The Yazoo City weekly Whig., 1854-08-11

oYerlooks the river, IS lhe grave and monu-
ment of poor Mcdonald Clark, the mad
lpoet ef New York. He, you may remem-
Der, starved to death and then the New
Yorkers. Ii admiration of bis genius raised
. monument to him. was justly said Of
him, .'he asked for bread md they gave him
q stone. That viii do for an epigram very
Iwell, but when we come to the sense Of the
thing the world has been good deal abus-
led and uniustly too, for its treatment Of its
greatnaen. and geniuses il particular hat
terton killed himselfa at nineteen to save him
self from starving. Roots died Of broken
heart because the Edinburg Review cut his
poetry into mince meat and Mcdonald CLARK
a star Of lesser magnitude, after vagabond-
Using about the cellars and alleys Of New
York for years, unappreciated and unfed,
ldied because he had not energy and com-
mon sense enough to livel There is no use
in abusing the World for this. II man or
a woman can't make living by making
poetry. let him or her make hats or shoes or
dresses. Everybody is good for something
depend upon it. and if your forte ianot in
one thing try another. Never make your
self martyr to any one cause or profession
and then expect the great s0orzd to cry with
you for being fool enough to throw your
all upon bad venture. But to return to
poor Mcdonald Clark After life's ftful
fever was over with him among unfinished
poems, love letters and duns, was found his
epitaph written by himself He had fore
seen that when it was too te to do him any
good, his genius would be appreciated and
his admirers would feel the ''late emorse
of love-" / copied the epitaph from his
tomb. It is poor poetry and has dash of
bitterness in it,
'But what are human plaudits now?
lie never deemed them worth his care
Yet death has twined around his brow
The wreath he was TOO proud to wear"
On the reverse of the column is another
verse made evidently by machine, not very
well oiled at that.
: By friendships willing hand erected
By genius, taste and art adorned,
Fol one too long in life neglected,
But now IN death sincerely mourned."
We desire the machine to tell us was the
monument or the poet
by genius, taste and art Qdorneda"
JULY 2oth.-As am making my fare
well visits about the city previous to bidding
it farewell--''it may be for years and it may
be foreyer''-I went down this morning to
my old favorite resort, Trinity Church. On
the stone base Of the iron fence, in front, has
sat for the last month an old Scotchman with
an old bag pipe discoursing beautiful music
to the passersby. AT his feet is cigar box
to receive the spare pennies of those who
linger to hear his music and think the la
borer worthy of his hire. Ten days ago
passed there with lady who like myself is
fond of old Highland airs. We each gave
him dime, and asked him to play Killie
Krankie-for he seems never to change his
tune unless asked to do so, any more than
a musical box viii change its, ill it runs
down. The old piper thought moment
and his open eye-he keeps one eye shut all
The time-brightened up as if the chords Of
had been touched by breath from
Lang Syne and drew out the beautiful old
lune with such energy that crowd was
soon gathered round and the cigar box was
nearly filed with pennies. This morning IS
| went into the church yard. stopped
and there sat the poor old fellow in
he yer spot still, with the same eye shut
and the same one open.playing Killie Kran-
kie with an energy that deserved q better
ate, for there was not centin the cigar box.
he had changed his place or tune
since | saw him last or not, am sure cam
not tell.
Writing the above has brought to my
mind the beautiful opening lines Of Scott's
lag Of TIE Last NSnstrel:
THE way was long, the night was cold,
The Minstrel was infrm and old, &c.
nv old friend, VIM. Bra. the printer, ]
bid mental farewell to We had become
very intimate and had entered into bis
troubles 50 deeply that they seemed il part
ny own, and when ! went up e bis bed
severed with the sod Of century and bid
farewell, imagined hat be felt lonelier than
over. Poor old fellow what thrilling Items
be stirred up bis Duich readers With about
Captain Kidd and his exploits upon the high