The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-04-12
THE LITERARY FIELD.


poems by VIII II. Hale. entitled Showers
and Sunshine" The book is very attrac-
tive as to Typography. and has neat
binding IN white, mauve and gold me
poems OF Mr.. Hale are already familiar
to the readers of his well known column
In the Memphis Commcrc!ai-Appeai' ah'
have been more extensively copied pF
journals all over the country 'hah ''ie
writings of any other Southern poet. WIN
the probable exception Of Frank Stanton
Mr.. Hale combines his poetic Work VIII"
journalism, which is profession that
wars against the success Of the poet 10
certain extent. Tho poet who would 90 ms
hes; work must not be crowded by the eS''
gencies Of the daily press. The muse IS
shy of the ink-grimed copy boy. a poem
that mus, be on the file at $3.50 lie very
apt to take on n few extra feet IN us ihes
in order to get there on time
Mos, OF the poems included in this vol
ume were written during tho daily griha
Of a newspaper office. and the errors that
occasionally may be found among them
are easily attributable to haste
WIN 7. Hale writes OF home lie ana
sentiment: and of things pastoral. and
lying close to our daily lives. HIS pastoral
descriptions are faithful and musical and
hull the reader into r. dreamy remembrance
Of old time country scenes OF peace and
vast. His lines In such conceits are smooth
ard flowing. and do not starte by the
affected use Of the dynamic adiec,ives
and tortured SMILES So much affected by
some OF the latter-day poets.
This from October DAYS" Is a fine
picture. drawn in clear but quiet colors:
.Hne mullen stands upon the upland
brown
\ lonely sentinel, the thistle-down
floats shosi-illse through the haze;
spiders net
The mountain peaks seen farther off the
breeze
DELAYS moment mongst the solemn
And then. with ronieau soft as cioister
Iirrries away 10 cheer tho fiowerless dells;
While hank. Of clouds. like cities walled
sand etchei upon the canvas lazuli:e
Half sad half 1oyful. the october DAYS.
with sleeps brooks and quiet pastoral
WAYS.
Mr.. Hale Is helpful harper" the SEN
t,men,s he expresses are always elevatlng
and pure; ne "harpeth ur' ana never
down. In his saddest poems Of memory
"''' - ~ -, ,ha s,oo,n Of the cy-
press As an example, take a verse from
IN she Had Lived"
III she had lived
But cease thy signs, Regret! and trust tnot
God
stnl loves tho world as lie has loved de
spite iils Christening r9a' t,,,a hoo,
Ley X Ky yst M
To moiston faith that we Will meet again,
y Won
Aild make n hover on On ~ 800 Son.
"'If she mad lived
II She had hyed"
ne ',,'',,y '',ous,l''S m,'V ', a. to,o,esr
eia' .Hlrea' .,u'i " "V'',' ~,
bat evidently often written in too much
b,stn o,J Iacl,f,y rho NECESSARY uruu,nr
and r.,3sing Nov tba. these nosns are
g,,bore1 ia noo,s form some kindly cri,i-
ism should NOT he an.ss In little poem
IN OCTOBER occurs inns retrain:
To my heart whose love lies slain
BY lne one heart priced, forgotten,
And hurInd beneath regret.
ON. c,, ,cor,,,,, nel,, ,ytsr,,,,, NJ. 11,,.
bod ,olss,, I'm, - ,,d sn,,,o ot,,,. -
l."N ,"Ne" N''o ~ i'"" s0''e o''le' rhyme
AIR. Hale 1t is true, does not claim that
his verses are more than
"I,,,b,r,o,.i os .,,,as 80 ,,,-,, a.. 49,,
Nor loud cnoie6 fo rn1,h W. ~;
thron.,s - we passing
In f,,t bn do..s M, o,o.,, ,o,.,,. .-,
o, ''''"' "''s 'H'"E"
ioi '"r"'' az" the interest the public is
taklns in his worS-even In finding some
fault with It's an evidence that he is too
lnodest in his ostIn,a.a
-,
NO homestead contains some poetic
SMILES of rare merit. such as.
"Abnut its gall'ry cltnbs the rorpine
Glory 'e
pltV In flower for tho DAYS tha, wore "
~"
'The elder blooms among nightshade and
bushes,
Like some white thought yet In world
OF SIN,
Mr.. Hale sometimes falls into a necc,
am. a., -, ~, 80.
"l''o Inst t"9 N''a' nave nov es'ape'-'nnt
OF decorating MS lines with bizarre and
seldom used aoJ"r,Nes. He describes Il
pain prankcd with roses, uses 'chau-
sons too OFTEN Tor songs gays. In de-
s14nink country scenes. the peacock
rilnkeh' sRtahs OF dandelion purled"
Earas, me Hluns Jays and 'odorous per