The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-30
IFor the Dispatch.}
A Leaf from Wy Autobiography.

"a .
Two ccniuscs cannot with any degree OIL
safety breathe the air OF the same continent
Were to give myself up to meditation ever
until the crack OF doom aroused me, shouic
undoubtedly, besides finding myself physt
-ca}lv somewhat emaciatcd and mentally
;rife mixed, find my opinion unchanged.
In nv Youth had the misfortune to wr1t'
in the same land with r. \. Pc. Now
with blush, the llnmistakable sign OF
certain inward grace, l leave it to all per
sons who possess that rich intellectual b'ess
ing, a grain OF common.scnse, was NOT
catastrophe inevitable? Genius mere any
genius there-colision, wreck. ana run
oh, with what liquid eyes, WITH "hS. w,
fatbomable emotions, do | look oach "P'N
those days! ,o ;de,s
II banncned that | gathered some iae' s,
from Shakespeare, some from aoore' ~ Vac,
~ some from Eugene Sue; ana ehcs.' 49,,
Z vast deal OF industry, during InSpa. ~,
moments, but ut very little rca' ,nen, Ia .os.'
7 COMPOSED a work that was i'En'y .yn,,
ncndcd By most critics, pretty wen la"u .',,.
,hronrh p,ire disintcrestedneS oy al my
ornS;torsi and pronounced by friends ana
rnI,,iycs 10 be OF unsurpassed originality
and exceptional grandeur.
Tbus with comparative ease | maze my
scH 4 name, 4 fortune, and an enemy. Inc
h;dcouslv-kecn Pc at last 1cil upon my
book. There was. must own, something
toucbinc in the simplicity OF his attack.
Beneath the name OF my work appeared the
following lincS-thcmselves probably Dor
rowcd-lines that Enthusiastically alluded 10
il and its author:
lis greatness wciphd, his will Is not his own:
For ne himself is slave TO many loan;
He may not, as uuvalucd persons DO,
r LONG lis
tand) Sue.
That morn my star, hitherto twlnkiing IN
the zenith, fell and was lost in the pro-
funditv Of space. The bolts OF fate top
pled an archangel-how could lesser than
he bear up against them
Now. il is natural for Joy to die calmly
on the breast OF sorrow; for gold to glide
away as swcctly and as softly as brook F.;
for wives to babble themselves to shadows
for clothes gradually to lose their color and
their threads. Not so with me and mine
JOY. like sparrow pcbble-stung. vanished.
Gold took wing. My wife expired extern
roraneously. My broadcloath grew IN APP
nearance and 1cueri:y like goSsamer. Then
against the croakiDS raven did below Tor
revenge. Henccforward my spirit was bent
on and my mind worked high with thoughts
81 revenge. By the marble heavens, and
w the everlasting fires that fret the marble
heavens. Swcrc 10 have revenge!
The time. am happy to say, has come
WAS 'ntely travel!ing-no matter where
and got from-ne matter whom-the an
neyed verses. which. written beyond 4
lou5t-no matter when-prove conclli-
,;yclr tnat L. \. PES Bells" got their
metre, music, weight, &c, not from ms
brain. but from altogether another source,
partly, TOO. through the agency OF an in
>inid pun:
TIE bellies!
Hear the battle of the Bellies.
Virgin Bellies!
Wa: world of glorious though; their inco"y c'n
In the smaller hours Of eve
AS We take our hats to leave!
oh, the music and The magic OF the tei nG
Isn't every sound that noa'S
From the gold within their throats
Sweet as fame?
An: And he po%er c1 tae p9 over
Who miraculou,ly leapinS,
Garry on their little game,
Taking glory in not sleeping
Til the hearts OF men are flame.
They are neither imp nor fairy
Nora gnomal Dick nor Harry
But bold. atomic forces.
With strangely-reckiess courses,
Like worlds!
They mingIe, leap. and twirl,
Aud witchtngly Ipcurl.
A music from the Bellies!
And their subtle mischief swcllS
With the magic Of the Bellies
As they dance in wonder-spclls.
Keeping time, time, time, ..
Ina sort OF Lunic Rhyme
or the Bellies:
In sort Of Lunic Rhyme,
To the music of the Bellies
To the marvel and the music and the magic oil the