Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-10-13

tention was called to the matter we found
time to turn to the pages of the Overland
for September and October, and do
what we have not frequently here
tofore felt it profitable to undertake
read the poetic illusions of local genius.
The thief in this case is known in the pages
of the Overland for October as Annis Mon
tague. The theft is made from the poem
written by Lowell and published in his
collections at various times in repeated
editions since lS4l-3, entitled "Irene,
and that of Montague, the Califor-
MIA plagiarist bears the unpoetic
caption "Kate." 1t must suffice to
present the first stanza of the two
"prints," and to add that they run in like
manner line for line throughout, excepting
only that "the Montague" not content
with stealing the poem, mutilated it, first,
by changing the punctuation, and Sec
ondly, by emitting the third, fourth
and sixth stanzas. One may pardon
the theft of work of art, but cannot
condone its ruthless butchery.
IRENE. KATE.
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL ANNIs MONTAGUE.
Hers is spirit deep, and Hers is spirit deep snd
stall cleer, crystal clear
Calmly beneath her earn Calmly beneath her earn
est face it lies, est face it lies,
Free without boldness Free without boIdness,
meek wi bout fear; meek without fear,
Quicker to look than speak Quicker to look than speak
its sympathies its sympathies
Far down into her large Far down into her large
and patient eyes and patient eyes
| gaze, deep-drinking oil gaze, deep. drinking OF
the infinite, the inf tie,
AS in the midwatch OF As, in the midwatch of a
clear, still night, clear, still night,
| look into the fath0mless look into the fathomess
blue skies blue skies.
The exposure of this second instance of
poverty of intellect on the part of a con-
tributor to the Orerland coupled with the
deliberation of literary crime, we trust
will not infc5 upon it serious injury.
Such publication by the fire of truth
should give as to future results a better
product, nasmuch as it will put on
guard over the pages of our California
magazine, that watchfulness which alone
can preserve it from imposition. Impos
ture upon daily paper may, without
much relaxation of justice, be pardoned,
but purely literary journal, to which it
must be assumed is brought special literary
skill and knowledge, and ample time for
examination, is very likely to be held to
strict accountability. As our contemporary
remarks, however, lone of the most
troublesome and perplexing duties of a
magazine editor is to make sure of the
honesty of new contributors. He is con.
stantly asked to buy stolen goods and we
have heard of an appropriation impudent
enough to offer magazine a story from one
of its own back Volumes" The female
buccaneer who has made spoil of Lowell's
early effort, to prop her own unworthy pre-.
tensions to merit, should retire from the
literary field, where thieves are not toler-
ated, and are perfectly certain to be caught
and numerically punished Her place is
In the literary pillory, to stand as an
lawful example and fearful warn.
ing for the would-be sinners against liter
airy cleanliness in all the future. Her sin is
so gross that its consideration involves no
niceties or possible pretexts for apologies,
such as characterized the celebrated con.
troversy in 1916 between Poe and the
friends of Longfellow, when the former
charged the latter with unacknowledged
limitations and positive piracy. The Mon
tsgue crime is devoid of even the shadow
of excuse, and its motive, pure and simple,
was that of imposture.