HIS POME.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7264, 12 October 1891, Page 4

HIS POME.

An editor was sitting in his oQico one day, when a man entered, whoio blow wrb clothed with thunder. Fiercely seizing a chair, he sl<>inmed his hat on tho table, hurled his umbrella on the floor, and sat down. " Are you the editor ?" ho asked. "Yes." •' Oan you read writing 1" »« Of course " "Head that, then," ho enid, thiusting at tho editor an onvelopo with an insertion on it " h ," said the editor, trying to spell it. " That's not n • fl ;' it's an • f- ,' " stid tho man, 11 y 1 Oh yes, T flee. Well, it looks like ' Sal for dinner,' or ' Koulafoi dinners,' " said tho editor. IC No, sir," replied tho man ; " no thing of the soi b Hint's my nimio — >umuol Hiunner. I knew you oouldn't re id. called to tee about that poem of miuo you printed the other day, enli'led ' The Surcease of Sorrow.' " 41 I don't remember it," said the editor. " Of course you don't, because it went into tho paper uudor tho villainous title of • bmcarcaso To-mor-row.' " " A blunder of the compositor, I suppose,' 1 II Yes, air ; and that's what I want to see you about. The way in which that poem was mutilated was simply scandalous*. 1 haven't slept a night since. It exposed mo to derison. People think 1 am an ass, (Tho oditor coughed). Let me show you. 'I ho first lino, when I wroto it, road in this way : ' Lying by a weeping • willow, underneath a gentle slope.' I hat is beautiful and poetic. Now, how did your vile sheet represent) it to the public 1 ' Lying to a weeping widow, L induce her to elope.' * Weeping widow,' mind you. A widow ! Oh, thunder and lightning ! This is loo much! But look at tho fourth voise. I hat's woiso yet • Cast thy pearls befoio swine, loso them in tho dirt.' He makes it read in this fashion : ' ait ihy pills before sunrise, and love them if they hurt.' Now, isn't that a cold blooded outrage on a man's feelings ] I 11 leave it to you if it isn't." " It's hard sir, very hard," said tho editor 11 Then take the fifth verse. In the original manuscript it said, plain as daylight : ' Take away tho jingling money ; it is only glittering dross.' In its printed form you made mo siy : ' Take away the tingling honey ; put some flies in for tho boss.' Hy Geovpo ! I feel like attacking somebody with yon fire-shovel ! But oh 1 look at tho sixth veise I wroto : 4 I'm weary of tho tossing of the ocean as it heaves.' When I opened your paper, and s»w the line transformed into ' 1 am wc.irng out my trousers till they're open i.t tho knees,' I thought that was taking it an inch too far. 1 fancy 1 havo a light to unit dor that corajios tcr. Wheieishe]" • He is out just now," faid the editor. " Come in to morrow." 11 I will," said tbc poet ; •• and I will come aimed "