THE WAY TO BECOME A POPULAR WRITER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1341, 11 August 1877, Page 19

THE WAY TO BECOME A POPULAR WRITER.

We'll presume you can write, with artistical ease, Kound eloquent periods profound ; Make the serious and comic caress as you pleasa, Or the " Bauble" attractively sound : That your powers of description well up to the mark

Panoramas of nature can paint ; Your poetic facilities lit by the spark That can summon a " Demon or Saint."

When you touch the pathetic, you can be sublime, With a brilliant imagination ; The art too to amalgamate reason with rhyme, In a most pleasing concentration. In fiction you're famous, for your ideal men Seem to walk the stajje of real life ; You paint human passions, with Dame Nature's pen, Our hopes or joys, our sorrows or strife. Your political sketches are drawn to the life, Your portraits of public men — true. Our Constitution, if touched by your pruning knife, Would its fruit and its vigour renew. You write pleasing Essays, instructive on Art, "On ' Political Science ' you're sound ; " . You've the tact from all others to borrow a part, When expediency turns you round. Political science is of all most abstruse,

For it still with all others must blend ; Its Professors must hold them all re*dy for use, When in practise they borrow or lend. When you criticise " Creeds," you are almost dirine,

When you scan ancient "Faiths," you're sincere ; Your " Theology " such as might last for »ll tune. And in " Lorfic," though subtle, you're clear. "As 'student of prophesy,' you're thoughtful and

sage," " On ' unwritten history ' — you're clear ; " You can describe men's pursuits, ia an unknown age. From skeleton, coffin, and spear. We invest you with qualities " brilliant and rare,"

Admit you're a clever inditer ; And so now you demand, why as yet you've no share, In. the praise of a •' Popular Writer I" Find if " power " sways "opinion," more than "truth," " And if so, your query is solved." Why, you have been "unpopular" c'en from your youth, " Is because too plain truth you evolved." There are subjects the "Popular Writer" still shuns, These mystery's mantle still coverx. Ancient history records, two of those are twins,

Though our " moderns" view them as " lovers." These " Lovers " are " Pauperism," and, " Chief cause of Crime," They in amorous concert proceed; "Yet our ' Parsons won't wed them/ although for all time," " Illegitimate offspring they'll breed." Thoir offspring increasing, still continues to thrive, (" For the * Serpent ' crawls on in its slime ;") " Opinion " still so wedded to " Power "—won't strive, " To rc.ieve us from Paupers and Crime." E'en " Professors" their sophistries oft times have tried

" To trace hideous effects to their cause ; " " But those ' Teachers ' still awayed by ' Power ' — denied," "That the evil exists with outlaws." "Our sago 'Churchmen 1 lacked courage in all past tune," " To welt sharpen, and shoulder the age ; " That might strike at the root of the tall tree of crime, Still cultured to yield its sad tax. Sad effects are too plain, yet we still must look on, " At crimes ohiefest cause feeding power," When will such dark anomalies cease, and how long " Will the ' Serpent' still charm to devour? " " Don't ray that laws govern poor men, and rich men the laws," " Or that justice is slow to come forth," That cavillers still find in them such costly flaws, "As makes justice obtained —little worth." By the way I diverge from the popular track, To the unpopular promonado, I must on'y couverge, and now strive to get back, To the path popularity made. "You must praise men in power, wherever their place," " Say with Pope, that what is, is still right ; " " Popularity pleased, will smile in your fane," " And acknowledge your genius is bright." " Keep for ministers still your best panegyriw," '* Praise men with power in possession ;" " What though ' Opposition ' go into ' hysterics," " Thoir ' fits ' always end with the session." " When you write upon 'finance,' show ample assets," " Overflow hII departmental tills," Show our wisest financers raised " National debts," " And be soft still on ' treasury bills.' " " Leave untouched our ' cloaked crafts,' and our wealthy clubs," " As their functions are outside our laws." They may chose, like "Diogenes," to dwell in " Tubs," " While they aid in morality's cause." Be roady to yield your "opinions to power," " Do not pause to compare them with truth;" " Popularity then will fall as a shower," " Bringing passive old age back to youth." Timon an Ex-Es<hjirk. Moral. In spite of all experience in the past. Must the people still be cheated to the last? No, no ! Oh, no ! for the good time will come, when Well piously thank God we are Englishmen. JlooJc Downs, South Canterbury,

July 1877.