The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1886-07-17
GEORGE ARNOLD AND FTTZ-JAMES
O'BRIEN.

Under the utle OF "lWO CUU0COrateU
Graves and Their Occupants," Mr..
John +. McCann contributes to the
current number of the Theatre an ac-
count of u visit on Decoration Day to
Greenwood Cemetery, with some res
flections suggested by the graves
of George Arnold and Fitz-James
O'Brien, Writing Of Arnold, Mr.. Mes
Cam says:
Had he lived he would now assuredly
be one of the shining lights in the lit
erary armament, for when he died, al
the age of 81, nc had written over two
hundred short stories, and nobody
knows just how many sketches, essays
and poems. But he, the author of
"The jolly Old Pedagegue' and
"Beer," appears to be forgotten. 1
found his grave under a lockwood tree,
in retired spot, one of four. On Il
block of marble, about four times the
size of tho Theatre, was cut, "George
Arnold. Born June 2lth 1884. Died
Nov. 8, 1866" Next to it "John s.
Arnold. Born Jan. 2, 1920. Died May
%, 1871" Next to that, "IIydia, wife
of George b. Arnold. Died Sept. Z,
1854. Age 53 years." Next to that Il
uduJClSSS SIuScy uuAS viz ASuSNu VI NnS
others. That was all. Not flower on
the grave around which stood, In No
vember, 1864, Thomas Bailey Aldrich,
William Winter, f. G. Stedman and
twenty other brilliant men. But when
1 left it modest littlo bunch of prim-
roses nestled in the grass. Not much
All, but he would have said,
l think. There was u
thrush singing plaintively in the box
wood overhead, while l was planting
the primroses, and one Of Arnold's last
songs ran through my head and out of
my mouth, keeping time to the mel
ody:
':To-day song is on my lips;
Earth seems paradise to mo
For God is good, and 10! my ships
AFRO coming homo from sea-"
From George Arnold's grave,
walked over mile to Fltz- James
O'Brien's, Arnoid's dear friend-au-
thor, poet, journalist and playwright.
He joined tho great procession four
years before Arnold, at the age of 80.
O'Brien's grave is in "Pope's Walk'-
the public plot. Tom, Dick and Har-
ry's graves are on each side of it--that
is, there are four na,neless graves on
the left of O'Brien's and two on the
right. Over his grave there is no sign
of shrub, bush or tree, only block of
marble, 2X3, which any lad of 10 could
carry with ease mile. On it is cut,
"Fitz James O'Bricn.'' That is all.
No date, age, or time OF death. And
yet, think of the purely literary work
of O'Brien! lie was contributor to
no less than forty periodicals, besides
doing journalistic work. l think that
there is no man to-day who writes as
artistic and dramatic short stories as
O'Brien wrote, and l have uarte, Aid
rich, Stevenson, Hawthorne, Crawford,
Lathrop, Scudder and all the lesser
lights in my minds eye. They are all
brilliant gentlemen aud charming tel
lcrs of tales, particularly uarte and
Aldrich; but O'Brien was something
more, as any one who is fortunate
enough TO read O'Brien's stories and
poems, collected by Mr.. Winter, will
say.
Aud here let me write that more
than one individual who enjoys fane's
literary einoluments To-day, draws in
spiration from FitZ-James O'Brion.
Just read Marion Crawford's in the
"Broken Shaft" collection, "The Ups
per Berth;" then read O'Brien's "What
Was 2" Then remember that
O'Brier's was written thirty years be-
fore Mr.. Crawford's. O'Brien was the
original "Man About Town" in Har-
per's Weekly, and he differed in this
respect from many Of his present -day
imitators he was always a gentleman
with pen in hand. lie would only
write of a man that which he would
say of him.
O'Brcin was II true poet. We do moi
see, every day, poems like "Sir Brasl'=
Falcon" and the magnificent Uhat is
the word) "Ode to Kane" in the mag
azincs or papers. Aud yet we Eave rs
good living poets and tellers of tales as
any country in the. wOrld-and we hav,
as poor. We hear very little of O'lSrier
now. Surely he must have knowr
good work even when it was his own
and surely the man who wrote these
delicious lines
"Pinll as the rOse was his skin so fair:
Round az tho rose bud his perfect shape
! And there lay light III his tawnoy hair
| Like the stn in the heart of bursting
grape!'
didn't think that he would b. fOrguiiei
almost, twenty-fuur years after hi
death.
Sam Jones has crawlCd out Of hi
trouble with the Baptists only to ce
himself dislikcd by the Mcihndi5ts