National Republican., 1884-10-04

coiyed and wrote the lines two years ago.
At least two lady correspondents have
come forward voluntarily to substantiato
Mrs. WilCOx's story, but their testimony
is Of very little weight. IL may
be assumed ns true that she wrote
Solitude" at the residence of Judge
Brady in Madison. Wis, under tho condi-
tions shc claims, but did she compose tho
lines2 Her lady friends cannot throw
tho faintost ray of light on that point.
They nave no means of knowing whether
the poem was her own conception, or
whether she appropriated rs her own an
anonymous composition found among hor
scrap book treasures. They only know
that she produced the manuscript of
Solitude" at the time and place given
that sho claimed to have written it;
and that IL was subsequently published as
tho creation Of hor brain.
Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox says sho
composed IL. Col. Joyce with equal posi-
tiveness says that he composed IL. If
Mrs. Wilcox tells the truth, Col. Joyce is
hll lhpbDbtls II NOls JO1iO btlin bht Niuhhf
Mrs. Wilcox is an impostor and literary
thief Now which is in tho right2 Tho
poem is pretty little gem, though it
would not have boon so widely read or gon-
orally discussed probably but for the dis
pute over its authorship. Mrs. Wilcox
claims that it was inspired by funeral ;
Col. Joyce that 1t was an emanation from
brain quickoned by vino and the gla-
mour of ffolic and boon companionship
under the gaslight Read the verses
Laugh, and the world laughs with you;
Weep, and you weep alone;
For this brave old earth must borrow Its mirth,
1t has trouble enough OF its own.
Sing, and the hills will answer;
Sigh 1t is lost on the air;
The echoes bound to II joyful sound,
But shrink from yoicing care.
Rejoice, and men will seek YOU
Grieve, 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 nectar'd wine,
But alone you must drink life's gall.
Feast and your halls are crowded.
Fast, and the world goes by;
Succeed and give, and it helps you live,
But no man can help you die.
There is room in the halls of pleasure
For long and lordy train;
But one by one we must all file on
Through the narrow aislcs of pain.
What is there feminine in the
thought that runs through these
lines? What is there in tho
poem that could be suggested by n
funeral2 Do you not detect in it the
aroma of champagne-the sparkle, the
bubble, and the inspiration of good wine
Plain 5-cent beer or sour-mash whisky
may have produced the intellectual ex-
hilaration that Col. Joyce is said to have
experienced ut the moment of his surren.
der to tho muse, but it may be put down
as certain that he was not fresh from q
graveyard. We will take it for granted
that vino was the tipplo on the occa-
sion referred to, and that Col. Joyce
wrote poem. Now, was it tho Solitude
claimed by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, or wa:
it something strikingly similar? He
will be given reasonable timo tt
further substantiate his claim to the
poem. If he does not soon come forward
with additional proofs he will lose tn,
temporary advantage he has gained
Time Is his fair opponents best ally. /
he cannot make his own case beyond al
j dispute he will only have succeeded IL