Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-12-03
JOAQUlN's WIFE.
Minnie Myrtle Miller Again on the
ROstrum-AnOtherR Rasptng OF the
Poet of the Blerras.

10 Etst -- N Eg4ft
Minnie Myrtle miller Again on the
ROstrum-AnOther Rasptng of the
Poet of the sierras.
From the San Francisco Chronicle. Nov. Is.
Mrs. Minnie Myrtle Miller delivered
her second lecture on Joaquin Miller,
the Poet and the Man, to an audience
of about three hundred persons, in Pa
cifc Hall, last evening The lecture
was delivered in clear, ringing tone, and
abounded in the most delicate satire.
Her sarcastic illusions to her illustrious
and romantic lege were highly appre-
ciated by her hearers, and so sharp and
cutting was the vein Of wit and satire
running all through it that the audience
was kept in continual smiles and good
humor. Punctually at eight clock the
lecturess emerged from the waiting.
room and ascended the rostrum with a
quick, decisive step. Her appearance
was greeted with applause, which she
acknowledged with grateful bow. She
was attred in modest dress of black
silk, with white lace mauve and deli
cate pink knot at her throat. Her hair
fell in long flowing curls down her back
and shoulders, and her hands were en-.
cased in white kid gloves.
She unrolled her manuscript, arranged
it on the table before her and began
her lecture, speaking in clear, quick
tone and an earnest manner. She be-
gun by apologizing for her appearance
before San Francisco audience again,
and returning her thanks for the warm
and hearty reception she had met with
in this city, where she was an entire
stranger Having briefly explained the
hard necessity which drove her into the
lecture-l field in the hope of gaining sup
port for herself and her helpless chill
dren, and assured her hearers that, dis
tasteful as it was to her, she gladly made
the sacrifice in order that her babies
might not go hungry, she turned her at
tention to the subject of her lecture.
She said; Il think l know whereof /
speak when speak of Joaquin Miller.
When | speak of the Poet OF the Sierras
/ speak OF one greater than /, the latchet
of whose literary shoes | am not worthy
to loosen. He is very sinsible man, a
wise man, a practical man, and he will
view this matter in q common sense way.
He was always very anxious about dis
couraging ma whenever he thought |
would not succeed, and this was wise
and necessary. OF course, il he sees
that l am likely to fail in this business,
he will condemn me for it with his usual
earnestuess; but il he sees that am
likely to succeed, i know his nature well
enough TO know that he will proffer his
kindly assistance in getting up the lec-
lures and consent to share in the
profits" = r., =,
She referred to an article published in
one of the newspapers recently, in which
she was styled a venerable ensnarer OF
the poets affections, and purporting to
show how, as she said, the gnilelees
Young poet came down from the Sierras,
fresh from his wigwam fires, to be en-
shared by woman many years younger
than he, and much more inexperienced
She sketched the life Of the poet in the
mines, where he wheeled dirt and shov-
eled slum for one month, when a flood
washed away all the fruits of his labor
and he threw up mining in disgust, and,
after roaming the wild woods for while,
went to editing newspaper. But, per-
haps, his greatest misfortune was his
meeting with the venerable ehsnarer Of
Point Blanco. He grew tired of writing
editorials, grew tired of all labor, and
told his printers he must 90 to the sea-
coast for his health.
So one morning he mounted his spot
ted courser, that stood impatientlS wait
ing for his rider, and, kissing his hand
to a smiling widow who stood at the
door, rode gracefully toward the west.
Never was there a more graceful rider,
and never one who was prouder Of his
/. horsemanship. He rode on through the
shadow of the deep woods, past the
Three Sisters, through the narrow valley
of the Umpqua, with its yellow stubble-
fields and its laden orchards toward the
sea. The scenery was grand and in
spring, and the poet, gazing ON its
beauties, became oblivious of all else,
and the spotted courser led him astray.
At night the editor the Eugene City
Register was lost in the mountains. 1t
was nothing to him to encamp 10 the
woods in blankets, and the next meFning
he found the trail, aud gl nightfall ar
rived on the bluff overlooking her home.
She then gave very beautiful and po-
etic description of her home in the FISH
erman's cottage by the seaside. he
rode up to the door, leaping the spotted
horse over the logs that lay IN front Of
the house, and dismoanted, removing his
ponderous spurs that made his heels so
dignifed. She described their meeting
and the days they spent together IN
rambling on the beach and scaling the
crags overhanging the ocean.
He knew nothing about boats or ca
noes, while she prided herself on her
skill in managing q canoe. 0ne day
they started to 90 across the river in a
canoe to gather shells on the opposite
bank. She let ths boat aoat down the
river, aud it finally was caught in the
ebbing tide and carried among the
breakers at the mouth ofthe river. She
struggled hard against 1t, but her hero
sat all the while transfixed with fear and
shouting, Pull, Minnie, pull for Gods
sake" Her struggles we're unRvailing
and they were carried farther out, and
were every moment IN danger Of upset
ting. Suddenly the poet arose and
threw of his coat, pulled OF his boots.
and was just about jumping overheard
and forsaking her to her fate, when
wave caught them and landed them both
high on the beach. She was vexed and
disappointed, and young ladies who bad