The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-02-08
A FRANK LETTER.
IN WHICH THE WRITER DIVELLS MOSTL Y
ON HIMSELF
To the Editor of The Comet:

Situated in small interior hamlet, re-
mote FROM those rapid mail carriers, the
railroads, it is only by accident 1 learned of
an event which if read the signs of des
tiny correctly, must result in thrusting me
forth from my humble obscurity into a
position of luminous prominence. Dur
ing the past thirty-five years have rarely
looked at the columns of newspaper, but
recently CHANGED to glance at one that
fell in my way and my eye was at once ar
rested by the appearance in type of a
poem entitled, ''The Muse Rises to Ex-
plain" will not waste words, Sir, in at
| tempting to describe the effect produced
upon ne by this publication.
II is now many years since composed
that piece of verse. wrote it for poster
ity. 1t was not my purpose it should be
printed until l should be dead. In my
will it was nay intention to bequeath it to
the world. | did not wish to encounter
the applause of men, nor their showers of
gold, for praise is painfully embarrassing
TO me, and wealth is butterfly that fools
run after. Sir, when the great thoughts
that came forth in that poem were raging
like tempest within me, resolved to put
them on paper secretly and resist to the
end Of my life that natural vanity which
tempted me to give the poem to the public.
My judgement, the unusual soundness of
which have often had occasion to remark, |
taught me that such composition would |
command a fabulous price from any pub |
Usher.
Further doubted not that if 1 should
print the piece it would be REQ ived with |
acclamations by the cultured of all classes,
and be borne with the fleetness of the wind |
from nation to nation, and from tongue to
tongue. saw clearly that to ayoid becom-
ing famous must keep my own counsel.
Hence disclosed the conception to no one,
but locking myself in my closet wrote the
poem secretly. And up to the time when 1
saw it in the paper credited to your COMET,
1 supposed myself to be the only person
cognizant Of its existence.
How it escaped from my possession is a
mystery, but my supposition is that some
well-meanine person acquainted with my
intellectual powers, and suspecting ME of
some great design, has made me the victim
of a friendly larceny. And now this "tide
in the affairs Of men has taken the piece
on its bosom, and it floats on the great sea
Of literature as a boat that is loosed from
its moorings.
Modest men are universally brave in
My secret is on a million
5ongueH. Even now doubt not it is being
into score of languages, and
ny resolution is taken and fixed rs firm as
he eternal mountains, that however terri
Die the consequences may be, l will not fly
rom the honors which the world is hasten
ng to bestow upon me.
You, Sir, and "the world at large" to
which you have with excellent judgment
that effort Of my genius, will,
It once, perceive that nothing could be {
more becoming in me than to allude to my f
elf in such terms as are made use of above; i
or expressions which emannting from q
'erson of ordinary powers would, by CONS II
non consent, be condemned as impudent t
nd egotistical, coming from one of extra u
ordinary gifts will be held entirely proper. t
from your quickness in percelving the
merit of the poem, 1 infer that You are a
ound, both in Judgment and in scholarship. A
t, therefore, gratifies me- to write to you, d
specially as l doubt not but that you will "
ollow my thoughts without any very pain "
nj effort to their profoundest depths. J
When confess to you that strong de- Il
ire to see and know you personally, has "
eveloped itself within me since you
tamped g EstO perpetuH" upon my poem, "
ou may entertain the thought that l would Il
Ike an opportunity to express gratitude for "
our editorial Endorsement. "
Harbor no such thought my dear sir; you b
My performed duty which was due your
when you raised your editorial G,
niger and said "Hist, Genius has II
p0ken Z" d
owe you no thanks: The w0rM is C,
our debtor, not me.
But wish to know you because [ feel h
hat in you l will find kindred spirit. "
our name has fioated to my ears ooca~ N
ioually during the past few years, and you b
ave been mentioned as a man of some
prightliuess and versatility; bat it is not k
ntil just now that have disc 1vered you h
70 one whom l can meet on terms of b
quality, and with whom l can exchange d
entiments such as can be appreciated only o
y men Of rare mental organization.
For che present / must stop. have no h
pology to offer for the length of this CT
ltter. That hackneyed common place b
ave b those feeble writers who feel their d
wn want of the power to please. 1t is an CT
Hectation of modesty which 1 despise. I ei
ave an unlimited admiration for candor,
nd in order that you may see | practice n
bat preach, close by declaring frankly hi
lat have no doubt but what every word P
I this communication, lengthy as it is, "
i'll be read with breathlass interest by A
1ur readers, who though they may grieve al
scause do not occupy all your columns vi
III derive some consolation from the di