The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-08-11
LITERARY.
PALMER cox AND THE BROWNIES

Mr.. Cox is a native of Cranky, l'rnV-
iuce of Quebec, whero he WAS born On
his fathers fam III 1910. i!o is bach
clor, with a studio OH Broadway, where
he smiles a Welcome to his admirers,
young and old, who call on him in
"BrOwuielaud.' How the Brownies
came to the poet arts. is told III the
-NaI aHd Express. When q Toy be lived
far up III the north Of Ctnada. lie had
dear old Scotch ne * hor who knew a
great deal about folk lore.
II the long winter evenings she would
sit and tell old Scotch legends, among
them the traditions OF the Brownics-a
band of little brown men who lived in
tho wood, and at night not only gambeled
aud play ed all sorts Of misceieyHus
carers, but were always ready to iInlp
those III zeal trouble Palmer Cox
thought a great deal about these little
brown men ard longed for IA glimpse OF
them. AT school he pictured them on
his slate Instead of doing his arithmetic
lesson. The fly leaves of his books the
wall Of his room, even the fences, as well
as slate and porer, showed signs Of his
tell tale pencil.
When be became man, although ne
still kept his love for drawing and books
Mr.. Cox did not follow bis inclination.
Realizing the struggles to be met By
artist or author, and having "a livelihood
to make, LIE devoted himself TO business.
He driited to California; where an artist
who saw his work advised him to place
himself under instructors aud to seek il
market for his productions. He wrote
stories for the periodicals in San Fran
cisco from 1868 to 1915, and drew car
tooEs which were copied by the eastern
papers, He returned to the East and
settled in New York, deyotiug his time
to artistic aud literary pursuits. lie
illustrated, in 1880, a humorous manu-
script relating to the alphabet which
was written by Mr.. Arthur Gilman, OF
Cambridge, and in Mr.. Cox's picture for
it each letter was carried by q Brownie.
That was their origin. They were the
first Brownies in print. His work was
soon sought by the VIDE Aicake, ST.
Nicholas and Harper'S Yong People.
The articles contributed to st Nicholas
were brought to the magazine as secretly
and my steriously as il left by the Brown
| les themselves, and it was five years
before the editor and artist met.
AS lad Mr.. Cox knew both Burns
| and Scott b. heart, and his ear was
trained to the poetic metre of their STIR.
| ring verse. He adopted an easy swing
| ing style for all his stories, and the
jingle of his rhymes never fails to delight
the children.
| Mr.. Cox is solicited on all sides to lend
HIS humorous pen to more ambitious
work, but seeing all things as he does
through children's eyes, he sayr: 81
| l might make drawings and call the
| figures men and women, but | am sure
they would have the Brownies peculiar
move ments."
| A visit of the Brownies to his studio
whene they examined every nook anG
corner, is described By Mr.. Cox. After
a delightful half hour with the telephone
they climbed upon the table and the ink
has narrow escape. One cries:
| And there's the ink, apprehend,
| On which our very lives depend.
| Pc careful moving to and fro,
| Lest We upset it as we go.
For who can tell what tales untold
| That darksome liquid may unfold.
| Oh, here's the pen, as Opine,
| Said one, that's written every line
Indebted TO this pen are we
For all our fame and history
See here another said, I've found
The pointed PENCIL, long and round,
That pictures all our looks SO WISE
Our smiles so broad and staring eyes.
lis well he draws us all Alright,
| As we might bear it of tonight:
| But glad are we to have our name
In every region known to fame;
| To know that children lisp our praise,
And on our faces love to gaze