The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-12-09
LITERARY NOTICES.

POETRY AND SONG: BY James Gowdy
Clark Boston,: ID. LothrOp = Co.,
publishers. Cloth. $l.00.
This volume of $50 pages and nearly
one hundred songs and poems has been
in our hands for some time and we
have waited for just the free hour and
the free inspiration to give it such a
notice as its merits demand. The free
hour does not come and we must take
the time" asd trust to the book and
our memory for the inspiration.
In the ADVANCE of June 9th we
announced the forthcoming volume,
and it may he well to repeat here u
part of wha: was then said:
The friends of James &. Clark
throughout America will be pleased to
learn that he has gone to Boston to su-
perintend the publication of his poems
in book form by ID. Lothrop & Co. Mr..
Clark is known to all lovers of song as
the poet singer, the man who not only
writes original songs Of high order.
but who sets them to -exdAisite~tnusio
and sings them to delighted audiences
| with 4 sweetness and distinctness of
rendering surprising that Of the once
famous Russell and Dempster. Today
| he stands almost alone aS ballad
singer. lie has been called the Tom
Moore of America, but SO far as his
poems are concerned it would be nearer
| the truth to call him the Robert Burns
Or tn" General Massey of America
Clark's range is much wider than that
| of Moore. lie writes the stirring songs
of freedom and Of human rights and
progress. His songs are largely in the
line OF great reforms, while MOOre's
were rarely or never in that vein. Most
OF his songs moreover are inspired and
pervaded by profound religious senti-
ment and his music is often appropria-
ted by the churches and rendered in
church and Sunday school services.
For over thirty years Mr.. Clark has
been before the public as singer in a
three.fold sense, VIZ as poet, compos-
er and singer. Many others have been
noted during these years as ball,d and
song singers, but few bave combined
all these powers in one as Mr.. Clark
has done, viz: the ability to write poet
ry of high order, we'd it to exquisite
music and then render it vocally to de-
lighted audiences. Years ago the spirit
said to him, not only write but sing,
and he has obeyed it with fidelity. The
same spirit whispers ''go forth''
and thousands of souls are touched
and hearts are comforted as he goes.
Mr.. Clark IS not mere literary man.
He does not write merely to establish
a literary reputation or to produce a
work of art, though some Of his songs
are exquisite pieces of art. lie has a
mission, and that mission is to COM
fort depressed spirits; to aid the tenn
perance, woman suffrage, labor, and
other reforms; to sing out tile Old and
sing in the New. lie is one of the half
dozen poets of our age, who, like Ger
aid Massey, has his head bathed in the
sunlight of the New Dispensation,
while the world around his feet is still
in the darkness of the Past Night.
And, like the sky lark, he sings that
the dawn is at hand and those who
have ears TO hear, rejoice rs his song
falls from on high.
In 1861, the first year Of the civil
war, a poem fell into our hands, enti.
tied "I.eona." We were then publish.
ing our first newspaper, and this poem
was promptly transferred to our col
umns; and, much more, it was trans
ferred to our memory and our heart
1t kept singing, like the strains of al
Eolan harp, up and down the halls of
memory for years, and even to this day
We often hear it as we 60 about oul
busy everyday life. There were por
tions of it that did not need to b.
Learned by heart.' They clung al
once, at the first reading, words, mu
sic and all, and cling to this day
These are among the passages which
became part of us from the momen
Of reading:
"The moons silver hair lies uncurled,
Down the broad b, easted mountains away;
} Ere sunsets red glories again shall be furled
On the walls OF the west, DER the plains of tn
shall rise in limitless day.
"There is rest among roses too sweet for it
And life where the lilies eternally bloom.
In the BALM breathing gardens of God'
"Leona, good-by. Should the grief
) That is gathering now ever be
Too dark for your faith, you wi long for relief
And, remember, the journey, though Lonesome
Over lowiand and river, to me-"
Mr.. Clark has written stronger po
ems than this, and songs which hav'
touched the general heart more tina,
this one, but somehow this persists il
being our favorite. 1t was not unit
years aftermard, during Mr.. Clark
first visit to Worthington, that W.
learned that he was the author of lie
ona.'
Mr.. Clark has grouped his poem
and songs under the general titles o
"Patrlotic and National" "Songs AM
Ballads for Music, ""Spiritual Lyrics,
Love Songs and Poems," and mis-
cellaneous." His strongest and mos
ambitious poems are 1.-The Mount o
the Holy Cross, - The Infinite Moth
er, 1.-The Voice OF the People" ""Fre
mont's Battle Hymn" and eth
Boatnlan's Dream" The first thre
especially are unsurpassed by anything
; in American literature for combines
strength and finish. The first tw
named are literary tapestries of tn
very finest and richest texture, Will
{ the imagery, rhythm, etc. wrought int
the pieces, are exquisite.
These will add much to Mr.. Clark
fame as poet, but his fame still
rests, as it has for years, upon hi
, songs. And those which have bee1
sung most, all over the land, in halls
churches and homes, not only by MI
CLARK but by the people, are 1.-The OF
!, Mountain Tree' 1.-THE Mountain