The St. Louis Republic., 1901-01-06
Rayard TAYLOR.

Chester County. Pa. In ls25. the year
when the first locomotive successfully
performed its trial trip The Taylors we're
Quakers but Bayard's grandfather, John
Taylor. married daughter OF a Swiss
Mennonite For refusing TO say that he was
sorry for his runaway love match. John
Taylor was expelled from meeting.
A second strain Of German blood Bayar6
Taylor Inherited from his grandmother on
his mothers side. To this infusion Of a for
eis,u element Taylor refers In ''The Palm
and the Pine"
Tor as a fountain disappears.
To gush again in later years.
So hidden blood may npd the dsy.
When centuries have rolled away:
And fresher lives be;ray at last
The lineage OF fsr-on Past
That nature mixed tf sun and snow.
Repeats its ancient ebb and flow:
The children Of the Palm and Pine
Renew their blended Iivss-in mine.
Perhaps to his German blood was due the
strong attractions for the language and
literature.
Although his father. Joseph Taylor. was
not n member OF the Society OF Friends.
his children were instructed in Quaker man.
UtIs anu DtutI5. OIlCcs hAhSA a AOAAAAJ W
on swearing the lad was seized with such
a desire TO swear that he went forth alone
into a field. and there "snatched fearful
10y" by cleansing his stuffed bosom OF all
the perilous oaths he had ever heard. The
childish mutiny was a portent OF his future
rebellion against the pious Quaker re-
preston" as he called It.
Out Of admiration for Senator James A
"A ~ and RpbaCCa
Taylor gave his poetic name TO their son.
who. in his youth. wrote It j. Bayard Tay-
lor. but later discarded the first initial. The
boy was brought up on a farm. The ia
ther was elected Sheriff OF Chester County
in 1891. Doctor Thomas Dunn English OF
Philadelphia. at that time unknown as an
author and but recently graduated In med
icine. Iectured in West Chester in 1859 On
phhenology The day after the lecture he
visited the Jail. and felt the bumps on tho
heads Of the prisoners.
After II was through wrote Doctor
English in 1891. I'VE passed into the Office.
There was a lank. long-iegged. half-grown
boy seated on a high stool. and the Sheriff
said: There Is my son: what do you
think Of him7 I propose to make a farmer
out Of him. Do you think he IS fitted for
IT. I took a glance at the head. which
was a very marked one. and said: You
will never make a farmer of him to any
great extent: you will never keep him
home: that boy will ramble around the
world and. furthermore he has all the
marks O, a. poet At this the sherin
laughed immensely The Sherifrs name
was TAYLOR. and this was HIS son, Bayard.
Afterwards traveller. poet and Minister to
Berlin
Ravard Taylor's first poem. "Soliloquy
OF n Young Poet" appeared In the Phila-
delphia Saturday Evening Post. From his
seventh year he had composed poetry. Not
liking farm work. he was apprenticed TO
printer in West Chester. where he re-
mained four years. His poetry hao won
for him the notice Of Rufus w Grlswoiu'
then editor OF Graham's Magazine anu
Griswold was a power in those days " =.
Willis was most kind to the youth. ana
remained his friend always. 1t was Wills
.Pencilings by the Way that first inclined
TayIor to travel abroad.
He had not one dollar when he walked
the thirty miles to Philadelphia determined
20 nut his fortune to the test The Satur-
Gay Evening Post paid him 80 IN advance
for twelve letters. and promised to take
others II they were satisfactory. Another
journal agreed 10 ldhc PUNE o"N
Mr.. Graham Of the magazine paid him
FOR manuscript poems. He walked back TO
West Chester with $40. resolved to start
for Europe.
Thus II was that that historic Journey. that
walking tour through Europe. began. His
companions were his cousin. Franklin Tay-
lor. and Barclay Pennock.
Thev were armed with their small supply
of money. their passports and lgnt hand
IugRare-"French and German grammars.
a portfolio and a few shirts" This Journey
was begun IN June. 1874 Willis gave them
letters of introduction to his brother at
Frankfurt Germany. and to other fr1enos
They were soon settled in Germany.
Before the half year was over Taylor
was not only fluent in conversation. but had
written rhyming German verse Living was
cheap. He paid for his furnished rooms.
meal. light and fuel, g cents a day.
He went on through Germany. across the
slps into Italy and through France to Eng
land. When sauntering through the streets
OF European towns he had frequently at
tracted attention with his student cap and
his wears growth of hair. And now he
found that at home a lively interest had
been awakened in him by the publication
of his letters in the Tribune. Saturday
Evening Post and the Gazette. He was
advised to collect his letters and publish
them in book form
Willis suggested the title Views Afoot,"
and generously wrote for the book an in
PRODUCTION. giving" as Taylor in a later
edition said. the buoyancy Of his name to
craft which might not otherwise have
ridden so fortunately the capricious sea Of
literary success"
Six editions were sold in the first year
Longfellow wrote OF It: THE last chapter
fills me with great wonder. How could
you accomplish so much, with such slight
help and appliances?"
Here is one OF Taylor's poems. the PRO
posal"
Tns violet loves a sunny bank.
The cOwsp loves the lea:
The scarlet creeper loves the elm
But 1 loye-thee.
The sunshine kisses mount and vale.
The stars they kiss the sea:
Tho west winds kiss the clover bloom.
But kisS-thee!
The ociole weds his mottled mate:
The liiy's bride o. the bee:
Heavens marriage ring Is round the earth
Shall 1 wed thee7
Coming to New York In 1s47. Taylor soon
found employment. and a few months later
Horace Greeley made him literary editor
OF The Tribune at salary OF sl2 week.
When he was editing Mrs. Kirkland $
Union Magazine" Greeley came to him
with roll of manuscript. and said: Now
d,e To-