National Republican., 1884-09-15
ELLA WHEELER vs.. J. A. JOY oE.


~ Vtc EdUoFs
have Just read the remarkable fiction when
appeared In your issue of Sept. concerning
the authorship of my poem, SOLITUDE"
The paragraph credits the poem to Col. John
A. Joyce, who is said TO have dashed 1t of on
an old envelope in the wine room of the Gait
house in December 1889.
can readily believe that tho author OF this
astonishing fabrication had passed the entire
night In the aforementioned wine room, when
his stimulated Imagination gave birth to such
an atrocous statement.
Tho poem "Snlltude" never saw the light
until February 1883. / wrote IL Feb. 10 of that
year I'm the library at the residence of Judge
A, B Brady, Madison, Wis.
The first four lines of the poem canlc TO me
at q reception given by Gov. Rush, Of Wiscon-
sin.
had that day met friend who was in great
sorrow. | had felt sincere sympathy for her
,dufing the interview, but In the gayelieS oi
the evening she and her grief passed wholly
irOm my mind, and ! gave myson up 10 the
pleasures of the hour.
As n thought OF her suddenly REQUIRED to
me, rebuktdg me for my mirlh, these iouf
lines came to my mind from that mysterious
and unknown source whence poems do come:
| Laugh and the world laughs with you,
Wecp and you weep alonei
| For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,
But has trouble enough of its own
On my return TO the home of my friends
| repeated the lines, and both Judge Braloy and
his wife urged me to complete them, saying
'lf you finish the pocin rs 1t began, 1t VIII
| be one of your finest efforts"
did complete II, and sent Il to the New
| York sun, where It appeared the following
| sunday, think. The old files Of the sun viii
prove my statement and my Madison friends
| will recall the incidents mention, as they
have frequently referred to them since the
| poem became SO famous.
l challenge any one TO produce well au-
| thcntiCatcd copy of the poem, written or
printed, dated earlier than Feb. 10, 1883
II is embraced In my collection, Poems OF
| PASSIONS" published by Belford e Clarke,
Iconsider il one Of my strongest efforts, and
! agree with the author Of the paragraph "
Saturday S REPUBLICAN, "thc authorship should
be known" ELLA WHEELER WILCOX.
MERlDEN, CONN, Sept. 10, 1881.
The poem and remarkable fiction" to which
| the fair poetcss of passion alludes, heading
and all, was the following;
"LAUoH AND THE WORLD LAUGHS"
The following poem has gone the rounds of
| the press for many years, under credit OF
anonymous" In December, 1862, IL was
written by Col. John A.. Joyce, at the Gait
| house wine room at | o'clock In the morning,
| ut the request of the celebrated George d..
Prentice Mr. Prentice and Maj. Miller, pro.
| priotor of the hotel, who had spent n social
evening with Col, Joyce lat that time adIutant
of the 9th Kentucky, bantered him TO write
| Accepting the banter, the colonel wrote these
words on the back of an envelope given him
| by Prentice. 1t Is gem of its kind, and It's
authorship should be known:
Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
| Weep, and you weep alone;.
For this brave old earth must borrow its mirth,
| II has troubles enough of its own.
| Sing, and the hills will answer;
| Sigh 1t is lost on the air;
| The echoes bound to Il joyful SOUND
But shrink from voiclng care.
| Rejoice, and men will seek you;
| Greive, and they turn and go.
They want full measure OF all your pleasure,
| But they do not want your woe.
| BE glad, and your friends are many;
| BE sad, and you lose them all;
| There are none to decline your nectard wine,
But alone you must drink liic's gall.
| Feast and your halls are crowded;
Fast, and the world goes by;
| Succeed and give, and II helps you live,
But no nun can help you die.
| There Is room in the halls of pleasure
| For long and lordly train;
| But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aisles of pain.