Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-10-15

little river. And then told him OF my
own desolate life, of my longing for Q
congenial spirit, etc. told him that Q
delightful, dreamy trail wound over tb'
mountains, and if he would come
would ferry him over the river in my
little boat. Now-I say this in behal
of the young poet Of the Sierras-what
young man, who had the embryo nature
of a poet within him, could do less than
forsake the cold, delusive realms oi
Salmon river, and ignoring the roses
and pinks of the Williamettee, turn q
deaf ear to the tender voices of the
maiden of Eugene Creek-the poetry
grandeur of the sea shore? He came
riding on the famous spotted horse. He
stopped before the door, dismounted
and came in. The dashing Roman Gen
eral who captured Cleopatra could not
have been more dignifed. | felt the
magnitude of the situation and tried to
assume the bearing of Spartan maiden,
but failed. Not knowing what else to
do, l asked him to come in and sit down
and make himself at home. Twill not
narrate what followed. In the four or
FIVE days that followed we rode and
walked, and sailed and talked, and to-
gether watched the sun set upon the
ocean and the moon rise over the forest.
We lived in an atmosphere of poetry. On
Sunday we were married. 1t was mostly
my fault. Joaquin has often reproached
me for it, and | feel the justice of his
reproach. 1t is true the marriage was
vastly
| IT A
Many of the guests did not hesitate to
say that it would be better far if the
bride were corpse. The dashing, daring
young editor who came so grandly on
his spotted courser had not captured
their hearts as he had NINE But he was
not himself. He felt called upon, as he
does to-day, to do something grand and
awe.inspiring. He did not think it best
to compromise his dignity as editor Of
an Oregon paper by being aGable, so
when the generous-hearted miners ap-
preached him, he waved them off with
bland wave of his hand, and smiled
that peculiar smile of his, which is all
below the eyes. Mrs. Miller here went
into the Byronic period in Jsaquin's ex-
istence, and referred humorously to his
search for Mary Chaworth in the per-
son of Willamette girl. From that
little episode she came to their life in
this city, where they eked out an exis-
tence by writing for the papers.
THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE SONGS OF THE
l.8F sIERRAs.
Then to their life in Grant county,
Oregon, where Joaquin was elected a
Judge, and where Mrs. Miller says her
| baby was born. She drew a beautiful
and most poetic picture of her cottage
there, and said that the tenderet recol-
| lections clustered around that place, for
there was not only born her second baby,
but The Songs of the Sierras." And
then followed the description of Joa-
quin's studies, as follows; Now, ladies
and gentlemen, with your permission |
will introduce you into the poetic work
shop. We 60 up an outside stairway,
enter hall, and from thence small,
dingy room, which is ostensibly the
eflice Of the County Judge of Grant
county, but really the poetic workshop
of the Poet Of the Sierras." And here
we behold the artist at work. There is
o long table covered with black oil-cloth
and furnished with drawers. Scattered
over this table are books, papers,
stationery, and manuscripts. At
this table sits the artist poring
over large open book. His pen rests
in capacious inkstand, ready for use.
A page of foolscap is spread before him,
on which we see written with irregular
dashes between them the words ever
clever-over-clo ver-fre--desire, and
so on. We glance at the book spread
before him. 1t is a copy of Websters
Unabridged Dictionary" The poet is
searching for euphonious words. We
look at the books upon the table. Here
is rhyming dictionary, late numbers of
the four British Reviews" Blackwood's
Magazine, the Atlantic and Overland
Monthlies Harper's, Leslie's, Brick
Pomeroy's Democrat McCormicks AL
manac, etc. We glance up at the books
upon the shelves. The British poets in
bound volumes ere ranged in a row.
Then the American poets and authors,
Victor Hugos works, the Waverley
Novels, some Latin authors, whose
names ] never even learned; ancient
and modern history and biography.
The works OF various authors, too nu-
merous to mention, are carefully ar
ranged upon these shelves-Rollin, Ros-
seau, Voltaire, Tom Paine, Macauley,
Dickens, Bulwer and many others. On
the other side of the house is the law
library. A large family Bible bound in
Turkish morocco lies carelessly upon
the end of the table. Is this Bible used,
you ask2 Indeed it is Every evening
at certain honr the poet opens the
Bible, draws his huge inkstand close to-
ward him, gives the already disabled pen
a fierce thrust into its depths, and reads.
He ads.rapidly, for his eye is quick,
and his perception ready.
EHow THE JUDGE RECEIVED VISITORS.
If a footstep is heard in the hall before
the door has time to swing open this vol
ume is across the poets knee, and the
perplexed, legal scowl on his brow But
the visitor, unless he is a favorite, does
not remain long, although the Judge
talks eloquently of the science of law;
lays his white hand familiarly upon his
shoulder, and blandly insists upon his
sitting still. Why does he not remain
The room is small; there is but one win
dow, aud that is closed. In one corner
is large barroom stove. Behind this
steve is wood-box heaped with dry fire.
wood. Mr.. Miller arises when the visitor
enters, shivers little, says he is not
well, feels chilly, opens the door, and |
fills the stove with wood In few min
utes the stove is red hot, and the visitor
sits tanning himself with McCormick's
Almanac until he can endure it no longer,
when he rises and goes out. The artist
then closes the draught, opens the win
dow, and resumes his work. THAT is
the only way / can do" he would say to
me; they would sit and talk for hours
il | didn't make it too warm for them.
give this for the benefit of industrious
lawyers who are bored with visitors. But
L