjoy so rare n dclicacy.
| our dear friend. A. Edward Newton,
~ whose delightful "Amcntics of Book
! 'ollccting' everybody has read has Just
sailed for his beloved England. Like most
book collectors, Mr.. Newton is a willful
| reader ana makes it rule never to read any
hook that is given to him by the author
Wherefore this Retort Courteous:
Our Edward says, II cant peruse the
-. learned books my friends indte;''
His friends reply that everything which Ed
| - ward prints is sheer delight.
Inc equal gods in what we have, and have
-. not. thus do us requite
! mat those who cannot write may read md
nc who reads not yet may write
While we are on books. it Is familiar that
the laws of mine and thine have never been
successfully extended to the ownership of
| r"okS. Tor which reason H. = prudent in
scription to the Borrower
K"ad"r of this book I've owned
lhrcc copies and three copies loaned.
Kcad il. but return it be
| lhe one that honest is in three
And the postscript:
Of you. new friend, ask still more:
RalSe honesty to twd in four
| PROFESSIONAL jealousy is a trait. alas
OF petty poets as of other petty men. and
young j. y. B.. about whose pcculiarites-
| poets are always pcculiar-the Gownsman
| mas not been able to learn much as vet
gl"rcS green eyed in what follows He as.
| SureS us that the attack is on tho species
| not on any definite extant indiyidual but
adds Slyly that if there be any whom tbo
cap may tt let him wear it. The Gowns.
| man Is innocent of any knowledge of these
| private feuds of genius.
The Minor Poet
| ! hate II minor poet
Ana care not if he know IT,
ChrySanthomum like head,
| bdd. diStinguc Shag-he'll grow IL.
lmncrtinent, blank stare
wait n bit, he's bound to show il.
kiss to toss n trul--
From finger tips he'll blow it;
debt which not t annul
Is honor loSt-he'll owe 1t;
Though pride the heart doth spill-
At least he'll not kotow it:
That pa"e will surely kill
Is" certain he will 20 it.
hate minor poet
But minor mans below il
TdlE cpigram is often thus pcrsono,.
| L al
| - IN tins respect are not fit to pript
| But there are so many "friends" in phiIo
dr,nhla that perhaps this Fate of a Quaker
| will pass: S""
Sad was the fate of y. w.;
| little thought once poked him.
lie found it hard to puzzle ont
| Which matter much provoked him
ne measured il with rod and rule
In logic he had soaked him:
AZ last he found the ScnSc-alas
Inc dehnition rhOkcd him.
ASTLf' in cpigram the bricfcr the better
- For example. this on DavuS:
Some find Davus very rude
Some declare him really lulc,
Others think him "uncO guid'.
Come, don't you think he's merely crudoq
The shortest efforts of J. s. B t,Lo nc
back INTO wartimCs and recall certain III
torical monstroSiti"s of that remote moriaL
II tn" reader will forgive the alhI>ion ~
back numbers: ~
Wilhelm, pride. imperial duds:
bubble. radiant bustcd--s,Id,
And tapering to an end, this on tho sono.
TIM" bronnrtnZ before the hpgira:
His fate. Vcrdun:
The judgment-soon.
The Radiant Rare September
WE ARE drinking the wine of the oycs