Journalists are a patient and uncomplaining tribe, but let no
one doubt the poignancy of their sufferings. Here is a single hour's ordeal one day this week. Sit next to X at lunch. " I have just come from blank," he says, " where blank has been showing me blank ; astonishing ; quite grandiose. Of course, this is private ; they don't want any publicity about it at present." Coffee after lunch with Y. " I'm going to show you this document. You'll see its importance. But, of course, it's absolutely secret. You mustn't breathe a word about it to anyone." A word by arrange- ment, before leaving, with Z. " I thought you ought to know this, but I don't think you can write about it ; in fact, I'm sure you can't." Greater journalists than myself receive, no doubt, greater confidences. Well, the secrets are safe, but I'm not sure that. there isn't more to be said for crossing-sweeping as a profession than for journalism on these terms.
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