The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-28
A POETS TRIBUTE TO TIMROD.
The South Carolinian's Lofty ideal ana
His Fidelity to Art.
G. II. Randall in Augusta Chroni
cle.)

". ~. hanuall Ill AuBustd ShTolii'
cle.)
l read with interest the article
written by Prof. Link on Henry
Timrod. l knew the poet we'll. My
first knowledge of him was at Char
lesion, when l used to write poetry
myself. DR.. John Dickson Bruins,
at that time, q brilliant young man,
tho friond and patron Of the tunoful
brethren, told me several strange
stories of Timrod's excessive sensi-
tiveness. Ho seemed to be absorbed
in his art, and was painfully hurt
when anyone disagreed with his es-
innate Of the bards of high renown.
He could not comprehend how any
intelligent being had the temerity
to rank Byron above Wordsworth
He appeared to forget that this
world is made up of contradictory
elements, and that men are to be
taken wisely as they are and not as
we desire them to be The fact is,
Timrod, full Of tho noblost genius,
was not practical, and l have seldom
met anyone so singularly untitled
for combat with this world. He
made several heroic efforts to fit
himself for life's struggle or to adapt
himself to circumstances, but frail
constitution, delicate nerves, ideal
longings and spirit that constantly
woro out tho physical envelope,
proved too much for him. Poverty
and neglect, along with sorrow and
disappointment, were added to his
other agonios, and 30 death was in
| evitabie. | once met him at Mo-
bile, in the early part OF the war,
and he unbosomed himself to mo-
We visited together the celebrated
lady who wrote DECENTRALIZATION
Miss Augusta Evans. Timrod was
Il victim OF night.blindness. He
could not guide himself aftcr dark,
and l piloted him around.
He was true to his art to the last,
just rs Hayne was, and deserves to
be ranked among tho first of our
Southern poets. In some respects
he WAS essentially the first He was
in America what Keats was to Eng,
land, and there is a pathetic simi.
larity in their lives and deaths. Ii
is said that Governor Andrews, OF
Massachusetts, constantly repeated
those verses OF his where, alluding tc
the coming marble memorials to tho
slain soldiers Of the South, he said
"And some, waiting for It's birth,
The shaft is In the stone"
1 have thought botimes chat Soutl
Carolina has not properly appreci
ated this gifted mans memory. HI
deserves to bo cherished among he
greatest treasures. Is it any won
der that somo Of tho cotemporario
Of Timrod, witnessing his melun
J choly career, turned from the muse
and sought gainful occupations ii
trade or prose, especially men O
' family who had no assurance tha
, wives and childron would be care
> for by the public when they wer
l wandering on Mount Olympus. Som
: of these mon, long surviving thei
song. brethren, do not regret thei
abandonment of poetry, for increas
l ing years eliminate romance an
8 make the mere ambition for fame
vanity Of vanities. Still the pact
cal men, who once aspired to becom
what the world calls immortal q
poets, admire the lofty ideal of Tin
rod and his fidelity to his art The
J look with pathetic interest upon h
:, record and would rejoice to 500 b.
u momory rescued from tho sordi
" things Of earth. For my part | d
. not value as I once did those thing
70 % that many mon contend for, aud
!. know how empty they are, but it
. impossible to contemplate what Hol
~ ry Timrod accomplished and not d
% sire that he should bo properly hoI
~ ored, loved and crowned
%