The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-09-03
FELL Down ON POET GORDON.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
Among others at this summer hotel din
ing table was plump young clergy
man who dressed beautifully and knew
everything. There was every reason for
this latter quality because he had got
through spending four years in college,
and three more in theological school
only a short time before And he had
continued to absorb culture alarmingly
since.
Besides knowing everything. perhaps as
result of it he was willing to give an
authentic opinion on any subject you
could think Of. Sometimes it wasn't nee
essary to ask him for It, He would
seem to feel the need of his companions
for enlightenment and begin to throw out
beams like an incandescent lamp. Several
mild, middle-aged and elderly ladies at
the table idolized him hope1essly from
afar, and one who was large and wore
rlmless eyeglasses took long. steady
looks into his eyes, because she knew
that she was another Intellectual SOUL
Two more at that table were girl and
a sophomore, or some such barbarous
thing. The girl was crassly ignorant and
craSs1y beautiful. The sophomore was
unspeakable. He showed no more graft
tude at the clergyman's patient willing
ness to correct erroneous Impressions
than If he had been a native of the
Probably the only question for years
that the young clergyman couldn't an
swer to his instant and complete salts
faction was why the crassly beautiful
girl could lower herself by letting the
sophomore savage play golf with her
and sail her around the bay, when a
few days with himself might have
awakened her soul. You could tell that
the girl had a soul because her eyes
extended back to IT,
One day at dinner the clergyman was
telling the table how to read Browning
apropos of a confession by one of the
mild ladies that she hal been trying 1t
that afternoon.
The mistake most people make" tie
clergyman was explaining, as he tapped
the table with his nicely manicured fin
ger nails, is trying to set too much of
Browning at the beginning. The result
is they are over their depth at once and
get discouraged. Why not starr with the
lighter, simpler things, Love in the
Ruins, Ben Ezra, The Lost Leader for
instance? There is enough dept1 and
subtle beauty in those to give the ordi-
nary reader all he wants to do for some
time. Then work along gradually, being
sure that you understand everything as
you go. 1t may take long time, but i
assure you that 1t is the only way to get
what is in the longer poems.
The crassly beautiful girl looked at the
sophomore and the sophomore left off
eating soup. He ate soup as though he
were accustomed to second plate
Browning is all right said the sopho
moric beast, but of the great English
poets Of the century I prefer Gordon
You prefer whom?' asked the clergy
man, with surprised but kindly smile.
Gordon" said the sophomore George
Gordon
1.-THE Rev Dr. Gordon inquired the
clergyman
NO" replied the sophomore, consider
able amazement showing in his face.
DO you mean to say you've read Eng
lish poetry and don't know Gordon?,
The clergyman smiled quietly
II fear he said, that your fayorjte
has not quite reached the Temple of
Fame. I've never before had the pleas
IRE Of hearing Of him.
Il may be mistaken" said the sopno-
more. 1.-THE critics say he was one of
the eight or ten great Victorian poets.,'
why, yes" said the crassly ignorant
girl wonderingly, every schoolboy has
heard Of Gordon"
The clergyman looked a. bit puzzled.
The mild ladies sat like fish out of water
The one VINO had another intellectual soul
glared at the sophomore.
"Will you be 50 kind asked the clergy
man, smilingly, "as to mention something
your famous friend has written?''
why said the sophomore hesitat-
ing.
The elergyman's smile broadened.
why. 'Childe Harold" continued the
sophomore, "and Don JUAN
why. yes" added the crassly beauti-
full girl, land Manfred"
The clergyman looked weary.
Il have always labored under the i'm
precision" he said, that Lord Byron
wrote 'Childe Harold and Don Juan
and Manfred
The sophomore snorted contemptuous-
ly.
Yes" said the crassly ignorant girl
softly George Gordon, Lord Byron
The clergyman turned to waiter and
discussed the bill Of fare gently, in an
undertone.
The show Not Yet Over.
Washington Post
Gen. Macarthur is sure of complete
paoitication, but he feels that the army