The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-11-20


'stedman, for years the friend sof
Taylor, writes as follows of him IN a pa
per in ScYtbner for November, chiefly
devoted to a critical analysis of his poet
ry and literary career: natfo }
His memory was prodigious. Nothing
that he learned was forgotten, and he
learned without effort After a single
reading he knew a poem by heart, and
could repeat whole pages of his favorite
authors; and there was little that he did
not read or see. His perception of ex
ternals was alert and true; ;~-hnt he did
not so. readily. catch. by intuition the
Thoughts and feelings Of those about him
He had fine sense of form and color,
drew and painted creditably, and seemed
a natural artist. His linguistic powers
were well known. He taught himself
something of the classical texts, and was
more infused with the antique sentiment
than many learned Theban. He
quickly caught the, passwords and
phrases of any language, Semitic or
Aryan, wherever he journeyed. Ger
man he mastered, wrote in, thought in !;
it became so much like a native tongue
with him as to refute the theory that one
gains of new language only so much
as he loses of his own. His desire for
knowledge was constant, and his pro-
fessional training made him rapidly ac-
quainted with the meaning and scope of
a new work or movement that came
within his view , s9i 5-e ',,l Il ~.'i.si
His personal traits were no less admi-
rable. To think of him is to recall a
person larger in make and magnanimity
than the common sort; a man of inde-
scfibable buoyancy, hopefulness, sweet
ness of ftemper-reverent, loyal, shrink
ing from contention yet ready to do bat
tie for principle or in thej cause Of
a friend; a patriot and lover of his kind,
stainless in morals, and of an honesty so
pure and simple that he could not be
surprised into an untruth or the COM
mission of a mean and unworthy act
His open delight over any work of his
own that pleased him was the reverse
of egotism, yet often misunderstood by
those who slightly knew him. He was
without jealousy, though sometimes
ruffied by the prosperity of quacks and
pretenders, and took as much pleasure
in the legitimate success of others as in
his own Yet his personal ambition and
aspiration were very great, only equaled
by his heroic industry and scrupulous
fulfillment Of the lightest or heaviest
task he undertook. 80 =.
In social lite he was generous and un
restrained, full of the knightly, mirth-
loving, romantic spirit; a poet who kept
his heart green to the last, even when
disease was upon him, and the plethoric
habit of his middle life.es These dulled
his eye, but never broke his spirit nor
turned his thoughts to gall.
His art-method was simple and direct,
Obvious rather. than. suggestive, and he
generally composed in major key.
Some of his measures, like those of
Barry sC6h3aIl, are NIesis with the
breeze and spray. Gf ea.I Is
They were born by the shore, by the shore,
When the surf was loud and the sea gull
cried,
They were rocked to tlsssrhythm of its roar,
They were cradled in the arms Of the tide. =
In other moods he would write a ballad,
OF a astender and exquisite lyric, like
1.-THE Song.of the. Camp, '.senough of
itself to confirm his, title as a poet. He
had, in truth, the spontaneity Of a born
singer; but with it . facility that.was
dangerous indeed His first draft was
apt 10 be his best if not his only one.
He had few affectations his instinct be-
ing against obscurity and eddness of ex-
preston. The unstudied manner of the
Georgian poets suited him, and he made
his own verse, as far as might be, the
clear vehicle Of his feeling. OF late
years, in the desire to convey his deep
er, more intellectual thought and com
viction, he frequently became involved,
and Iaetaphysieal yagueness was ap-
parent even in his lyrics. At such times
the critics thought his efforts strained,
and his friends declared that he was not
working in his best vein.