The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-07-27
Aft OF INSPIRATION.
The Way It Supplied a Wished.
For Poem.

y
less sentimental name than JohI
Thomas Augustus Brownrigg. Blu
names, like appearances, are deceptive
and the young man who bore the on
quoted was among the most senti
mental Of creatures. His wealgness--i
weakness it was--expresseds itself II
the particular form OF poetic effusion
From the early age Of six he had dab
BLEED in verses, and by the time he was
twenty-one he must have invoked the
muse TO the extent Of several reams o.
foolscap But hitherto the inappre,
ciative obdurncy Of editors aud pub
fishers had prevented his efforts from
seeing the light Of print; indeed. the
farthest he had ever got on The road To
publication WIS 10 pay the Authors
Alliance tlimitedJ twenty guineas for
bringing ont or, as IL proved, NOT
bringing ont volume Of his poems.
The Nworthy Brownrigg, however.
was not so easily tfaunted or nut out
Of conceit with himself. He rcmem-
bered Wordsworth and Keats, and how
the literary fraternity Of their day Ind
snuhbed them at the outset. True
geniuss he modcstly consoled himself.
though often secuted in its initial
stage, was sure TO find recognition NJ
the end; and he, Augustus BrowHrirp.
only had TO wait for ultimate sacceas
Once give him nm openias and he
wonld rnsh through Il irresistible "a
the ocean through breach IN 4 dam
This opening, the one thing neeafnl
for him, he tried for long. long time
/. ~ vain 70 get 5ut at length d favor,
able opportunity presented itself 81
the Kindness Of a friend he was given
an Introduction 10 the editorof 4 non,,-
lar monthly magazine; and this editor,
Eood-natured man, in ia unusually
good-natnred moment commissioned
him to write some versns on The dea4h
Of q leading minister Of the crown
which had Just then occurred III,
editor did Indeed, reserve to hims,.Ys
the right of re iectinQ the yersos n 49,,
We're not up to the mark. bae tins
caused Brownrigg no uneaslness v ,,nt.
ever Up to thc-maris, fprsoothn+
He was granted week III which H.
write the verses. orr day In this yyt.cl,
viz, the Saturday preceding the g,nos.
day on which, tho verses wer, N 4,
sent IN, the poet took MS u holrl,oy Nav.
ing SONG time back made IN ,.,,ra,yc-
ment with an old schoollfeltnw Via
was then in town for n few days. to
lunch with him at the "Cri. and tnan
go on TO matinee Of Henry WIZ
lie came up, therefore, from Galinr
where he lived, to keep his enqaye.
mcnt, and, after eopious ana elan.
crate lunch, repaired with his friend
to the Lyceum, finding Lfrpscn almost
too drowsy % enjoy the piece.
When 1t was oven nothirfr woula M.
isfy his friend but that they should 70
and split another bottle OF Champagne
at neighboring restaurant, which
they accordingly did And it was ret
ting quite late in the evening whom
Brownrigg hurried off to catch the.
train for Ealing which should ret
him home in time Tor dinner and thus
save him the outponrings Of patefnal
displeasure which always greeted him
when he was late for that meal
1t was the dead season In london
just then, Hence very few passengers
were about. The platforms of the I'm
foreground railway were almost de-
serted And the smoking compart.
ment, Into which our friend betools him
self at Gloucester road, presented the
unusual spectacle, at that time of day,
of being entirely empty
Brownrigg was glad of this. For the
effect Of the champagne and OF good
cigar had been to put him into dream
lily poetical frame Of mind, IN which he
relished the idea Of lying drowsily back
in the corner Of the carriage and
breeding over the verses in self-ab-
sorbed solitude. SO, as the train moved
out, he surrendered himself TO the
dreamy ianguor, half closing his eyes,
and waiting for poetical thoughts to
fail and entrance him
He had not been long il this lethar.
gic state, feeding his mind with high
inspiring thoughts on the great sub
ject which engrossed him, when actual
lines and verses began to shape them
selves in his brain, and gradually 10 tx
themselves there in theltangible TOWN
Of articulate words.
They seemed'to come to him with no
efforts at least, no conscious effort
On ms part, but, as it were, spontan-
eously; until five completed verses
verses, too, such as he had never hoped
- write had riveted themselves in Ma
memory - This, then. was
poetic inspiration. No rackinp II the
brain tor,ideas; no beating about for
FhSmes; no paltry drudgery with pen
and ink but simple surrendering az
ones selftodreamy meditativencss ana
q leaving Of all tile rest to The hehyen-
" muse!
Ealing Broadway had not been
terminus Rrownrigg would infallihfv
\ naVe oeen carried beyond his destina-
noh. For, as i was lie had to ~
reused by Q porter before ia COMA
awake from the dreams 81 poetry a
the facts Of practical life He rubbed
his eyes shook himself ana stepned
ont Of the trainS Those verses dreaa
fnl thought. had they vanished Viii,
his dream2 Mo- ,rhs,,i,
Heaven! ThAy were Still claar and
ireshfn his memory He would ca1.
mt them TO paper at once in case thev
might escape him So, taking Git his
PockNetpcok he wrote them down hasti-
y then ana there, being more tbap
ever truck with tie beauties 81 lFis
own muse as be saw them IN black ana
hhite Whist 4 Hit tl1ey Would MAKO
Nhg, they we're worthy IN
Iennyson hinSe iii
hesaid nothing u anyone about this
wonderful phase OF inspiratian ,yI,;,.l,