Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1942-05-29
"Chirps'' ~
from the
Democrats Pen

Well, Sir, / took occasion recently,
in this column, to note that the little
songster which sits on his perch at
the top of these few remarks, and
who would sing if he could, flew away
two or three weeks ago, got lost in
the composing room, from which con-
glomeration of type, waste paper,
slugs, worn out mats, and general
debris, he was rescued and brought
to his accustomed rodst. Here's
little offering in connection there
with, sent me by somebody | know
you know:
Dear "Chirps:"
We missed your little song;
We're glad you weren't gone for long;
For this world needs it's every smile,
And blest is he who can beguile
Our worried minds from thought of
grief
And bring US daughters light relief.
Your recent mirth-provoking wall
Anent the troubles which assail
An honest man and his ration card,
Proves the way of the patriot is hard;
But we love the humor of your page
And hope you never flee your "cage."
Sincerely,
EDNA BENTLEY HANCOCK
Thank you, Mrs. Hancock. You
may remember / spoke of one other
who noticed the empty void-are
there any other kind of voids p
created by the flight of the afore-
mentioned number of the avian group;
you are the second. Indeed it is most
gratifying to the author that so many
apparently read what is herein writ
ten; and really do note when the
column fails to produce. 1t makes
one feel that life, after all, is worth
living, and one goes on with renewed
zeal to accomplish more and better
things. I'll try to fill the gap here
after-at least for the duration
Lord help us, afterward.
Well, Sir, Pm here to tell you
drifting away, now, from the birdlet
that this English language of ours
is a wonderful vehicle by which to
convey ones thought into the secret
recesses of another's cranial territory.
There are so many different shades of
meaning apparent sometimes in one
IF
color to appreciate the full beauty and
force of our mother tongues vocabu-
larry. Writers who are careful about
purity, precision, and perspicuity,
spend days and months in selecting,
pruning, and timing, so as to arrive
at the word best suited to the thought.
1t is most interesting to look at the
manuscripts of noted authors before
they are sent to the printer. Some OF
them give evidence of hours of labor
Words are m arke dout and others in
terlined; selections are made fire.
quently with regard to sound; periods
are rounded and made to ring with
music; descriptions fairly scintillate
with graphic light; and arguments
are driven home with dynamic force
by the power of some weighty combi
nation of letters.
Of course, we poor editors, hack
writers as we are, are not expected
to deal in the niceties of tongue or
pen, except, perhaps, when we are
on dress parade in the editorial col
umn; and even then our uniforms will
show the effect of wear and tear
our diction will reveal sort of slap
state, pie-slinging style.
However, some ink-slingers will,
now and then, accidently or otherwise,
light upon phrase which leaves moth
ing left to desire in the way of pith,
gist, or jest, as witness the follow
ing clipping from one of our steamed
exchanges:
Before q large and colorful
audience in Seaford last Sunday,
the "Southernaires" one of the
leading vocal groups of the coun-
try, presented a splendid musical
program.
Colorful! Such keen feeling for
the appropriate is seldom seen in the
collection of newspaper locals, 1 don't
know whether the editor spent hours
deciding upon that specimen of lexi-
geography or not, but it surely hit the
spot.
Why? The reason is evident when
"the musical program" referred to,
was rendered by the "Southernaires,"
a famous musical group, who confess
to being members of the Negro race.
Why not colorful? The simplicity of
tho torno L. inst &C rnfrchinoc DC q