The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-04-01
TUESDAY. APRIL /, 1902.
MARGIyALIA.

Two or three years g The 51essen-
ger published some lines from the
greatest Greek dramatist, Euipides, in
condemnation of the excessive athletics
TO which the men of his country were
so much addicted. We got the lines
from Symonds's admirable work, to
which We referred recently, The Greek
Poets" n we think the lines were
translated by him. Rudyer Kipling has
been satirizing the sport and eliciting
abuse for it. In the IN. Y. Bookman"
for March a poem by Euipides is given
in it's entirety. and in English trans
lation. The poetry IS by no means
high. but the sting is there. We copy
a part:
of all the myriad palgues that harass
Greece,
.'Tis sure the tribe OF athletes is the
worstI
They learn not how to make a livli-
hood,
And would not if they could.
While their bright youth lasts,
They walk admired, the darlings of the
crowd:
But when the bitterness of age is come,
Like WORKOUT garments they are cast
aside.
Honoring their useless sports. which do
but serve
To whet the appetite OF greedy folks"
There are thousands of alleged poets
in the United States who could equal
that specimen of Greek satire.
:. - !.
We believe that Clinton Scotland is
southern born. Whether so or no he
has written some verse of rich flavor
and artistic excellence. A recent volume
OF verse entitled Songs of Nature" is
composed Of selections from the poets
made b. the Burroughs. northern. We
would suppos from the omissions
made that many superior poets were
not a-Dreciated who wrote of Nature"
and many better than several of the
favored authors. We see 1t mentioned
that such true poets as Leigh Hun,
dmund Gosse. Walter Savage Landor,
=%oventry Patmore, Edgar Allan Toe,
John Addington Symonds and Theo-
lore Watts-Durston, and many others
We do not specify, have no recognition
Some Of the best of Collins. Hood,
Scott. C"The Sun Upon Wairdlaw HILL"
for instance,) and Coleridge, are not
appreciated. but omitted. Very few
people are qualified 20 make an an
thology Of any country or time. They
are sure to put in inferior stuff some
times while emitting the finest and
most exquisite. BY the way, writing of
the poets reminds us of a recent criti-
'Cism Of Kipling we read in The
Bookman." He was treated as 1.-The
writer who does not care" However
much he has been cauterized he re-
mains Indifferent and Incurable. He is
not open to improvement by sugges-
ton. Ephraim continues welded to
his idols. The writer is very positive
and pointed as we'll as severe. We
sample what he says of a writer in re-
CEN years a very great favorite and
excessively lauded perhaps:
He paints himself IN with his local
color 1t has happened again and again
y man among men, but also IL piston
rod among piston rod. Other writer's !
have at one time or another paid some
to criticism. He will not
repent, or conform. or edit himself. or
study how to please. But there is
about him q sort of Surly sincerity
even at his worst. He at least is in
terested if you are not. He is mere
ly muttering to himself the technicali-
ties OF his hobby, and criticism cannot
shake it out of him. In the intervals
of something like genius he is merely
u pig-headed man. Years g he
gave fair warning he would not work
with an eye to his public, and he never
has. Not caring at all how we liked
it. he has ~blundered into MANY things
sometimes a thinker, sometimes a coun-
sellor of nations, always certain beyond
human certainty. and almost always
wrong"
That is indeed scathins. and still this
writer has very uncommon gifts as
shown in his animal stories, in one or
two poems. and. We suppose. IN his last