Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1935-12-06
''Chiirps'' ~
from the
Democrats Pen

Well, Sir, you know I'm getting
reputation as the author and creator
of this column of "Chirps." Every
now and then some one stops me on
the street and sorta' drifts up close
to nv good ear and tells me in tones
scarcely above a whisper:
CT read so-and-so in your column
of Chirps last week. I want to know
if that really was the truth"
The attitude of such an one is
friendly one withal. He sorta invites
your confidence; he intimates that
he's prepared to keep your secret, II
you will just be on the up-and-up with
him and let him in on the this-and-
thusness of the this-and-those.
I kinda look at him in real hurt
and indignant tone of voice, and then
swear "By my halidom," that l would
not defile the pages of the Demo
crat" by dislaying on its immacu-
late front anything but the pure and
lily-white "veritas veritatum."
"Oh!" he says; "that's all right; but
q friend of mine said that some things
YOU told in that column were not al
ways plumb, level, and square. OF
course, took that statement with
grain of salt, since he let out his opin-
ion was formed as a result Of some
little observations in connection with
him. Now, I know that bird; and l
know you couldn't say anything, no
matter how cussed, about him that
wouldn't come mighty near being the
blessed truth. 1 just simply wanted
to hear you vouch for everything you
saw in that column, then I'll know
how to stack up against the gentle
man."
Well, now, I sorta saw SQUALLS
banking up in the nor'west by south.
I didn't know whether to hedge or
not. because I didn't want to be
bumper between two contending forces
I didn't know but what it would
be better to enhance the afore-men-
toned "rep," and proceed to do
little polite lying, in order to stave
off future storms. So / said:
"Well, now, Bo, I'll tell you; there's
such a thing as poetic license. I'm
sure YOU are conversant with all the
master rhymsters of the ages. Mil
ton, Tennyson, Moore, Byron, Shelley,
Shakespeare, and even the "Bentz-
town Bard" are as familiar to you as
are the lickin's you got at school. l
know that you know they knew that
imagination is the main avenue OF
their thought.
"Well, 1 don't claim to be a poet,
you know; but poets haven't cornered
all the imagination in the world OF
ideas, so just little of it seeps thru
into the dull composition OF a country
newspaper-sometim
You see, I thought it best to throw
a little oil on the troubled waters,
Right then and there resolved to say
something nice-and correct-about
INV critic some of these days and if
I tickle him under the ribs, he'll forget
all about the rake I gave him down
his back.
All of which goes back to what 1
said in the beginning-rm getting
a reputation. 1 don't know whether
it's one that I wish to tenderly nurse
or smother with a pillow. But I've
sorta noticed if you do little tall
lying sometimes, it's better to secure
notice than not to be noticed one lit
tie bit. Now, my friend, Mr.. How
come, up there in Berlin says nobody
notices what went in this column.
What intrigues me is, how he knew
there was such column; he must
have noticed it little teensy, weensy
bit, or, else, he wouldn't have known
it's name. Come to think about, some
thing in it about him caused him to
say nobody noticed it.
However, every now and then, some
little bird flies in the window with
encouragement. Such messenger
came in not long ago with note tied
to it's leg, wanting to know why l
let matter concerning Senator Veasey
and others crowd out "Chirps." So
YOU can see what value, in this in
stance, was placed upon it.
But, I wouldn't object some OF
these fine days, if the "Chirping"
was a little subdued, so as lots of
people wouldn't read it; for there
comes mental deserts at times where
it is almost impossible for an idea to
live, and then I'd like to throw
veil over the effort and ask the reader