The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-11

There's only the sound of the lone SEN
try's tread
AS he tramps from the rock to the foun-
tain,
And thinks Of the two in the low trundle-
bed
Far away in the cot on the mountain.
His musket falls slack his face, dark and
Grows gentle with memories tender.
As he mutters prayer for the children
asleep.
For their mother-may heaven defend
her!
The moon seems to shine just as brightly
as then,
That night when the love yet unspoken
Leaped up to his lips, when low murmured
vows
Were pledged to be ever unbroken.
Then drawing his sleeve roughly over his
eyes
I He dashes off tears that are yelling.
! And gathers his gun closer up to its place
AS If to keep down the art-sweling.
RE passes the fountain, the blasted pine
tree,
The footstep is tagging and weary;
Yet onward he goes through the broad
Toward the shade of the forest so
dreary.
Hark was it the night wind that rustled
the leaves?
Was it moonlight so wondrously flash
1t looked like a rife-"Ah, Mary, good
And the life-blood is ebbing and splash
ing.
All quiet along the Potomac to-nightr'
No sound, save the rush of the river;
While soft falls the dew on the face of
the dead
The pcket's off duty foreverl
by the time Mrs. Beers died the list of
claimants TO the poem had dwindled prac-
| ucaay TO two, Lamar Fontaine and her
self. Since then Mr.. Beers, the son, has
| been having a struggle to drive FontaIne
out of good repute He regards Fontaine
| as practically grave robber. There is
| no proof that Fontaine ever wrote verses
while Mrs. Beers wrote hundreds of them
| Her personal character was of the high
| est. The receipt from Harpers Mr.. Beers
| own knowledge of the matter the inVesti-
| CATION by publishers. all make Mr. Beers
assertion that he has simply to show his
| proofs 20 vindicate his mothers memory
| Nevertheless, he sill has to keep on writ
| ing letters, and is only waiting for the
| grim reaper to come and gel Fontaine and
| thus insure cessation from this letter
writing. Along in 1890 Mr. Beers had TO
| write one of these Getter to the Clarion
Ledger of jackson, Miss. Fontaine lived
near Jackson. That paper made this .edi-
| itortal comment en- the letter:
\ AS will be seen by a letter eIsew here
| G. +. Beers sets up a claim (for the au-
thcrship of the poem) for his mother, Civ
ing the circumstances under which the
poem was written; bun when he hears La
| mar Fontaine's side of the story he will
believe he mas been dreaming The author
| ship of Beautiful Snow remains shrouded
| in doubt but light is breaking Along the
| Potomac and the mist may be dispetled
| when Maj. Fontaine puts his pen 90 paper
| 10 tell just how the thing was made Tie
| Ciarion-Ledger awaits the Fontaine sun
burst There is nothing 10 indicate that
| the sunburst ever came.
| Mrs. Beers never ranked much higher
| than what was known as a newspaper
poet. Her verse and Jingles were printed
in many magazines and with great fire.
| quency in Harper's Weekly and the New
| York Ledger. She was on especially good
| terms with Robert Bonner and scores of
her productions appeared in the Ledger.
| 1t is related thar one morning she went
| down TO caA on MIR. Bonner to see II one
of her contributions had been accepted
and TO get the pay for il, if possible. Mr.
| Bonner was out She went 10 his desk
and off-hand wrote this parody ON a pad
lying before her and it is related that Mr..
Bonner having returned shortly, il
brought the money az once for the poem
| submitted:
Once more unfortunate,
Seem | importunate,
Asking for pay?
Thinks of 1t tenderly.
Purse fashioned slendery;
Empty to-day.
Has any check been sent?
| Poems on Monday went
| Please, Mr.. b;
| Some of it, all of II,
| Leave DER l call for il
'Twixt two and three.
For 1t is pitiful
In whole cityful
To be without tin.
| Yours, most regretfully,
Yet most respectfully,
Poor Ethel Lynn!
Among the other assertions which strair
ones credulity regarding Lamar Fon
tame Is that he served in the Russian
army in the Crimean War and that h,
won the Iron Cross for bravery at Sebas
topol. There can be no doubt that he wa.
alive at very recent period. Mr.. Beer,
is undoubtedly one of those who wish tina
he had never been alive. Joubert Is to-
| raAu 10