A Singular Plurality

THE CONTRIBUTORS’ CLUB.

IN what varying moods does the rejected contributor meet his fate ! There is the self-depreciating writer, who falls at the first thrust of the editorial poniard ; the egoist who, as George Eliot says, “ carries his comfort about with him,” and whom nothing could convince that the favoritism or obtuseness of the editor is not responsible for his repeated failures.

Then there are those who, while recognizing the justice of the official verdict, often philosophically turn their disappointment into pleasantry, as is shown by the number of jocose poems on this theme so frequent in newspaper columns.

Sometimes our blithe genius turns upon the editor, as did this verse-monger whose wares were declined in bad grammar : —

The poet dreamed, and as he dreamed —
Amazing strange ! — he slept;
The great “ Pacific ” had, it seemed,
Both of his poems kept,
And sent forthwith a goodly check —
Not on his hopes this time —
With praise well measured, quite a peck,
And begged for all his rhyme.
The morning broke, the poet woke —
Alas for grief like this !
One little “ slip ” between the lip
And Fame’s full cup of bliss.
But pause ! upon that type-writ screed,
Phrased with such touching grace,
That “ neither is of use ” we read,
But why the “ is ” erase ?
That blazing editorial star,
Or one moved by his law,
Has scratched out “ is ” — that’s singular! —
And made it “ are ; ” the awe,
The glory that doth hedge about
The great sanctorum chair
Just one amended word strikes out —
Our poet walks on air !
But now no more to that high star,
By which he ’s steered so long,
He hitches up his little car,
His chariot of song.