The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1886-12-20

yes" said Mrs. James Brown Potter,
few days ago. II am going to France
for the winter" She had just returned
from six-mile walk around Tuxedo
Lake, and as she sat in the pretty parlor
of her cottage her checks flushed with
exercise, her eyes bright with health,
her stately figure clad in II yachting suit
which had pleased the taste of the Prince
of Wales at COwes last summer, she
seemed more than worthy of all the
praise which has been accorded her re-
markable beauty. 1t is not" she con
tinued "from any disloyalty to my ma.
tive land that | hurry back to Europe.
An American is always an American.
But my uncle. you know. is at present
our Minister to France, and | shall take
advantage of that fact to spend the win
ter in Paris. want Ia study the French
language and literature and French art
AT the very fountain heads. You see |
have been II good deal of u traveller and
wandering about Is II habit which grows
on one. have been to the Holy Land.
Mr.. Potter and | spent "A Fourth of July
two years ago just across the Arctic Cir
Gle in Norway. We were looking for
the midnight sun and found starvation.
We were showed up for n long time and
had nothing to eat for ihirtysiX hours
l shall leave New York for France on
the Gascognc on the 9th of November
Meanwhile | have u great many duties
engaging my attention. You know am
publishing book Of recitalions for the
use of amateurs. 1t will contain about
seventy-iive pieces which are. in my
opinion, especially fitted to interest an
audience. An audience doesn't care to
listen to long descriptions. No matter
how well poet may paint the beauties
of nature, his verse will never be popu-
lar for Rotations unless he has the dra-
matte instinct. An audience grows rest
less if you do not talk to them of people,
of human life, of something besides land
scapes and metaphysics. An audience
demands from reciter a story of every
day existence, something which every
man and woman within hearing knows
to be true in conception if not in fact"
"And "Ostler Jo,' you have him on
the listI' was asked.
ooh, yes; and a few poems which have
never yet challenged public criticism.
Mrs. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, who, by the
way, is charming lady. came out here
to see me and said. before she left. that
she would write me poem adapted to
recitation. She has sent il to me and
am delighted with it. 1t is destined to
be very popular, 1t is called Two Sin
ners,' and Illustrates the tendency of So
ciety to forgive man who goes wrong
while 1t remains unrelenting towards a
woman who errs. The poem is both
musical and dramatic and will be one of
the striking features of my book. The
Lippincotts, of Philadelphia, will bring
out the little volume about the LIST of
December have had to write to the
American authors whose poems use for
permission TO publish their verses. am
In receipt of some delightful letters.
Whittier, SAKE and John Hay are among
those who have written me. The latter
sent me most charming note. His Jim
Bludsoe' / am very fond of, as am
Southerner, you know. The Prince Of
Wales never tired of this piece and often
asked me to recite IT, Mr.. Hay, among
other things wrote that when he heard
Charlotte Cushman recite Jim Bludsoe'
he wondered who wrote it. Mr.. elders
After Sorrows Night was also very
popular In England. 1t was surprising
to me to find the English so enthusiastic
about my simple method Of delivery.
They seem to admire quiet and SUBJ
dued manner In an elocutionist much
more than do my own countrymen. A
peculiar thing happened to Inc not long
ago. A Mrs. Runcie, from somewhere
out West, called on me one day and said
that she had travelled 1000 miles to ask
me to use her poems in my Rotations.
! have chosen for my book poem by
her called TO My Love- which think
will please the public. think my col
lection ought to be very useful to anna
teur elocutionists, as It Is the result Of
years Of sitting from hundreds Of recita-
tive poems. The Prince of Wales has
written to me asking for the first copy,
which shall be sent him. am going to
dedicate the little volume to Browning.
l am very fond of Browning. In reply
to my letter asking him If might dedi-
cate my book to him received to-day q
most charming note. He says; "Your
pleasant piece of kindness finds me away
from home, but make haste to answer
that shall be honored and what Is bet
ter) gratifed by the proof you propose
to give me that have not wholly drop.