Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-01-02

u poem which Markham believes to be
the conception upon which his fame
will rest. upon which be has labored
n FOR 20 years and which he now sees
his way clearzto complete and publish.
sss Markham is overwhelmed with offers
\ from publishers. His volume Of poems
3 now iss In its eighth edition, the last
n four being of 1000 copies each. Els
\ publishers have Eolun tarily Increased
The unusually large royalty which Sc
cured the right Of publication. He
does not attempt to write more than
D two short poems each month, but for
81 these. be receives much more than Is
y realized by any Of his contemporaries
I. II the United States. - =, ~ =. =.
He has refused the editorship Of q
new magazine whose first issue will
appear soon, though satisfied that its
policy and its finances are above re-
{ ptoach. An important publishes a few
\ days ago tempted him with. a PROPOSE
y tfon for q novel. But the poet was
4 firm. II know how; to- break rocks
I he said, "and can do so, If necessary,
\ but will not enter a literary field I'M
! familiar to meat least, not at pres
Sent.'''' ) g., 80; =: II. z.
A few days ago the poet admitted to
friend that his income, which is
d from his writings alone, is six or
seven times what he had ever before
received. His volume containing ''The
Man With the Hoe" has Just been pub
lished ii London by the Harpers, and
Doubleday & Mcclure now are prepar-,
I Ing "a special edition, profusely Illus
4 trated by Howard Pyle. In. few
4 months his second volume Of short
poems will be ready for the press. I
58I In his new home, with work resumed
on his great poem. Markham will be
practically recluse. He has decided to
accept no Invitations. not to receive
Visitors II except on one day Of the
month. This last applies to all except
M: very few Intimate friends AS "The
Man With the Hoe" Is the sermon on
che mount Of Markham's literary min
Sistrat lions. lis great poem will embody
1 the whole Of bis testament to his peo-
pie. He says that there is only one
theme for great poem-the enigma of
3 life This embraces the themes of Mil
ton In Paradise Lost" and Dante in
The Divine Comedy" who attempted
/ to Justify Gods attitude toward man.;
\ Markham's work will be an effort to
Justify life, and his conclusion-cha
slcteristic OF all his work-will be OPP.
.timistic. He will show that humanity
\ lisa unit. He will point out the unity
Ing principle. and, while exhibiting the
misery and sorrow Of the world with
III the force at his command, will show
4 that the principle referred to ultimate.
~ must evolve universal happiness.
He will show that life Is good pri-
marty and that 1t is within the power
TOT humanity to make It appear good to
Y every Individual; that heaven, hell and
\ al conditions are the natural result Of
I law. none being arbitrary !; that the uni
\ verse III built on law, and that the
+ heart of Inv Is love. Humanity being
4 . unit, its present state is due to the.
1 fact that Il ID not vet fully born. The.
present inequality In ind yiduals II ex-s
planned that some assist the Almighty
4 III bringing them into life, that some
B not only assist Ia their own bringing
I forth. but aid others, and that many,
leaving all to God. lack also human as
( sistance. The symbol Of the latter
class Ii ''The Man With the Hoe
Mr.. Markham, IN this work. viii not
\ adhere absolutely to the classical epic
( form. He catalogues his poem as 9
lyrical .epic." The form Of the latter