St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-08-26
SAMUEL WOODWORTiI.
n Neglected American POet-Autho
of "The Old Oaken Bucket"


stress of great feeling, has reached a fame
that was denied to those more prctcntious
productions in which was crnbp,licl the
fruit of deep research, and over which
were spent hours of careful thought and
conscientious toll.
John Howard Payne, the brilliant cs-
sayist, dramatist and poet, is forgotten
in the author Of the Single
charming lyric, ''IEome, Sweet
Home And all the fame that
Samuel Woodwork, poet, editor and
novelist, ever received is merged into q
reputation he achieved as the author Of
The Old Oakcn Bucket.'
Samuel Woodwork was born January
10, 1885, in Scituate, Plymouth County,
Massachusetts. His ancestors were early
inhabitants of this place. lis youth was
distinguished by his fondne,s for poetry
and books. After q meagre common
school education, which ended at the age
of IA, he was placed under the Rev. Nehe-
miah Thomas for another year ) study.
His family, however, were poor and
he was obliged to 90 out into the world
and do for himself. Going to Boston,
he bound himself to Benjamin Russell.
editor of the Columbian Sentinel"
During his premiership, which lasted
until 1906, he adopted the nom dc plume
of "Seline," under which signature he
sent his poetic illusions to the different
periodicals of the day
While working in the printing office
he published a Juvenile paper, '''he
fly In 1904 he made the acQuaint-
ance of another young brother poet, in
the person of John Howard PAYNE. The
friendship begun SO early lasted through
life.
Going to New Haven he published
$500 the "Belles Lettrcs Rcposto1y.n
The next year he went to Baltimore, and
contributed to various papers in that CITY.
An invctcrate rover, the year 1909 saw
him in New York, where he was married
year later. During the war Of 1912, he
conducted 1.-The War;" New York
weekly paper, whose speciality was de-
tailed accounts of American victories. 4
follower of the doctrines of Sweden
borg, he was, about this time editor of
the New Jerusalem Missionary aud In
tellectuai Repository" In 1916 he wrote
novel entitled, "Champions of Free
dom," based on the war with Great
Britain. This novel was published in
two volumes. It was followed by The
Confessions ola Sensitive Man." He also
wrote several plays, and an opera, the
"Forest Rose,' which had considerable
vogue in its day. Among the papers he
edited were: ''The Casket, " The Par
thcnon" and THE Literary Gazette.' In
1923, he was associated with George p.
Morris in the establishment Of the ''Ncw
York Mirror
Ia regard to the oG-disputcd origin of
the 'Old Oaken Bucket" George NJ
Young, in sketch of Woodwork, pub .
lished in the New England Magazine"
January, 1892, gives the following YER
sion, on the authority of a Wcmber OF
Woodworths family:
'Ihe poem was written in the summer
of 1917. The family was Twin. at that
time in Duane street, New York. The !
poet came home to dinner one very
warm day, having walked from his
office near the foot of Wall street.
Being much heated with the exercise, he
drank glass of water from the pump,
exclaiming as he placed the tumbIer On
the table: That is refreshing: but how
much more refreshing would it be to
take good drauyht this day from the
old oaken bucket | lett hanging in my
fathers we'll at home Hearing this,
the poets wife. who was also sugges- /
tive body, said Seine, why would
not that be pretty subject for poem?
The poet took the lines, and under the !
inspiration of the moment sat down and
poured out from his heart the beau
tiful lines of the poem"
In 1896 he suffered stroke of paralv- .
sis, from which he never fully recovered. /
He died Dec, 8, 1912, aged 81. His
public life was married by great many
universities, but the happiness of his |.
domestic existence more than balanced /
his many trials. A kinder father never
lived than he was to his ten children.
The present writer remembers to have
seen once in an old book store an old
volume entitled "Old Merchants of New I
York, written by one Barrett, in which ;
there was passage concerning Wood /
worth, and the mad poet, Mcdonald |
Clarke, who, it seems were friends. The !
passage was to the effect that some New
York retail house-dry goods. prcsum-
ably employed the talents of the two
unfortunate poets to celebrate in verse
the wares sold over its counters. If this
be true, and there is not much reason to
doubt it, 1t is another painful illustration
of how many man of fine literary abi-
ity has been Obliged to lend his genius
to these cheap occasions that promised in
return the means of procuring the neccs-
saries of life
When John Howard Payne returned to
America in 1882 from his foreign histri-
onic and literary successes, the literati of
New York City rendered him dinner.
The dinner took place on Dec. 1 of that
year. Woodworth. Paynes old friend,
wrote an address of welcome for the oc-
casion, which was rccitcd by J. !.
Adams, a prominent actor of the time. 1t
is fitting to conclude this sketch with Sc
lections from it. For those selections
we are indebted to Gabriel Harrisoa's adj
mirable work, "Thc Life of John Howard
Payne"
PAYNE'S WELCOME.
Braid the wreath, the chaplet Irvine,
Weave the laurel with the vine,
Taste and mirth shall here combine
TO grace our revelry
Native genius claims our praise.
Tell his worth in tuneful lays,
Crown him with ershadowing bays, y
d