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Miscellany: Voices: A Voice From The Printer

Miscellany: Voices: A Voice From The Printer image
Parent Issue
Day
27
Month
May
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

■ _ Pity moveth me to plead for the printer. I have been iil his sanctum. He iat in it with a knittcd brow, Before him wasaheap of crabbed manuscript. The printer wan troubled. 'What aileth thee, O printer?' He answered not, neither did he regard it. I drew nigh, and looked over his shoulder. his eye was fixed in a sore puzzle, on that mysteriouspile. And, verily, deep matter of puzzle was there. That so imposing -manuscript was well nigh nondescript. LikeGreek, unto him that hath not got his tongue around the mysteries of Greek, were the 'pothooks and trammels' the eye there did eneounter. It would have puzzled Sanchoniathns himself to have unravelled them. It was as if a crow had careëred upon it roughshod. The mystery was solved. The printer was striving to he wise above 7chat was wrilten. Else, I saw, that he could get no wisdom at all.Again í saw him íroubled. The pile before him was vast. The manuscripts there. were many and huge. A weighty pile was that, if it be weighed in the balances. He complainelh now of that same mighty pile. 'It would do him vast pleasure to please all hiscorrespondents.' He would like to put the' v hol e of their matter in the paper. It is 'pleasant, sure, "to see one's name in print,' and he would fain gratify an innocent pleasure, even when there's nothing in't. But indeed, he printed his paper only once a week; indeed, he has but four pages in his paper; a part of those four pages must be taken up with advertisements and notices; indeed, he must have a modicum oforial for his readeis; indeed, they must needs read of what is going on in Congress, ofF there in Europe and in Asia, and down h e re in the legislature; indeed, they gape a little after the marvellous, and must have a tolerable slice of good stirring accidenta, murders, &c. every ■week, to fill up this craving; indeed, they are social, andlike to hear the news, indeed, all the sooieties and agents want me to print their doings; indeed,the poet h'ath quite a corner, all his own; indeed, I must extract good pieces from other papers; indeed, I must introduce extraéis from sermons and books; and, indeed, I have a host of other kind correspondente besides thyself. We like this fine whcat in our paper. after it has been thr'eshed, and vinnoved; and ground, and bolted. But these dear correspondents do not always choose to take this trouble. They take pity on our craving %oants; and think it a vastcharity in them to furnish merely the rato materials, whereby it cometh to pass, that they bring the whole grain, - wheat, shorts, chafl', bran and all, to cast into our hopper; our mili ever grcaneth with these crude productions. I have made a calculation lately, and find that I cannot get abovefour pieces of a page each into one paper. Alas! how, then, can I crowd twenly into part of one side of it.tent in mathematical lore, solve ye me this tnystery. I have just been again with the printer. I went if peradventure I roight ñnd him relaxed to spend with hirn a pleasing hour. Alas! vain presumption! for vvlïat relaxation ever happeneth to the printer? He stood at the door of a closet, grieving in spirit. The last of his stock of paper lay upon the iloor. He must needs have more paper. Now the paper-maker requireth pay; butsilver and gold had üe none; yet the paper he must have. The sore pinch of the matter then was this. 'shall I now adventure into the presence of the paper-maker?' He dived into e.xpedients until the sweat stood upon his brow. - 'My credit, thinkshe, 'alas, that is an old story.' 'A mortgage on the pressj'Lanothor tug at borrowing!'-At last he was driven to extremities. In his desperation a mad tliought prescnted itself. 'My subscribers?' He trembled a moment under the cruel suggestion, became pale as he-sfmggled with the tenipter, tlien resistèd him and was calm. He shook his head at so hopeless a resource, -ahd went forth to devise what expediento he might. In the fullness of his soul he told all, how it cost somevvhat to gct a pressand type; how his workmèn, moreover, must have theirpay; and howit was a solemn fact that he himself had to be supplied betimes with clothing and food. I will go no more unto the printer. I will not resort thither, lest I may hear of further troubles. Printer, if thou will dig insuch a pit of troubles, thou must dig alone, for I cannot help thee! And yet my heart is moved for the printer. Would to God that his correspendentsdid write so that he could read; or that they would not write such interminable and unformcd pieces; or, that the paper-maker would not require the lucre at his hand; or, that the press and types would walk unbought into the office; or, that the workmen would live on air; or, that the printer would be content to subsist without wearing of apparel and digesting of victuals;or, th&t,tempter avaunt! I was a bout to say, that his subscribers would payfor their paper! Printer, I bid thee, and thy sorrows, farewell.

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News