The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-07-22

OF the high-minded theories Of government
advocated by Lord LAWRENCE and Lord
MAYO and by tho present viceroy. will also
behold tho overthrow OF English rule In India.
Trouble In the Milwaukee School Of
Women Poets.
We respectfully acknowledge the receipt OF
the following letter from one OF the female
poets Of Milwaukee,:
ITO Epiros OF THr sux-.sIr: Last winter was
thorouvnly delighted with your criticism Of certain
style OF poetry which has riot here In wisconsin 10
long that had to be accepted almost IS matter
of course Again gratined by your Just review Of
the Poems of Passion. Such plain words are admira-
BILE and ind ready sympathy among the quistsr type
Of our Wisconsin writer's
II enclose little scrap indicating something Of the
work the latter class have been trying to do Miss ELLA
WHEELER one Of the club. having with character
wfulne and oensvensss declined to be u u.s.
MY only regret concerning your criticisms 10 that
Milwaukee should boar the odum Of what you dignity
As school Of poetry Milwaukee is my home. and l
love her honor Miss wHsxLxRs home 10 Windsor. near
Madison though she chooses operate In Milwaukee to
the OF her well wishers and the chagrn Of West
ern literature Certainly. none who have tried have
eeded in influencing her in the least and kind
ness usually earns her toughest returns.
In gratitude for your plain speech am very re-
spectfuy yours - -"
1t Is proper to explain that we withhold not
only the name Of our correspondent, but also
certain passages Of the letter in which
Miss WHEELER Is treated with unnecessary
asperity.
Several months ago THE Sun called alton
tion to the existence Of q new school OF fe-
male poets at the West, with distiRc-
tive character Of its own. Tho head
quarters Of the new school are at Mil
waukee, Wisconsin, . town heretofore
chiefly celebrated for its bricks and It's
beer. The sudden development OF the
Milwaukee school Is one Of the interesting
literary phenomena Of the times, and the
notoriety which it has achieved Is not sur
prising. Certain young women, Of excellent
reputation in private life, have apparently
read SwINBURNE and DANTE GABRIEL ROs-
sETrI, and perhaps THEOpHILE GAUTIER and
ALFRED DE MUssEr, until their heads spin
like SO many Nuremberg tops. When they
take up their pens they throw aside that
beautiful modesty which IL the browning
charm and glory OF their sex, and write for
publication as II in q chronic dolirium. Their
favorite subjects for verse making are SUBJ
jects which they would probably never dream
Of mentioning, much less OF discussing with
their schoolmates, their relatives, or their
sweethearts. They get their vocabulary from
tho works Of the fleshly poets OF the other
se1. Presumably they get the greater part
of their ideas from the same source; 1t would
be cruel in the extreme to assume that they
draw upon personal experience. We have
already printed examples enough to show
exactly what sort OF stuff the Milwaukee
81 L., ND In khn Mt
this not pleasant duty we shall quote
here only single passage from . book pub
lished not long ago by one OF tho cleverest,
most reckless, and personally most respect
able young women Of the school:
Through what strange wsysI come. dear heart to
From yisw!s.. land. BY path: ne man -: ~ t,Sa!
Above more mighty than thy love Of doD.
~ knew all art. of love; he who. possessed me
| Possessed all women, and could never tire;
Safety i.seif st TOT on n IRE "'' '''' '-''''
"Insonstancy ! ohained men died 70 win me:
BY ; S, 81 a hour S my
gave to thee. Romauid. Vert thou not blsss"
We now learn that there Is schism In the
Milwaukee school, and that the local id
mirers OF the female poets Of Wisconsin are
divided into two utterly hostile factions.
| There can be no intelligent study of
| the immense literary activity prevail
ing along the western shore Of Lake
Michigan. no well-informed criticism Of the
development and tendencies Of the new
school, without due recognition and appreci-
alton of this fact. One faction applauds the
| immodest utterances Of which we have
spoken. and follows the Milwaukee young
women with satisfaction to tho extreme lin
| To- i1, No 1kon
call this the WHEELER faction because Miss
ELLA WHEELER is probably the most auda-
cious, as we know her to be one Of the most
capable, OF the poets Of that class. The other
or anti WHEELER party, Is party Of reac.
ton. While these young female poets preserve
many Of tho characteristics that distin.
guish the Milwaukee school IS . whole
they seem inclined to protest against it,
Swinburnian freedom In treating Of things
about which modest young women should
be ignorant or silent. This Is the class tc
which our correspondent, In the letter printed
above, refers when she speaks Of the
"quieter typo OF our Wisconsin writer's
They have reasoned in vain with Mist
WHEELER. She will not join their club OF
modify her poetic methods. They accuse
her Of wilfulness and oflensiveness, and re-
proach her for bringing chagrin to Western
literature.
As it is only fair that everybody should Sex
what the female poets Of the anti-WHRELEI
wing OF the Milwaukee school can do. WI
print the verses on Duty" which our cor
respondent sends US:
| Rich fruits of the Tree of Temptation
| Hang low on its boughs Of delight;
| Soft perfumes from half hidden blossoms
| To gardens OF pleasure invite
| Low strains Of bewilderns music
| Float in, like passionate plea.
| EncinH to summer rObed islands
| Where dreams shall realities be.
| "Spebound near these wooing snchautments,
| Held nrm by . pitilsss eye
| The soul from each quiverng abre
| Sends out in rebellion its cry.
| 20 Duty! why Ia It that always
| You stand with imperative uiten,
| Sword like two edged. and flaming,
| Ourselves and wishes bstwesnf
| "The pathways you point out narrow;
| The pleasures you offer tame;
| Give once the broad freedom Of nature
| Aud respite from round Of your name
| 4" No sign shows the face OF reienting,
| While words full Of mastering calinpsss
| Fall slow. - II conscious of might:
| ".Thou child OF the Earth o so ssrthyi