Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-27

to the Il, 900 originally left to them by their
grandfather and to the principal which the
ESQ annuity for their mother was derived.
1t will be seen, therefore, that these four
children were by no means penniless, as
f13, 900 in the earlier years of this century
was a great sum of money. But owing to the
unwise administration Of the trust fund, the
Keats did not reach manhood without feel
ing many Of the endorsements Of poverty.
George Keats accompanied has brothers to
the school at Enfield of Rev. John Clarke,
the father of Charles Cowden Clarke, who
compiled the very useful concordance to
Shakespeare. At this school the Keats boys
learned history, Latin and mathematics, and
in these they were as well grounded as the
generality of English lads OF 16 or IT years
of age. The scholarship Of John Keats in
England was not only questioned, but scoffed
at, but George Keats, who was of less learn
ing than his brother, was looked upon in Ken
lucky, which was a frontier in the United
States when he went to live there, as a man
of exceptional cultivation.
TROUBLE WITH A GUARDIAN.
Shortly after their grandmother, Mrs. Jen-
nings, died, their guardian, Mr.. Abbey, con-
cluded that for persons of their means they
had had school instruction enough, so he
withdrew them from school. John, as is well
known, was apprenticed TO an apothecary and
surgeon, and a year later George was taken
from Enfield and placed in Mr.. Abbey's
counting room. There he stayed several
years ana was introduced 10 tne Sc
crets OF commercial life. But he
was Of a most independent nature and
could not brook the servitude involved In a
clerkship in a wholesale tea house. An
alteration with q junior partner led him to
throw up his position, and to quarrel also
with Mr.. Abbey, who appears to have been
as stiff-necked, as stubborn and as ignorant
az it ig in the nature Of a British merchant
to be. Some time before this John Keats
had "clenched his fist" at his master in the
| ,r-Ar ~ Ann and CO htS ~ -
were cancelled and he moved to London to
pursue his medical studies in the hospital
there.
The three brothers lived together in the
Poultry, and Mr.. Abbey, their guardian,
evidently regarded them as shiftless and
improvldent. That the two younger brothers
should encourage John to lead a literary life
and write poetry, in the mind Of Mr.. Abbey
was a grievous sin, and he considered that
all three Of the young men were little less
than mad. His disgust reached high water
mark when George, in 1918, left his employ
ment and John published his first book Of
poetry.
DECIDES TO EMIGRATE.
George Keats was then 20 years old, but
he was also precocious, for he had become
engaged to be married to the daughter OF a
naval officer and had concluded to take what
share Of the estate he could secure from
Mr.. Abbey and emigrate to America. In this
he had his elder brothers approval, as will
y y seNh Ny tnIs eAidC II u ietlVI VI oOhi
Keats:
you know my brother George has beer
out OF employ for some time. II has weighed
very much upon him, and driven him I
scheme and turn over things In his mind
The result has been his determination to EN-
igrate to the back settlements Of America, be
, come farmer, and work with his own hands
after purchasing 400 acres CT the American
government. This. for many reasons; Ia
met with my entire consent-and the chic
: one Is this: He is Of too independent an
: liberal a mind 10 get on in trade in thi
country, in which a generous man with
: scanty resource must be ruined. / woul
> sooner that he should till the ground tina
: bow to a customer. There is no choice wit
{ him; he could not bring himself to the lat
: ter. / could not consent to his going alone
y no; but that objection is done away WITH; il
. will marry, before he sets sail, a young lad
J he has known for several years, OF q libsra
. nature and high spirited enough to folio
, him TO the banks OF the Mississippi"
/, ARRIVAL IN AMERICA.
P Al the time this letter was written
r was George Keats intention to Join IL
a colony founded by Robert Owen at Ne
I Harmony, in Indiana, or to purchase Ian
in the neighborhood Of that settlement. II
Q set sail from Liverpool In the early summs
g Of 1918, his brother, John, going to tn
seaport to see him on. Before leaving LoI
T don Joseph Severn made him the portrait
d John. now In the writer's POSSESSION, an
reproduced herewith. This portrait was se'
d eral times reproduced BY ssyern after job