The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-05-18
Alfred Tennyson.

Selected.
In an English home, one day. boy
eight years old, was asked by his Older
brother to write some poetry about The
flowers in the garden. st that age
| there was but one poet that he had
read much. But he set about the
work, and soon covered both sides of q
| slate with his lines. When the boy's
grandmother died, the grandfather ask
ed him to write poem about her.
When 1t was done, tho grandfather put
coin in the boys hand, saying
"Here is half-guinea for you the
first you have earned by poetry, and
take my word for it, the last"
Like boys in some other families,
the two brothers probably did not have
all the spending money that they
thought they could use. Of the large
family OF twelve children, almost all
wrote more Or less poetry. The thought
came to these two that they might
make hook OF what they had written
and sell that. A bookseller was found
Wiling to give for their work 800,
partly in books; and they celebrated
their triumph by drive. The book
had the title, Poems by Two Brothers" +"
Charles and Alfred Tennyson. Alfred
was not yet twenty, but it was alread,
plain that his grandfather had beer
mistaken about him.
The young poet soon went to college
and made name for himself there
He gained many warm friends, too
whose names are now we'll known The
dearest OF all these died while on o
journey. Alfred Tennyson mourned
greatly, and wrote OF his loss in one O!
the finest Of English poems, I'm Me-
ooriam." Nearly twenty years passed
before it vas finished and published.
It came near being lost, after all, 70,
Tennysou happened to leave it behind
when moving. Another person hired
the room, and the owner OF the house
did not at all like having any one come
to hunt for the lost papers. BY the
time the poem was published, its write,
bad become famous by his other work
and he was given the highest honor
that can be given British poet.
Among the fayorite stories told il
England have been those made abouf
King Arthur, who lived hundreds OF
years ago. When the Tennysons were
boys, they used to play that they were
Knights fighting over some Of the bat.
ties Of long ago. In "The IdylIs of the
King" Alfred Tennyson when a mar
told again the old stories in his OWE
way. Once, as he was leaving q house
where he had been boarding for time
TIE lady would take no pay, because
she would not charge anything to the
man that had sung SO beautifully about
the king.
The sights and sounds near his early
home had given the boy a great love
for country life. He was fond of ami
mails, aud once in his boyhood gave the
OWLS cry so well that a young owl came
to hir,, and was kept for some time as
A pet Flowers and stones he knew
we'll. Walking with friend, one
evening, he suddenly dropped on Ills
knees Ill tie grass, calling out: "Vio. |
cts. man, violets! Smell them, and
you'll sleep the better" By his quick
,ense G: smell he had found the flowers
hat the other had not noticed
OF seeing brooks and water be was
specially fond. His own beautiful; |
lome was on the Isle OF Wight,
md be loved to spend hours IN
Walking and watching the ocean. His
ame drew many to see him. But the
luiet home OF his youth helped, per-
laps, to give him shynes5 that made
linn shrink from strangers all through
lis life For this reason visitors wert
eldon welcome but thousands that
culd not have the chance to see or to
peak with the man have come to know
i'm and be helped by him through
ri ,t hn hos yyriftap