Jinx

[Douglas G. Wilson]

It has been stated that Jinks is the printer's devil (i.e., apprentice or
assistant) in the poem. Let me quote my excerpt again:

<<....
"Sure, that must be Jinks," we muttered--
"Jinks that's knocking at our door;
Jinks, the everlasting bore."
  ....
we opened wide the door.
But phancey, now, our pheelinks
For it wasn't Jinks, the bore--
Jinks, nameless evermore.

But the form that stood before us,
Caused a trembling to come o'er us,
....
'Twas the form of our "devil,"
....>>

Let me amplify and simplify the line which I meant to emphasize (the 6th
line of text in the above excerpt):

<<... IT WASN'T JINKS ...>>

It was the "devil" (printer's, and maybe other too), but

** IT WASN'T JINKS. **

The name "Jinks" never appears again after the line with "nameless
evermore"; as for the "devil" at the door, "IT WASN'T JINKS".

*** JINKS WAS NOT GIVEN AS THE NAME OF THE "DEVIL" IN THE POEM! JINKS WAS
SOMEBODY ELSE ENTIRELY! ***

At least that's how it looks to me.

Sorry for shouting.

-- Doug Wilson