Lapas attēli
PDF
ePub

Wheat sprang out of the hearts of men, in the conception of the young poet who writes its Iliad, and who shows how it overwhelms their lives, and germinates anew from their deaths."

This is literally true. Just as Walt Whitman reads a divine lesson in the grass, "perennially sprouting, universal, formless, common, the always spread feast of the herds," so does Norris catch the hint of God's eternal purpose in the wheat, "that mighty worldforce, that nourisher of nations." Annixter, cherishing the "little seed" of love in the dark recesses of his nature; Hilma, blossoming into rarest beauty under the spell of dawning motherhood; Presley, striving to

express the mighty truths which so long lay dormant in his mind; Vanamee, sending his psychic summons out into the vast unknown - all are but different manifestations of the same deific power which swings "the pendulum of the seasons," and causes the grain of wheat, long buried in the deep, dark furrows of the earth, to answer "to the call of the sun." Destiny is relentless, and the wheat growers are crushed at last in the tentacles of that "iron-hearted Power" against which they have presumed to lift their puny strength. Nemesis appears in the guise of the wheat, however, and the death of S. Behrman adds the final touch of irony. Thomas L. Marble. GORHAM, N. H. (To be continued.)

COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING CORRECTED.-LI.

President Wilson is authority for the dictum that the nations with which we have been associated in the war are not "our Allies," but "only the nations with which the United States is associated."

The British Court is not "The Court of St. James," but "The Court of St. James's." St. James's palace, London, built by Henry VIII, has been the official town residence of the English Court since the fire at Whitehall in 1698. Ward, Lock, & Co.'s London guide (Who now would refer to Baedeker!) says: "St. James's Palace, 'Our Court of St. James's', to which foreign ambassadors and ministers are still accredited, though it has long since ceased to be the sovereign's residence," etc. The Official U. S. Bulletin, however, records the selection of John William Davis, solicitor-general, as Ambassador to Great Britain."

Speaking of "The Star-Spangled Banner," the title should be written thus. It is not correct to write: "The words of the StarSpangled Banner,'" or "of the 'Star Spangled Banner.'

It is not good form in this country to address a man, for instance, as "John Jones,

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

In this country "My dear Mr. Brown" at the beginning of a letter is regarded as more formal than Dear Mr. Brown." In England, it is the other way. The English fashion seems to be more reasonable, but a national custom or prejudice is not easily upset.

There is no logical reason for the use of the phrase, "only too" for "very" in such sentences as, "I shall be only too glad to come," so that the Northwestern Christian Advocate was rhetorically wrong when it said: "We shall be only too willing to note the death of any Methodist boy in the Northwestern territory." Edward B. Hughes.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

THE WRITER is published the first of every month. It will be sent, postpaid, for $1.50 a year. The price of Canadian and foreign subscriptions is $1.62, including postage.

All drafts and money orders should be made payable to the Writer Publishing Co. If local checks are sent, ten cents should be added for collection charges.

THE WRITER will be sent only to those who have paid for it in advance. Accounts cannot be opened for subscriptions, and names will not be entered on the list unless the subscription order is accompanied by a remittance.

The American News Company, of New York, and the New England News Company, of Boston, and their branches are wholesale agents for THE WRITER. It may be ordered from any newsdealer, or direct from the publishers.

*** The rate for advertising in THE WRITER is two dollars an inch for each insertion, with no discount for either time or space; remittance required with the order. Advertising is accepted only for two cover pages. For special position, if available, twenty per cent. advance is charged. No advertisement of less than one-half inch will be accepted.

Contributions not used will be returned, if a stamped and addressed envelope is enclosed. THE WRITER PUBLISHING CO., P. O. Box 1905, Boston, Mass.

[blocks in formation]

writing necessary. A reader of THE WRITER who had this experience with a manuscript submitted to the Fourth Estate (New York) wrote a letter of protest to the editor, and received the following very satisfactory reply :

You say you think it is not fair for us to stamp a lot of figures and letters on the first page of a manuscript.

You are absolutely right in what you say. All there is left for me to do is to offer you our best apologies.

Our mail is all opened at one point and everything stamped as you saw it on your manuscript, but the instructions are that anything which may be returned for any reason whatsoever is not to be stamped, but instead a slip of paper is to be stamped and clipped to it.

Again I say I am sorry, but I feel confident it will not occur again, either to you or any one else. Your note regarding it has served a useful purpose.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

of a "timely " manuscript. It may indicate to the second editor that the poem, which he receives in an envelope with a local postmark, has been rejected by another editor in his city. The scheme, of course, might be extended by enclosing a dozen envelopes of graduated sizes, placed one inside the other, and changing the form of the letter so that each editor rejecting the manuscript would send it to the next editor addressed, but perhaps that system would be too complex for practical use. Receiving a manuscript with such a printed letter, each editor, of course, knows that the poem is offered for syndicate publication, and has only to decide whether two dollars for the use of a syndicated poem in his territory is too much, and just what the phrase," each commercial centre in your State," may mean.

Here is another example of the absurdities of the postal laws. The postage rate on printed matter is one cent for each two ounces or fraction. "Miscellaneous printed matter" in a package weighing more than four pounds goes at the parcel-post rate in the first two zones, five cents for the first pound and one cent for each additional pound. Under these rules the postage on a package of printed matter weighing three pounds, fifteen ounces, sent one hundred and fifty miles is thirty-four cents. If two ounces of printed matter are added, the package can be sent at the parcel-post rate, and the postage is reduced to ten cents. Only a very unthrifty person would hesitate to add two ounces of printed matter to such a package, in order to save twenty-four cents postage.

If periodicals are included in the parcelpost package, however, they must not be complete, for there is a special postage rate on complete periodicals of one cent for four ounces sixteen cents for four pounds. To get the advantage of the parcel-post rate on a package of "miscellaneous printed matter" weighing more than four pounds, something must be cut from each periodical included. To get the advantage of the one-cent-forfour-ounces rate on periodicals sent in small packages, each periodical must be complete. 'Otherwise, the matter goes at the printed

[blocks in formation]

Again, if a publisher sends a package of numbers of his publication to be delivered by carrier within the limits of his postal district, if each number of the periodical weighs no more than two ounces he must pay one cent postage on each copy; or, if each number weighs more than two ounces two cents postage on each copy. When complete periodicals are sent by others than the publisher, however, the postage rate is one cent for each four ounces or fraction. For mailing a package of twelve WRITERS, weighing eighteen ounces, for local delivery by carrier, therefore, the publisher must pay twelve cents postage. Anybody else can mail the same package to be delivered in the same way for five cents. If each number of a periodical weighs two ounces, the publisher must pay two cents postage on each copy for local delivery by carrier, while anybody else can mail a copy to be delivered in the same way for one cent. What sense is there in that?

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][ocr errors]

Wheat sprang out of the hearts of men, in the conception of the young poet who writes its Iliad, and who shows how it overwhelms their lives, and germinates anew from their deaths."

This is literally true. Just as Walt Whitman reads a divine lesson in the grass, "perennially sprouting, universal, formless, common, the always spread feast of the herds," so does Norris catch the hint of God's eternal purpose in the wheat, "that mighty worldforce, that nourisher of nations." Annixter, cherishing the "little seed" of love in the dark recesses of his nature; Hilma, blossoming into rarest beauty under the spell of dawning motherhood; Presley, striving to

express the mighty truths which so long lay dormant in his mind; Vanamee, sending his psychic summons out into the vast unknown - all are but different manifestations of the same deific power which swings "the pendulum of the seasons," and causes the grain of wheat, long buried in the deep, dark furrows of the earth, to answer "to the call of the sun." Destiny is relentless, and the wheat growers are crushed at last in the tentacles of that "iron-hearted Power" against which they have presumed to lift their puny strength. Nemesis appears in the guise of the wheat, however, and the death of S. Behrman adds the final touch of irony. Thomas L. Marble. GORHAM, N. H. (To be continued.)

COMMON ERRORS IN WRITING CORRECTED.-LI.

[graphic]
[ocr errors]

Esq." The proper address is "Mr. John Jones." In addressing a man without a title in England, it is not good form not to use "Esquire," if he is a gentleman, or a professional man, as distinguished from a tradesman. In England "Mr." in an address before the name is used only in addressing tradesmen.

According to a military man, Major S. J. M. Auld, in fact, the plural of "shell" "shell," and to say, for instance, "a rain shells" is "very civilian."

this country "My dear Mr. Brown" at beginning of a letter is regarded as more al than "Dear Mr. Brown." In Engit is the other way. The English fashems to be more reasonable, but a custom or prejudice is not easily

no logical reason for the use of "only too" for "very" in such "I shall be only too glad to at the Northwestern Christian rhetorically wrong when it 11 be only too willing to note Methodist boy in the NorthEdward B. Hughes.

« iepriekšējāTurpināt »