Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1875-12-23
A PRACTICAL POET.

The southeast corner of his mouti
was forever barboring a smile that was
sweet aud devilish-a sort Of com pound
Of honey and brimstone.
He WAS the most benign and benev.
olent looking man ever saw; and We,
he was not such very great william, fol
all that; as you shall see
With that WARM, south-side smile of
his. be- quite melted the heart Of tho
poor old woman who answered the bel
for the Bohemian on the third floor, th.
very first time he called. and So he cam.
rirht into my presence without even q
much as an announcement.
A tall, fue- looking fellow of 20, with
thread bare coat buitoned tight up I,
his throat, he stood in the door with
an umbrella that was 80 poor you could
count it's ribs. jammed tight up unde,
hIs left arm, while in his right hand be
held his hat straight out before him, a.
he made this speech:
4 am 4 poet am also the son oi
CLERGYMAN and the grandson of bish.
or. Sir, l am the beir-expectant oi
eighty thousand pounds sterling
Then he relaxed, as if he had been
wound up very tight. and had broken
something and suddenly run down
He bowed over and bent before ME like
IN Indian bow. The thin, sharp um.
brella stuck out as if i, had been dead.
" arrow aimed at nv stomach.
There stood the bended poet. Hi.
eyes were closed, and the smile that vas
sweet and devilish kept lowering about
the south corner Of his mouth as if il
was sort of patent Summer hot roll
come to thaw me ont.
This man. said to myself, as l sat
there waiting to hear his story, is 60
ing to cost me half-a-crown.'
He Strengthened out SLOWLY at last,
stood his umbrella i'm corner, settled
into chair. set his hat down before
him, and still smiling sweetlv, hegan.
Il have little room just over the
eel-I,ie shop in Great Whilst. This
room costs me four slilliugs n week
owe. Likewise. this four shillings. Ii
do not get it TODAY, shal! lave uo
said to myself. 4 will have to make
il full crown; that will give him al
extra shilling for his beer.
But chiefly what | now want went
on this son Of a clergyman aud grand.
son cf bishop, is the small sum 81
ten shilliu"s, t" get few copies of tbi,
poem neatly printed and here he hall
rose, an.l banded me manuscript across
the table.
| glanced at this, and found il to Ia
short and feeble poem celebrating tn.
virtues of Il Young lady just deceased
She WAS about to lie married be-
gan the man, in very business like
way; but her bridal day was her burr.
al day, and now her lover aud friend.
arr almost broken heated
Il vii! make it ten shillings,' I said
to myself, for possibly he is the heart
broken lover. These poet lovers are Sc
hard Ia understand
No. no. l never saw her in nv life
But it is good opportunity to turn q
ten-pouud note, aud must not he lest i,
answered the man, a. vcntured to ash
if the lady was his friend.
/ protested that did not at all un.
derstand.
Listen The man slapped his tive
hands ON his two long threadbare knees
with such violence that be almost frig bit.
ened that perpetual smile quite out OF
its retreat i'll the corner of his mouth
and then went on. L am a poet.
am the son of a clergyman and the
grandson of u bishop; and, sir, l am a
practical poet. and l intend to make il
pay. None of your sentimental non.
sense about me. can tell YOU
He arose and spread out on the Ia.
bic roll Of printed verses. Look
here. will tell You n secret. You
are to give me ten shillings. and l II
return will tell you secret that vii
make your fortune in America. twill
lay in America. II is mine that
needs only TO be worked to vi. ID min,
of money. II we poets would only b,
one-tenth as hard and cold and practi
cal as lawyers, doctors, bankers, ant
merchants, We might Be the wealthiest
of the lot. Listen! Here is the secret
i Was last year down in the Isle o.
Wight. Like true, impulsive "oet
rs was then, was destitute. ! wrot,
poem to Mr.. T, praising him {,
the utmost echo. sent him this. III,
did not answer. Then / wrote him ,
letter stating nv distress. ! distinctl,
stated that was a poet, the son of .
clergyman, and the grandson Of bisb
op,. He never even sent me So mucl
as one Atle scsereign. Ny case wa
desperate. At this crisis the hand o
Providence interfesed in my behalf. b,
some unaccountahle good fortune,
young lady died in Fresbwater. He
parents were recently American :rav
el-rs. l wrote :'oem ON this lady.
good SAN aritan gave me the money {,
have i, elegantly printed. I sent cop
les to her broken-hearted parents.