The Washington times., 1894-10-07


this later production CT Indiana soil; this de-
lineator OF lowly humanity. who sings with
so much fervor, pathos, humor, and grace,
receiving him warmly as poet and genius
who gets down into the heart of man in
most telling way. 1t is only fair to DIR.
Holmes and Poet Riley to state that the above
estimate is also the verdict OF the reading
public.
His new book, which will be issued by the
publishers tomorrow. is a miscellaneous col
lection of which ''ArmaZindy' is the feature
as well as the title. This mysterious title is a
relic of Indiana idiom, u coinage Of the
quaint, homely dialect of the common people.
In his own words his use OF it is as 1.-The name
OF the girl q heroine of the Hoosierie, if not
Homeric Iliad. in which l have traced the
thread Of gold through her homespun web OF
commonplace life, of personal immolation on
the altar of duty" 1t is simple story, laid
in the time OF the war, told in dialect. of in
valid mother, helpless aunt, young girl and
father At his countrys call the latter goes
to the front. leaving the child as the sole sup
port OF his helpless charges. He fights through
the war, but is killed in an accident coming
joyously home. The child struggles on, ac-
cepting all work, declining all charity.
Jes a child, one minute-nex
Woman-grown, in all respecs
And intents and purposuz-
ATS what Armazindy wuZ;
Jes a child tell We! Yit
She made things git up and git
Round that little farm o hern,-
Shouldered all the whole concern;
Feed the stock, and milk the cows
Run the farm and run the house
And I've heerd her laugh and say
'jes afOre pap marched away,
He says, i depend on you,
ArmaZindy, come what may
You must be a soldier, too!' "
Many great authors have, at some period
in bair VI n
other writers and issued their productions
anonymously. Thomas Chatterton in 1777
published certain poems which lie affirmed
were written in the fifteenth century by
Thomas Rowley, a monk. Ireland in 1896
published Miscellaneous Papers aud Instru-
ments" under the hand and seal of William
Shakespeare. He produced manuscripts
which he pretended were original. On April
., 1896 the play of ''Vortigern and Rowena,"
from the pen OF Shakespeare. was an
nounced for representation, and drew
crowded house. James Macpherson attrib-
uted to 0ssian the authorship of the epics.
''Fingal and Temora, issued in 1862 and
1868. The authorship was vehemently ques-
toned by writers like DR.. johnson and David
Hume.
Sir Walter Scott was so doubtful of the re-
ception of Waverly that not only the first
edition, but subsequent editions to the
amount of between II 900 and u 900 copies
appeared without the name of the author. 1t
happened in 1928 that no Waverly novel was
in readiness for the Leipsic fair. 4 cry arose
amongst the German booksellers-''Forge
oner' The thing was done. A German of
ultra dullness produced a novel entitled
''Walladmor" The book appeared in Ger
man as q translation from the original Eng
lish and in this character was dispersed
over Germany and across the sea to London.
James Whitcomb Riley. early in his career.
meet with the experience common to young
authors. particularly writers OF verse. Be-
lieving that his productions would have been
well received had they been written by an
author already famous, he decided to test his
belief by producing poem in imitation of
Edgar A. Poe and publishing it as a newly
discovered manuscript OF that authors. The
result was "Leonainie." written upon the
fiy-leaf of worn copy of Ainsworth's Latin
dictionary. This poem was first printed in
the Kokomo Qnd.) Dispatch by arrangement
with the proprietor Mr.. j. o. Henderson,
now auditor of the State of Indiana, who had
full knowledge of the facts connected with
this literary hoax.
1t was extensively copied and so clever was
the imitation that American and English re-
viewers aAd even an eminent authority like
Edmund Clarence Stedman pronounced it
genuine, and when the name of the real au-
thor was disclosed. Mr.. Stedman still main
written by Poe. This poem was James Whit
comb Riley's bow to the world OF letters. His
work had merit which the world was willing
to concede The following is the poem in full
as it will appear in "Armaaindy." The au-
thur has never permitted it to be printed in
his other volumes:
LEoNAISIE.
Leonainie-Angels named her;
And they took the light
OF the laughing stars and framed her
IN smile of white;
And they made her hair of gloomy
Midnight, and her eyes of bloomy
Moonshine, ana they brought her 10 me
In the solemn night
In solemn night of summer,
When my heart of gloom
Blossomed up to greet the conner
Like rose in bloom;
All for sbodings that distressed me
/ forgot as Joy caressed me
dying Joyl that caught and pressed me
In the arms of doomD
Only spake the little lsper
In the the angel-tongue;
Yet |, listening, heard her whisper
Songs are only sung
Here below that they may grieye you
Tales but told you TO deceive you
So must Leonainie leave you
While her love is young.
Then God smiled and it was morning
Matchless and supreme,
Heavens gloy seemed adorning
Earth with its esteem;
Every heart but mine seemed gifted
With the voice of prayer, and lifted
Where my Leonainie drifted
From me like dream
Numerous artists have submitted sketches