Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-29

ana brought out IN the summer OF 1870 J.,
a joint volume entitled "Madrigals
Songs and Sonnets, by J. A. Blake and
E. W. Gosse. Mr.. Gosse tells me he
doubts if dozen copies of this first VEN
ture were ever sold; but it was not GER
tainly thrown away, for it introduced
him to Rossetti, Swiubourne, and others
brought him into that literary atmos-
phere for which he had always longed.
The first editor to accept one of his ar
ticles was Froude, at that time one of
the editors OF Fraser's Magazine. Be-
fore this Gosse had sent articles to one
magazine and another, and had them re-
turned to him, as befalls most youthful
scribes. He hardly expected better luck
with the manuscript sent to Froude, but
very speedily came, by way of answer,
the proofs of the article for correction :.
1t was the beginning of his success. l
wonder il anything has ever given him
quite such glow of satisfaction since?
In 1871 he made his first Journey 10 Nor
way, and wrote for Fraser's an account
of his adventures in the Lofoden islands
About this time, also, he began to write
for the Spectator. In 1872 he Travelled
through North Germany and Scandiva-
via, and met Anderson Bjornsen and
other Northern Lights"
In 1873 he published "On Viol and
Flute, - the first book of poems for
which he alone was responsible, and it
brought him immediate and deserved
recognition as poet. In the next year
he was employed on the editorial staff of
the Examiner, besides frequently con-
tributing to the "Academyb and the
Saturday Review. AS his first poetical
venture in company with Blake had
won for him literary friends, so his Sec
ond, "On Viol and Flute,' won for
him, in way, that dearest friend of
all, his wife. Lawrence Alma Tadema,
the great artist, read the book, liked it,
and asked the young poet to his house.
and at the hospitable Tadems mansion,
on the Regents park, Gosse met Miss
Nellie Epps, Mr.. Tadema's sister, to
whom he was married in 1875, when he
was only tWenty-six. Mr.. Gosse's has
been an exceptionally happy marriage.
Some of you in America have the pleas
ure of knowing Mrs. Gosse; and you
know in her a warm hearted, sympathe-
tic, altogether charming woman, in
whom the heart of her husband NAV
safely trust. 1 have seen on the fly-leaf
of book l CHANGED to borrow of Mr..
Gosse, poetical inscription to his wife,
SO beautiful as poetry, so true in feeling,
that venture to copy it for you. 1t will
tell you, better than l could possibly tell
you otherwise, how truly this poet has
been lowered with the very love of love:
TO NELLIE GossE-Nov. u, 1879.
If womanhood were like the rose
That with a myriad blossoms blows,
AL fair alike in sweet consent
OF form, perfection, hue and scent,
So that the gardener scarcely knows
Flower-head from flower head, richly blent-
Yet would my heart at once divine
Your presence by q secret sign,
And to that single flower incline.-[E. W. G..
Art is good, and fame is good, and
fellowship of friends Is dear; but surely
the best gift of the gods is perfect love
the love of election, aud of profoundest
sympathy, such as these lines express.
The Gosses live in a pleasant home in
Delamere Terrace, near Westbourne
square, and there on Sunday afternoon
you are sure to find some of the most in
teresting people in London.
In the autumn of 1884 Mr.. Gosse and
his wife went to America, where the poet
mad been engaged to deliver courses of
lectures before the Lowell institute of
Boston, and the Johns Hopkins univer-
'ity: besides various single lectures else
where. No man, think, ever made
more friends in single visit to America
han did Mr.. Gosse. In Boston he was
he guest of william d. Howells, and in
Washington Mr.. Bancroft and General |
Sheridan were his cicerones. Everywhere |
le said what was best, and, 1 am happy |
o say, he brought away most pleasant |
of his American cousins.
The American language astonished |
II El,al Lao IT, E,
hat railway station had become q |
'depot; washhand-jug was a
pitcher; luggage had turned into |
baggage; q lift had acquired the
Lightly of an ''elevator, - and an en-
zine had enlarged itself into ''loco-
motive. - He found out, too, that |
Democracy is q real thing in ''the
tates.
Just before Mr.. Gosse's visit to
america he had been appointed to sue
eed Mr.. Leslie Stephen as Clark pro-
essor of English literature at Trinity
ollege, Cambridge, post he will have
eld five years next October, at which
ime he will resign it. I have neglected
o say that on the very day of his mar
iage TO Miss Epps, in 1875, he received
a unsolicited appointment as trans
1tOA " tho bOdTu VI tTdu6V Win
salary of e4OO $4,000. This appoint
lent still holds; and l am told the gov
rnment has no more thorough and
official. Busy as he is in
terature-accomplishing more both in
'riting and in study than almost anyone
know-Mr. Gosse not only has never
eglected in the slightest degree the
uties of his post, but he has attended to
hem with unusual fidelity and eff
iency.
l think he would rank as second only
D his marriage, among the blessings of
is life, his intimate friendship with Mr..
Justin Dobson. Both Gosse and Dobson
elonged to the board of trade, and Mr..
tedman, in q charming article about
Some London Poets, " which he con-
-ibuted to Harper's Magazine, spoke of
hem as ga brace OF singing birds
hien smooth bore brings down at one
i'm. 1t is very rare thing that
apricious fortune so fsvors an in
mate friendship as in the case of these
yo poets. Cougenial in taste and in
engaged in the same pur-
Tits, they not only live in the same
own, in the midst of the same circle,
ut the very business of their lives COM
els them to elbow each other. And |
heirs is an intimacy that knows no
eariness or safety, and only gains
ba ]