The age-herald., 1900-06-10
SIDNEY LANIER.

At the Anniston College for Young Ea- dies, Anniston, Ala the teacher of Eng fish literature gave to the graduating class of seventeen young ladies sidney Lanier" subject for an essay, the same to be written and handed in within twenty-four hours. The following, written by Miss An na Foute of Cartersville, was pronounced the best, and was read at the commence ment exercises of the above college:
 ''When we look for true poetry, that which stirs the heart and prompts to high CT and nobler thinking, we find it in the works of the great poet of our own south land. Sidney Lanier
 All cultured people, throughout the length and breadth of this beautiful land, customers, westerners, northerners, south erners, and especially Georgians, honor the memory of this man, and appreciate, to greater or less degree, the beauty and pow CT of his writings.
 The city of Macon has the honor of being his birth place, for it was there, in the year 1S42 that he first beheld the light of the land of which, in after years, he sang so Sweetly.
 His father was Robert s. Laner, an in- dustrious lawyer of Macon, Ga His mother was Mary Anderson, Nirginan of Scotch descent. From both of his parents Lanier inherited wonderful taste and love of music and poetry Az far back as the time of Queen Elizabeth we heard of a Lanier a S musical director at court.
 Sidney Lanier was a merry fad, hrimful of fun, and his great soul was overhoWing with music.
 T see him now, boy with sunshine on his
 brow
 And hear in Macon's busy street
 The batter of his little feet"
 When very young, without receiving s-y instruction, he could play well on almost any instrument, but he was especially tond of the violin. It had a peculiar fascination for him; often while playing, so sweet were the strains which he would call forth from this instrument, that he would fall into a trance. For this reason his father feared the effects of the violin upon him and ad vised him to give it up and begin the use of the flute. With sore regret he gave up the violin but afterwards he became the finest flute player the world has ever known.
 When only fourteen years old Lanier en- tered the Sophomore class at Oglethorpe College, Midway Ga, and was graduated there with first honor at the age of eigh- teen. After his graduation he became a tutor in his alma mater. There he remained until the roar of cannon called him to the battlefield
 He laid aside his books, and, with his flute as his constant companion, entered as private the Macon volunteers of the Sec ond Georgia battalion. In the spring of 1862 his brother. Clifford joined him and these two fought side by side, and under went together the privations and hard ships of long years of cruel war. These brothers were very devoted; several times promotion was offered Sidney. but he would not accept it, because it would separate him from his beloved brother During the early part of the war Sidney Lanier' was not engaged in much fighting, and he.Sspent his spare time in studying foreign g, lan- guages and in flute playing Afterwards he was engaged in the battles around Rich mond Va. Near the close of the war the brothers were separated. each being signal officer in a blockade runner. Sidney's ves- sel was captured, and he was put in prison at Point Lookout. Md, where he was kept for five months. During this imprisonment his flute was his sole comfort, and often did he tighten and cheer the hearts of his fel- low captives by his beautiful strains. At the close of these five months he was exchanged, and with his flute he made his long journey from Maryland to Macon, for the most part on foot. This long tramp and the exposure caused illness of six weeks, during which time he Was sorely bereayed by the death of his mother. After his recovery he sought work, and accepted a position as clerk in the Exs change hotel at Montgomery; here he