The record-union., 1891-09-12


have never favored it. / once knew a
man who tried to bleach his whiskers,
and was so successful that they came out
easily, roots and all, and he actually
changed his name, hunted up his di-
vorced wife, and married her again. But
this is the only case of that kind OF which
am cogniZant of at the present writing.
And now come the last four stanzas,
which require no comment. To the
shallow-minded reader they may appear
somewhat ambiguous, but this is simply
the effect produced 10y the condensation
of great truths into little space. and the
broad-minded reader will fiEd them use
full in willing away dull and tedious
hours, when tiddledewink, clap-in-and-
and other brain developing games be-
come irkSome.
think have commented sufficiently
to make Pearls meaning perfectly plain
to the reader. The poem contains some
very great truths. Its philosophy is per-
feet, and there is plenty of it. 1t contains
streaks of originality. too, and is not a
plagiarism, but it squeezes the honors
pretty closely with old man Tennyson. Il
would advise the author to keep her eye
peeled, and when somebody living out OF
her nelghbOrhood dies, write few lines
I'm Memoriam,n and send them to the
dlsinherited relations. 1t would cheer
and soothe them to a great extent. But,
by the way, almost forgot the last four
verses:
Yet, too, we all are fully aware
That we must all have cares and woes;
AL persons must surely share alike,
Having their friends and foes.
By faith let US watch for the coming day
Not the wisest of us can tell
The unseen life is going to be saved
When ready he'll gather his loved ones to
dwell.
Why not be happy in his and her way,
For no thought can express nor tongue can
tell
What may happen to us from day to day
Let US all do something and do it well.
Then let US wait and be content,
And weep not over the sod;
we snail meet again-face to face,
In the wonderful land of Nod
think, indeed 1 am certain, that Pearl
is, If her folks only knew it, a pearl OF
great price, and | am glad that she has
honored me by forwarding her poem tc
me for inspection, and that it is, through
me, given to an appreciative public, is g
source of extraordinary pleasure. But
that IS the way it always happens. am
SO we'll known to the brainy people Of
California that they place great conf
dence III me, knowing that l shall deal
kindly with them, and help them along
as far as l can toward that prominence
which | have attained. I anticipate the
reception Of more gems of poesy from
Pearls graphic and philosophical pen, OIL
pencil don't care what she writes with
Go 1t, Pearl, and if any hard hearted
thick-headed, calloused editor ever
mauis you to death with a club,
or painfully pushes the waste
basket at you, telling you to
insert it yourself" just let me know
who he is, and 1 swear, by the shades OF
me own most noble descendants, thou
shalt be avenged!
have noted, with scarcely suppressed
eXclamations of delight, that California
poets are rapidly coming to the front, SO
much so, that in a few years we shall
eclipse, in this line, the poetical products
OF all other States, and turn out bards
and poet laureates like hot cakes from a
griddle. | sometimes do little poetical
skit meself-just sit down and dash off a
few brilliant epitaphs, epigrams, odes and
elegies, which always bring big prices
and are eagerly sought. At present am
held under contract by the proprietors
of Jigger's Coffin Varnish, and cannot
write poetry for the current journals and
periodicals; but the proprietors, believe.
contemplate reversing the contract, which
will give me an opportunity to do little
reversing on my own hook, and add to
the already large sales of the varnish
aforementioned. A. Y. HOFFMAN.
Fillmore, Ventura County, Cal.