The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-22
A Neglected Book.

edition OF his LEAVES of Grass in 1856,
and issued it from a newspaper office in
Brooklyn. It was beautiful book ex-
ternally and it was the profoundest ex-
preston of poetry and wisdom that had,
up to that time, been originally printed on
the American continent. Not only was it
impossible to sell this edition, but the poet
could not even give the copies away. The
literary authorities of that day, many of
them, returned the free copies sent them
and returned them with insulting let
tiers. When they didn't return them, they
threw them into the fire.
This last summer I had the pleasure of
seeing bibliophile, who has one of the
finest libraries of rare books in Mime
apolis, pay $50 for a copy of this rejected
book. In a moment Of alteration I
rushed out and offered $50 for a copy. But
there was need to be anxious. The
lucky party who owned the book smiled
and made no answer. But his smile was
eloquent OF refusal. It will not be many
years before the 1856 Leaves Of Grass"
will easily command 500 wherever it is
offered.
If the bibliophile of to-day could guess
what book of to-day was going to COM
mand 500 in 1850, with what joy he
would set about collecting the copies of it
and putting them away in his little attic
But alas; you might as we'll try to guess
the wheat market.
There has, however, been one book pub
lished in the northwest within the last
five years that I have looked upon with
great suspicion. The author, who
has a great many of the edition thrown
into an old barrel in his printing office has
promised me a; handful Of them cheap
some day when he thinks about it. 1 do
not think that the book will go to 500 but
l am going: to put these copies carefully
away and wait for posterity to come
along. When I noticed the following item
l., In fhn no f1oSo o@I- 81.
this book:
Win. DiIuan Of Revillo. poet, author and cul-
tuEed gentleman has bought the Minnetonka
| Record, published, at Excelsior, Mimi, of Wood
beck & fGheathann. both Of whom, by the way
were once South Dakotans, and Will take charge
| at once. He expects to continue his literary
work and to find the field particularly attrac-
tive one His "Across the Wheat and other
Of the prairie and are. deservedly popular When
fairly under the spell of Minnetonka the author
| editor ought to do the best work of his career
ACROSS the Wheat is the book to which
I have reference. It was printed in Revil-
To- s. D., in 1898, and this paper, the Min
gave it a fine criticism when it appeared.
But people wouldn't buy tat least to any
great extent. Perhaps that proves that
it is good poetry. I want to give a few
selections from the book and let it speak
for itself. The following sonnet Is en-
titled ''Ine Fair Island:
| I think there be fair islands in the seas.
| Round their bright shores the emerald ocean
And blushing lovers walk and WOO in
I think there be unstoried strophades:
And from their sunny sands no sailor fees,
For there no harpies are; and there the rose
Grows redder,, and the lily whittier blows.
| And often have yearned to dwell in these.
But were I there think in little time
AS oEou11 orao IN t,a
! Ny heart would languish with deeper pain
| A hercer longing for that far-off CLINE,
! Where the strong cattle roam the prairie land
| And waves the wheat DER all the golden plain
called "Analogy':
AS 7 have trod the broad fields Of harvest,
! Where, far and near, clattered the sullen reap
-, erS, ~
And ever the hurrying slockers toiled,
| And have observed the meek bewildered rabbit
| Scared from his covert. wandering through the
| maze of yellow shocks,
| Then tearfully have thought
| How in the wide world, estranged. misguided
| Wanders one ] loved. .'-.
| But if it is the more familiar note of
| life on the prairies that is asked of a prai-
| re bard. this will also be found in the
| book. "Old Bill Williams" is case in
point:
| Where that old sod shanty is.
| Old Bill Williams he lived there -. g.
| Grave out by the blowing, where
l. All the sunfOw'r rs are. He came
To this country dom know
| From Vermont-and took that claim
| Maybe twenty years ago.
| Well. one time the boy an him
Got caught out; an I suppose
! He wrapped all his clo'es on jim, ~.
! - An laid down with him. an froze.
| That's the way we found 'um. Bill
! Dead, an Jim all right, nm SO,
Never missed i'm gretly, still
! a--.. Boys felt kind csorrr. though. 49,.
The only sustained note in the book is
the Introductory poem called 'Isadore
where the difficult attempt is made to tell
| a story in poetry. The close of this poem
is quoted to show the power of Mr.. Dill
mans English and his fautless ear OF
| rythni: "
And the brothers by the bed gazed upon the
| sn1ess dead.
One the loved and one the loving, and no single
| word they said.
And the curling hair OF gold lay about the fore
| head cold:
And the brief young life was compassed, as a
! story that is told.
In the middle Of the wheat, there they laid her,
i where the feet
! South winds ever bear fragrance OF the roses
faint and sweet.
There the nestlings pipe and peep. where the
| stones their vigil keep,
| Where the p1owshnre never troubles, where the
/ reapers never reap.
Across the Wheat was printed at the
1 office of the Reyillo Item. Mr.. Dillman
set the type. 1t has brown paper covers
| That is most of the edition has. I sent
a copy to "Riviere" in London and had il
bound in "robins-egg blue crushed levant
4 morocco" It's a 10Y to look at. t9