Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-12-06
LORD IYTION, THE YOUNGER.
he Was an Ethical Refinement Upon His
Father.
Mem York World.

Nea0 York World.
Seldom has the law of heredity been
as fully exemplitied as In the life OF
young Lytton. He not only resembled
his father surprisingly in personal ap-
pearance, having the same long face,
sad-looking eyes, full beard and promi-
nent nose-but his mental construction,
mode OF thought and trick OF expression
were much the same. He refined
upon his paternal ancestor in
many ways, evincing under try
ing circumstances an ethical sense
which was his own; and his literary
work, viewed from any point, presents
not only plane and polish, but con-
scientious purpose and wholesome SEN
timent which, II at all apparent IN MS
fathers work, whether OF prose or poe
try, have there the appearance and Ell
feet of affectation. II has been alleged
that the young lords charming wife
had occasionally great difficulty in tom
ing down and CLOSING over his social &C.
centricities, yet it is gratifying to Know
that no ugly stories OF domestic infelic-
ity, such as smirched his fathers name,
were ever heard OF him.
Lord Lytton first acquired fame as
writer of poetry under the pseudonym
of "Owen Meredith" and no authors
early work ever attracted more curious
attention, q strange fact being that the
larger part of his first readers were
women-young women. Lucille" was
in every fair hand from the bejewelled
one of princess TO that OF the working
girl, and even school girls revelled In II
with delight which was only surpassed
by that OF their elders, who later COM
pared notes and reflections over the
dainty rhymes of "Aux ltaliens, ely
temnestra," and number other poems
preceded "Lucille," but the name OF
"Owen Meredith" first became familiar
after the publication of the latter. Inc
critics have divided as to the merit OF
this poem, as readers generally have
done, but it will stand as the best rep
resentative OF the authors metrical
skill and calibre, both as to technique
and thought. "Tannhauser" is far
stronger poem, displaying deeper
thought, broader philosophy, finer feel
ing and more exalted aim; but the theme
was one which precluded countenance,
whatever its literary charm, with that
gentle audience with whom the author
mad won afTectionate encomiums. Many
of his later short poems were hardly
above the line of mediocrity on which
the pieces which appeared simultaneous
ly with "Clytemnesta" were written,
which was when he was OF ly twenty
four years of age. OF such is the fol-
lowing, which, nevertheless, has found
place in many anthologies:
POSSESSION.
A poet loved Star,
And to 1T whispered nightly,
Being so fair. why art thou, love so tat!
Or why SO co!dly shine, who shinest so
brightly?
o BEAUTY wooed and unpossest!
o, might to this beating breast ,,...,,
But Gasp thee once, and then die biest."
That Star her Poets love,
So wildly warm, m ade human;
And leaving for his sake her heaven above,
His Star stopped earthward, and became
Woman.
"Thou who has wooed and hast possest,
My lover answer: " hich was best.
The Stars beam or the "oman's breast:'
u miss from heaven" the man replied
"a lieht that Grew my spirit 20 II.
Ard to The man the woman sighed,
81 mi from earth poet"
The same striking contrast in the
works of his fathers early life and
those he wrote in later years appeared
in the poetry Of Owen Meredith, though
he, unlike his father, had nothing in
his writings to regret and nothing TO be
ashamed ONO madly passionate etflor-
essence, no immortality. This he mar
rowly escaped, but he did escape iti and
so adroitly that he himself was proba-
bly, unconscious Of his artifice.
1t is likely, however, that Edward
Roberts immunity from social scandal
was the result Of social diplomacy. To
the man of the world" the following
audacious ebulltion is very significant,
doubtless:
News. news. news. my gossipping frIendsl
| have wonderful news ~ tell,
A lady, by me, her compliments sends
And this is the news ffom Hell:
The Devil is dead. He died resigned,
Though somewhat opprest by cares;
But his wife. my friends, is woman OF mind,
and looks after her lords affairs.
have just come back from that wonderful
And kist hands with the Queen down there;
But cannot describe Her Majesty's face:
IL has filed Inc so with despair.
I he place is not what You might suppose:
IL is worse in some respects,
But all heard there | must not disclose,
For the lady that told me objects.
The avs OF the land are not salique,
But the King never dies, OF course;
The new Queen is young, and pretty, and chtc,
There are women, think, that are worse.
But however that be, one thing know,
And this am free TO tell;
The Devil. my friends, Is a woman just now;
IT'S woman that reigns In Gell
The association Of scent with memory
"a psychological mystery-has never
been more delicately expressed than In
the famous poem, "Aux Italiens, where
I'm n stanZa occurs which has startled
many a lover with its suggestiveness.
This entire poem is so typical Of the
erotic and dominant element Of its
authors mentality and physical bent
that it may serve as ghostly photo
graph.
AUX ITALIENs.
At Paris it was. al the opera there;
And she looked like q queen in book that
night,
With the wreath OF pearl In her raven hair,
And the brooch on her breast so blight.
OF all the operas that Verdi wrote,
The best. to nv taste is the Trovstore;
And Mario can soothe. with tenor note,
The souls in Purgatory.
The moon on the tower slept soft as snow;
And who was not thrilled in the strsngest
As we heard him sing. while the gas burned
low
"Non q scordqr al meS"
The Emperor there, in his box OF state,
Looked er We; as il be had just tsen seen