New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-31
WILLIAM BfRNES.
ruoaAsH,RDY SKETCHES THE OLD POET


Until within the last year OF TWO there were
few figures more familiar tothe eye In the county Town.
of Dor-et on market ay InG In and
buckei shoes. with leather satche Sung over MS
shoulders ana $40 s Of Of tne street TO the pave.
m.ut and thinking OF matters walch hou notnns
70 do with the scene before MIN. He rlOddh along
wit "A bro al I'm r~ad wlths andng the sgnt stOop
occa.Iou-d ny his years. Every saturday morning he
soutn It, his shoes coated with mud or dust according
10 hs st te OF bet ~ecn his rural nome nld
reache the four ways the centre Of the town
Hal ing here, opposite the public clock ne wouid pun
great precision 10 London line Tuis, the lnVaIiaDe
fret Of bis market VISIT having deem conpeted 10 us
flctlon ne ed round and methodealy prOceeded
a"9nt III or.p and wecharactrrlzcd man was
william Barnes .he Dorsstsnire poet and pholoeer b,
wboss dcatn last Sek at tne ripe age o ri2hysx tue
world has lost nt ony yrG writer Oh n
rresent ami past forms of rural lie mat Eugland
nos.sed The date of ns birth at the very BEGINNING OF
e century is less ex planatory Of mis- almost unique
o.tion IN this than the rriaOtrness even from
Contemporary provincial civilization, OF the pastoral
reressrs in which earlier were p.ssei-places
with waoss nov obsolete customs aud belief, his nina
was naturally imbuoL To give one las anco OF tle
frmsr tariness events In That rt OF tue country IL
US day aim hls remembrance when, amidst
ont rhs street. with Drooms in honor Of Its Arrival
sacs made its first entry into sturnnster newton
tho little market town nearest 10 tue hamlet u bAsnere,
80 nou,e of MS arents Aud there Used TO come to
little bridge, close his fathers door, I'LL qnife recently
- cnniuror or white wizard who cured ainlotel
arso5s py OF tina bag "a small piece or linen
having ub from LIVING toad sewn up Inside 10 ne
worn rouni the sufferers meek ana next us oh, tpe
xiching movements OF nich limo gave, so II was said,
"a tlru " to the blond o. the wearer, ana enectea
"a iiea oh Al so IN his constitution
nnrn al long ago as February d. 1900 Q80l has been
gwen but / believe incorrectly ami sucn sur round
,n,s thorough OF the soil, ehd0Eed Win Great
eness and powers of Osser5aton Is no wonder
that became complete repsrtoy 4a 'Vrso,sen
manners. words aud santlnents, store WHICH he ALTER
a. Ri turned snch good u+e In his VIKINGS on ancient
M sn in the systsnstic study OF his native dialect,
as result OF which he mas shown tho world that lar
, asn IL is distinct peh OF 1rutonc speech,
reesl.r in dscension AMI conugaton ana rcrI III many
% st.nce o. the Iatt he o to mention tho pro-
noIus with particular pride, there being no FEWER than
20 He wouli also instance any natural object such
a. tree show that thers we're douolo ths numbar OF
names different parts in tue Dorset dialect 10 those
AVAILABLE 10 tue standard tongue -
Tnomgh Barness nrst practical step in life had brough
MIN ~ Inc office OF solicitor, MS Instincts were toward
ri ion aud when, come years later he had become
well settled county town he oPeped school AS
~ he fairly successful from the frSt and
~. degree ana took orders. the school grew
bt,hy popular Ii was during this perioi-from early
a. lie fortias onward that hs wrote at Intervals the
arsi second, and third serbs OF those sweet rustic
lie used tell amusing stry OF MS expel lence Oh
renauisnias the ssn,o az dorchester 10 retire 10 tue
.naed bts days About the very week OF his translation
s sn tie e the
ration list wide proportion OF marks separatns u
I'M keep terss them In those days, and the Ne
oarnine Mr. Barnes deused with letters from al
aar OF the country requesting him at almost any prie
70 tsss ia numrrabs sons, and produce upon rhem th
samn suocsssful effect told them 1t took two to dt
-" he would cay, adding, Thus a popularity which
had never Krown during the working years OF my III
came al al most the arst moment When IL was nj
| loDser OF use TO ma .,.
Unlike Burns BeranTer and other poets OF the people
Ne Harness ne YER assumed the hRa convontona sly 10
ani he enurely Leaves sone AMBITION pride, Despair
dsnans- ana other the grsnier passions which moy
mankind great ami small HIS rnstios are as q rue
hanny people aud seldom felt tho sting OF tne res
| ~ tnodern uIankind-ths disproporton ostwoeh th
Jesr. for seren ty and the power or obtaining ~ Oh
nstrly thinks OF CaDbr In this connecticut Dut thouH
thew fo1ch at points, Crahbe goes mnoh further ths
Harnes In 1uestyning the Iusos OF circumstance Ihe
uaIho. after ALL Is ths attriDate upon whluh the porh
nut demand for their endurnneei AID the incident
xbich oulbofy 10 those or everyday oJttago hI'
tnged throug h0ut with that ient that never was,
wneb the envtona art OF tho yrist can project upo
the con monest tut ies ft Il npOssibc 70 proPuss,
INT surely much English literature VIII be rorgotto
| wnen Woak Hi Is s real for It's Intense patho'
.Blacknore Na,dans for Its blithouess, and IN W
| Spying for its Arcadlan etstasy.