The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-03-07
A STATESMAN POET.
THE PARTICULAR HOBBY OF THE
NEXT SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.


John ID. Long Is Poet of Some Ability.
He Comes of Poetic Stock-He Is Es-
pecially Fond of Verses About Chill
dren-SOme of His Efforts.
Hon. John Davis Long, who is to be
secretary of the navy, is no exception to
the general rule that every eminent man
has hobby aside from and independent
of his trade or profession.
Governor Longs hobby is versemak-
ing. But he does not run his hobby into
the ground. And not only is he lover
of the muse, but as practical devotee
he is a poet of no mean grade. AS this
fact, however, he has not striven to pro-
mitigate to the world at large, the writer
would herewith speak of him in this
role.
AS poet Governor Long is a chip of
the paternal block. His late father, Hon.
Zadoc Long Of Buckfield, Me-, whilom
candidate for congress and Wing elect
or i'll the famous Harrison campaign of
1910, was a man of fine intellect and
practical business ability He was a
ready and fluent writer, and his poems,
published in the papers of the day, were
marked by ease of versification, simple
truth and beauty and the tender human
lty which was notable feature of his
character. AS may well be supposed,
Mr.. Long was lover of music, and it
is noteworthy fact that he introduced
into his rural home the first piano ever
seen or heard in town, and his daughter
was the first pianist in the place, whose
skillful playing mutually delighted her
parents and their townspeople.
And right here, as a fitting prelude to
some specimens of his distinguished
sons poetical efforts, and, moreover, to
give the reader an idea of his style of
versemaking, quote the last four stan
zas of Zadoc Longs little sentimental
song entitled:
MY OLD VIOLIN.
sound like a serenade, plaintive and sweet;
An almost inaudible strain
Now rises and swells into tones more complete
Now sinks away softly again.
1t seems like the spirit of many lay
voice from the past that hear.
In lingering cadences dying away,
On memory's faltering tear.
Or the music of dreams in the stiffness of
night
By some spirit guardian sung
TITS the air through the cracks and the vibra-
tions slight
OF my old violin, all unstrung.
How many a cherished remembrance it brings
OF dear friends and pastimes of yorel
A sorrowful touch on the hearts shattered
strings
That soon will respond never more.
Governor Long was the youngest of
the four children. Of his brilliant, schol-
arly professional and political career it
were supererOgatory to speak. 1t has be-
come part of the history Of the noted
men of our time. AS a writer both of
prose and poetry Governor Long excels.
In the latter field he is the author of a
volume of original poems entitled Bites
of Cherry" which he dedicated to his
father, and which, like his translation of
Virgil's "Eneid," published in Boston
in 1870, the year of his first guberna-
torial term, was very favorably received.
In his domestic poems he is especially
felicitous, as witness the following Sc
lections The first is the concluding
stanza of ITO My Wife,
Thus your dear eyes long since have been
Not more the light by which trod
Than gateways where l entered in
To breathe the love and peace of God.
Next are two stanzas-the first and
the last-from 'Margaret:'
am little three-year-o old.
My eyes are heaven, my hair is gold
What heaven and gold are, don't know,
But what mean il ma says so.
In bed, tucked safe from harm and cold,
Shadows and slumber round me fold.
Sometimes l dream that one by one
The brown mice DER my pillow run.
And now comes sweetly simple
picture of little 2-year- old fairy whose
name is Helen:
Helen is aged two.
Look at the tender blue
Her eyes have tempted from the heavenliest
patches in the skiesl
Look at her rose tint face,
The inetfable fine grace
That in its smiles and dimples everywhere
upon it lies!