Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-26
from the New York Star.l

from the New York STAR
Many of the honest old farmers whit
still reside in the little town of Hudson
Mich, remember the ruddy-faced son o
/ Farmer Carleton, whose youthful poetl'
| fancies were from time TO time served
up to them in the columns of the loca
newspaper. Yet how few. indeed, if an,
of them ever dreamed that before score
of years had cycled into eternity the name
of this self-same boy would be house
hold word in thousands of the homes o
America.
The boy poet, who jngled everything
| into rhyme at as early an age as years
received but little encouragement from
his parents or the denizens OF his native
town. His father, a plain, practical far
mer, though noted among all his associates
as a man of intellect and sagacity, wa'
not slow to opine to mis- son (what wai
the TRUTH that his poetic fancies were al
obstacle to his agricultural usefulness. He
was a lover OF good literature. and ever
praised one or two OF his sons production!
upon which his eyes CHANGED to fall, blu
the thought that the instincts of success
full authorship were implanted in the
minds of any of his children never oc
cured to him. He, however, did all in
his power to give the boy = good educa
ton. believing that this would be an ad
vantage to him in any event The mother
was OF a more romantic and fancitul turn
of mind and from her the young rhyme
ster would occasionally receive d specia
word or two OF commentator Tor his Ell
forts.
At the age of the future poet toddled
into the district school house. Here he
received his first lessons. The child soon
manifested an aptness for learning, which
so developed itself that. in few years,
he was sent to high school three miles
from home. Here he studied Latin and
higher mathematics, and, under the tuition
OF competent instructors, mastered technl-
cal problems in algebra and geometry. AT
the age Of 16 he taught a school of 50
scholars. receiving therefor SIG per month
which income, with more, earned similar
ly and dissimilarly, was used toward de-
fraying the expenses of an education IN
Hillsdale college, where he completed a
course of study and whose degree OF "A.
M" he bears.
81 remember said the poet laughing
ly few evenings since at his home to a
Literary Leaves" representative, with
what breathless expectancy awaited the
appearance of my first poem in cur village
paper. 1t was a great event in my life
when it came out in print. and | saw my
name attached to a poem !"
"What was your first poem P" was
asked.
WHAT may really be called my first po-
etic effort was written ii 10 years of age.
aud was a letter in rhyme. My older SIS
ter was at boarding school; she had writ
ten for some OF the papers and maya
zines. both in prose and poetry, and
thought | would show her that she had
not carried away with her all the atflatus
of the family. heard of neighboring
young man who could write letters in
rhvme. and so | thought | would under
take the same feat. did up every
thing at the farm and in the vicinity in
choice doggerel, and mailed it to her. A
precious young goose she must have
thought me. | represented her favorite
horse as about to die of melancholy, be-
cause she was not there to ride him; told
her the trees and flowers were all perish.
ing because she was not present to smile
upon them, and killed off two very worth,
and healthy nelghbors because their names
happened to rhyme with some word of 9
mortuary character. The whole letter
was widely sepulchral in its nature, ano
half amused and half scared the young
lady. remember that it closed with thes,
pathetic lines: