The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-10-04
Selett Stnrw,
G. Y P S Y A ND I.

| Said Ulysses, "One of the trials o.
my youth, to which l referred in 8
former conversation. as being as griev
GUS to endure as those of former years
was connected with poem l sent tt
a newspaper. 1t was my first effort
and no later enterprise can ever riva
its exceeding importance in my. esti
nation 1 think 1 was at that time
very much in the state of ship be
! fore it starts on voyage, dipping in
to the water, but not released as YET
! from the shore; carpenters hammer
ing; painters welding their brushes
sailors sauntering on disorderly; raw
midshipmen, not used to command,
overlooking them here a sail wanting
to be set; there rope to be strung
cargo arriving; spices, wood, iron,
merchandise, purple and fine linen, all
heaped in confusion-the materials
for long, and, perhaps, prosperous
voyage, lying alb ,ut, but unregulated,
and in disorder. Thus my mind was
dipping into the future, tugging at
the bonds that were sill too hard to
break, rising upon some master wave,
and sinking with the tide. I was not
master of myself New ideas were
hammering down with fresh vigor /;
resolves good in the main. but not
properly disciplined by action, troop
ing in slightly staggering; nobler
ideas and aspirations, that had not
yet learned to wear their shoulder
straps gracefully thoughts, emotions,
aspirations, hopes, fears, wood, iron,
spices, and merchandise heaped to
gether in confusion. The sails of ex-
perience not set; ropes of forest ght
sadly needing tightening. 1t may
happen that one part Of ship may
be completed before the rest, as an ar
tist may elaborate the forehead of a
subject before the eyes are put in
Or course the eyes will follow in due
time; everything in its proper season;
first The bud aud then the blossom.
L am confident that my appreciation of
what was beautiful was in full bloom,
when my intellect was in the bud."
AT this moment Gyp was so ill-bred
as to rise from her recumbent posture,
stretch out one velvet paw, and yawn,
as it the subject was of no possible
interest to anybody. She then walked
away with gleat composure, and. l
spoke up Immediately, to show that
l, at least, was following his remarks,
if they were somewhat lengthy.
"Why do you think 50, Ulysses ?'
'sThe poem 1 alluded to, will con-
vince you, Jessie / wrote it when /
was very young, and deeply stricken
by the charms of women. And it is
one of the strong memories of that
chaotic time. How afraid was of
then had boys natural fears of
darkness and wild animals, but these
were as nothing to the dread, the alb
solute awe felt in the presence of
woman. I can remember of often
getting over the fence and going
across lots to avoid meeting one in
the road. There was a pretty girl
who used to visit my mother; how
well l recollect the awe-struck glances
l used to cast upon her, with the re-
motest distance of the parlor between
US, and across the table! Looks not
of the mingled fear and distrust you
would cast over your shoulder at q
pursuing bear, but glances compound
ed of tt e mysterious terror and awe
with which you would regard the up
rising of ghost. 1 think it was deep
veneration, not properly disciplined; l
am confident that that fear was the
rough underlying layer of the fair
blossom, respect. have a great
reverence for women, Jessie! 1 think
d pure and noble woman is but little
inferior to the angels" He paused
slightly, and made the remark so di-
rectly to me that l felt obliged to say,
in behalf of my sex,
"Thank you, Ulysses"
"Ny mind was so thoroughly inn
bued with the charms and excellences
of women that, as is not unfrequently
the case, these surging emotions rose
up too powerfully to be restrained,
aud overhowed in rhyme. l sent the
verses to an editor of whose private
history l was entirely ignorant; but
learned, when too late, that he was a
bachelor, who had been jilted three
consecutive times by two maldens,
and widow; the last time under Pc
which had converted the springs of
affection in his nature into fountain
of gall, and the green places in his
heart to waste Of wormwood. In
other respects he was worthy, con-
scientious man. l met him afterward
frequently, and found him courteous
and genJlemanly in his treatment of
any other subject than this, which, it
is hardly necessary to say, l always
avoided Mr.. feelings during the time
intervening between the writing of the
poem and its publication were, 1 sup
pose, not peculiar to myself, but COM
mon to all authors. Nor the seclusion
l sought while writing it, which was
"a profound as if I were the husband
of second wife, making my will in
favor of the children of my former
companion.
'''Phe secretary with which con-
veyed i, to the post office, putting my
hand often in my pocket 10 make sure
it was really there, and not lost thro'
careiessness The agitation that shook
my fingers as L dropped it into the
letter box; the hypocritical whistling
as came out of the Office, to convey
to the world the false impression that
1 had not been doing something re-
markable; the strong impression that
people were suspecting me all the