The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-08
aged rs ears.
None knew HIM but to love him,
Nor named II IN bur to praise,

These lines, slightly varied from those which
|now appear IN the eleglac verses by FItz- z-Greene
Hal!eck, as found in his volume OF poems, were
written TO commemorate the death OF hIs friend.
| who was assoc,a ,ated with him in his earlier
Bpoetical labors. No more tender and pathetic
lines on the death Of a companion have ever
been written than tlese, commencing With
ere Ii be the turf above thee,
Friend OF my better days."
/ but which are, doubtless, so familiar to all
8readers OF the tome JO'e,nal as to max 1t unnc-
Ecessary for IL to quote them entire.
Drake was born in the city OF New York,
August z, 1895. He studied medicine under
! DR.. Nicholas Romayne aud obtained MS degree
Pin 1916. In October OF the same year he married
IA daughter OF Henry Eek ord, ESQ. He shortly
afterwards, accompan. ed by hls wile, visited
HEurope. In 1919, ior the benefit OF his health,
(which was failing, he visited New Orleans, but
Returned to New York in the spring, unrestored,
8nd, indeed, lar gone with consumption, AMI
Shed during the following autumn
In person, Drake was we'll formed and attrac-
#1ye. he possessed a tine mead and a change
Rbe blue eye-pale i'll repose, but growing dark
Elnder eXcItem, ut. His voice was round and
Hull, and peculiarly musical IN It's nJOnations.
disposition he was klno aud genial, especially
among his intimate acquaintanCes, though shy
8nd retiring with strangers. He was exceed
Wngly free nom vanity and aHectation, nor
*ought popular applause.
HIS genius was apparent at a very early age,
Rls 6rst lhS mes beng conundrum, composed
hen he was scarcely ave Years Old. When not
yer seven he had gained much literary know
fdge, ant, before he was fourteen, he had
IA ritten several poems OF merit. Among those
hich have been preserved are "The Mocklng
l45lrd," and portiOA OF a poem, entitled "Hhe
ast and the Present. TO be found in the con.
a. lludng passage OF Leon" IN the volume pub
lshed in 1886, by his daug hter, the wlie OF Com
&1nodore De Kay.
The Croakers," )" originally published in the
i 'ew York fleming Post, IN l8l9 we're com
penced by Drake; but, after the first tour had
Il appeared, Halleck was admitted to a copartner-
hip, and the future ones were written over tle
n enatuIe OF "CIoaker X Co.. This series OF
erses-between thirty and torty in number
y Eere chiefly OF local char acteT, but teemlng
With wit, palhos, and sentiment.
Brakes longest and best poem-the one which
the most imag native and the fullest IN its
epiCtine OF scenery-is the "CuIUrlt Fay "
hlch was written IN the summer OF 1919. to
Ilustrate the capabllity OF the adaptation OF our
atve localities TO the uses, OF poetry and ro-
lance. Cooper and Halleck denying their
daptability and Drake maintaining the oJpo-
tie view. The poem vas written IN three DAYS
lvention.
His most popular poem is the american
~ lag," familiar to all patriotic schoolboys. The
ur concluding liues, however, were written by
1 alleck, in place OF the following by Drake:-
N "And fixed as ondeT orb divine,
that saw tiny bauneTe1 Ulazs uniured,
t shall thy pIOud stars IespeDdent shine
The guard and glory of the world"
There is certainly more 0im and to put it
idly, more buncombe, in the closing lines as
hey now stand:-
Forever fOa at standard sheet!
here bIeathes the Zoe but falls before US?
With Freedoms soil oenea IA our teet
|t And FIeeGom's banner streaming DER u.s."
This reference 20 Halleck's muse reminds me
at / have often thought that the last three
hes in brakes verses, addressed to the Bronx
liver, within sight aluost of which stream his
onumeLt Is erected, were also from the pen OF
s friend and conpeer, Halleck. At all events,
~ ley are exceedingly suggestive of Haleck's
i nse, as any one at al acquainted with her,
oH ter reading them, must contest
rhy waves are old companions, shall soc
" ell remembered form IN each old tree
hd hear q VO ce long owed IN thy wild mInsresy -
In fact, these lines are the very essence OF
leck's poem ent tied Twilight"
Many OF Drake's poems were impromptus
- ich after beng put upon paper, were sven
the friends who CHANGED TO be present when
+ ey were written, and who expressed desire
possess them. For this reason some OF his
bst successful pieces which were the adOra.
pn of the family circle, have been lost to the
bTld.
The more than friendly relations, the bro
erly regard, indeed, which existed between
llleck and Drake, is one of the mos
arming episodes in the history OF Ameri
d poets. 1t has, or rather it promised to be
q story of Beaumont and Fletcher OveI