National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-10-21
GLOVE AND LAUGHTER"


BINGnAMPToN, N. Y, Oct. 20, 1sSi-CoL.
JonS A. JoYCE-My Dear Sir: Your letter of
the 10th instant requesting q statement of my
rccolleCtions about the origin of tho poem
"LOve aud Laughter is received.
j had hoped to remain in obscurity and
escape from taking sides in this controversy,
which has apparently assumed national pro-
portions, and 1t Is with reluctance that l COM
ply with your request.
think it was In the autumn of 1865 that
met you in the wine room of the Gait house,
in Louisville In company with George Francis
Train, Sojourner Truth, and the author of
"Beautiful Snow"-the name of the latter has
escaped my memory. II was suggested that the
place was not proper one for ladies', SO we
adjourned to the hotel drawing room, where
We we were met by Seer George D; Prentice, Henry
who was presented TO us as Miss Wheeler. Gen
Sheridan, | remember, was greatly impressed
with the author of beautiful Snow"-why
can not remember her name land was Wig
OrOus in his denunciation Of the wretch
who was la6oring to deprive her of
the credit of the authorship. You re-
marked that metaphysicians had dis
covered that two souls with but q single
thoughr might exist in literature as well
rs In love, and 10 demonstrate this 1t was only
necessary for two persons to get into complete
TdppOH and while in this condition for both to
Miss Wheeler fell In with this opinion, or,
MS you expressed It, 'tumbled to your racket"
and volunteered TO join you in an expert
mental test As no one had writing paper,
you drew from your side pocket four old en-;
velOpes / remember you Inodestly called
attention to the fact that they contained
respectively complimentary letters from John
| Bright, Victor Hugo, Alfred Tcnnyson, and
Henri Rocheiort You also had one from
| Gladstone, but for prudential reasons with
held IL, Nothing further was needed but to
secure that communion Of thought which was
essential to success, and you enjoined us TO
| keep perfectly quiet, while you proceeded TO
| turn down the gas in order 10 secure what you
called dim religious light" You then re-
| quested Miss Wheeler to place her left hand IN
yours and to lay her, head gently
on your shoulder while your right
arm tendery encitcled her waist. She
coquetishly "giggled" at this, ,whereuponl
| WatlersOn suggested that Love and Laughter
| would be an appropriate theme, 10 which you
| both nodded assent. ! next noticed that on
the coun!enance Of each appeared gleam OF
| which marks the first Eush of youthful love.
| seized the pencil and the old envelopes and
| Immediately you both began 10 recite in alter
nate lines the poem which has caused 80 much
unhappy controversy. l wrote 1t down as II
| fell from your lips, and, sngularly the pen
manship, although made by me, was not
mine, for the lines reclted by you appeared in
your bold, manly, ,ohirography, while the lines
! rcCitcd by Miss w, appeared In the graceful
petite penmanship which is characteristic OF
young ladies.
II thus appears that you are in part both
! right and both wrong, The poem was Joint
| inspiration, the result of peculiar psyChOogi-
cal conditions, pnd II is not ut all strange that
| each OfyOu should have believed himselfor her
! self to be the author Before closing, must not
| omit 10 state that the general insisted on "bap-
| tlzlng the poem" with bottle of 'Ike Cook 5
! Imperial" at that time fuvorite brand Of
native champagne. Hoping this will end all
further controversy ! remain, trlthlully'
/ yours, ELI PERKINS,