Huntsville gazette., 1885-10-10
POSING FOR EEFEcr.
The Outgrowth of Sickening Sentimental
ant,


The Outgrowth of sickening Sentimental
Fancies.
1t is to be assumed that all young
people have before them an open road
to fame as we'll as fortune. Therefore,
since it is the way of the wor} ID that the
heads of the multitude should turn to-
ward celebrated men and women as
they pass by, it is of the utmost import
ance that the said men and women
know how to comport themselves with
dignity in their prominent position.
There have been civilization
decree that none such exist in our day!
who have not been able to retain
their simplicity of heart and manner
when exposed to continual admiration.
They have. indeed, so far succumbed
to its effect as to conduct themselves
like persons composing tableau UiUant,
as if they were pledged never to relax
a muscle
The poet Byron is notable example
of this artificial manner of living. He
was probably really very unhappy
man, but it harmonized with his poetic
sensibilites to be thought more
wretched than he really was.
Thorwaldsen was at one time COM
missioned to execute his statue. and
when the two met for first sitting,
the poet at once assumed an expression
of countenance quite different from his
ordinary one.
"Will you not be quiet?" said the
sculptor. ''You must not make these
faces.
''But this is my expressionn' cried
Byron.
Thorwaldsen, however, succeeded in
catching likeness which, his friends
declared, was the true one, but Byron
was not at all satisfied with it.
'.It does not resemble me in the
least" Said he. II look more unhappy
than thdtn
Moreover, when, in dressing gown
and slippers, he might have been ex-
pected to throw off his poetic trammels,
he still studied the nature of the posture
to be assumed as attentively as if he
had been sitting for his picture. He
had morbid dread of corpulency, and
almost underwent the pangs of starva-
ton in his efforts to preserve proper
poetic fraglity. A tn slice of bread,
with a cup of tea, constituted his break
fast; .he then took light vegetable
dinner, and in the evening cup of
green tea. Impressed. with the idea
that poets should live upon air. he
often pretended to be more ethereal
than any mortal man could expect to
be-and live.
One night he dined with Rogers.
''Will you take soup?" asked the
host.
"No, I never eat soup" returned
Byron.
Another course was brought.
''Will you take tish?"
''No, never eat fish,
Presently the distressed host in
CURED
evil you have some mutton?"
mo, never eat mutton
1t seemed necessary, at that point, to
inquire what he could eat, and Byron
| returned:
Nothing but hard biscuits and soda
water
Some days after, Rogers, meeting a
common friend, asked:
''How long will Byron continue his
peculiar style of diet?'
Just as long as you continue to no.
tice it. was the shrewd answer.
Poor poet! Set up as target for the
worlds glances, and condemned by his
own vanity to keep the pose consid-
cred appropriate to that position! Let
us hope that the poet of the future-for
that altogether admirable individual
must now be in process of growing
uph-will take warning by the absurd
atfectations of his predecessor, and de-
termine to be man or woman; not a
puppet, worked by the string of senti-
mental fancies. = YOUTHS Companion.