The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-09-07
A REMARKABLE MAN
By JAMES wHlTcoMs RILEY.

trous, anu with that dreamy far-on look
peculiar to that quality Of mind tha'
sees what is described. even though ign
buried in Pompeiian ruins OF uii'e
pyramids of Egypt. 80
ne met nv rather scrutinizing gaze
With friendly and forgiving expression
adding an intuitive affinity py -.
Inc of the palms one within the other
and a genial friction indicative OF Hailn
impulse and openness. yet wi1nal sus n
costing due subservience to my own
free viii to accept the same token "a
genuine esteem and admiration.
I Thought I read his character arlght
in fancying. Here is a man of more tnan
ordinary culture and refinement ana
determined, II it were possible, TO know
him better When I took an early oppor-
tunity to refer to him for informatioh
he responded eagerly, and In so proiuse
and elegant a style Of diction that was
surprised.
He referred to Angelo as that master
whose iron pencil painted language on
lips of stone, and whose crudest works
IN clay might well outlive the marble
monuments of modern art. He giahceu
from one topic to another with a grace
and ease that not only betokened true
mastery of the language but an mex
haus.lble fund Of information; nor was
II long ere my stock In hand had OWN
died down to the Insignificant 'yes-anu-
of-course" verbosity that is not worm
the giving away lie dweit win par-
ticular fondness upon literature; ire
quently referring to me as to WORKS 1
most admired and pointing out the
beauties and excellence of old authors
Shakespeare. Milton. Pope, Dryden ana
host of others long dead and gone,
but whose works live on eternally. All
these as they were successfully review
ed he quoted in q manner that evlnVeo
thorough knowledge of the worth.
At lase after no little artifice and STRAIT
egy, l drew him to his own history
which. as he proceeded with, grew ran
tastically interesting. His father pass
ing rich had educated him for the min
istry: but the profession didn't suit him
or, rather he didn't suit the profession,
for. to be frank, he was rather inclined
In his younger days to be a graceless
dog" and so, when 1t became evident
that he must shift for himself more at
the instigation of literary friends than
from anv ambition or choice, he had
entered the journalistic field, beginning
at the bottom of the ladder-the bottom
and gradually rising from the composi-
tors case to the very rung OF edltorlal
success-when there came a crash'-d
flaw in the grain. my boy. a nav IN the
prain.-and that flaw. Well no matter!
THE noblest minds had toppled from the
height, and crumbled to the merest de-
bris of pauper intellect. The grandest
tomb the finger of the nation could point
out was glutted with such food. Dld ne
notl remember poor Prentice, and IN
memory, recall him now as viYldly as
though but yesterday, entering the sane
tum of the Louisville journal" with the
old-time greeting: "Ah. Charles; ready
for work, | see Well here I am-punc-
tual as death" And then, after a good
stiff brandy which he could hardly raise
to his lips with both trembling hands,
poor George how he would dictate so
rapidly that he (Charles) could scarcely
put it down. although a clever nand at
writing in those days. Served as aman-
uensis for five years, and transcribed
with his own hand "'Tis Midnight's
| Holy Hour" at ten o'clock in the morn
| ing, and had the poem entire ready Tor
| the compositor at half-past. At such
time 1t was nothing uncommon for George
to say, "Well done, thou good and faith
full the big end of the day Is left you
to transcribe as your pleasure may dis
tate Only bear in mind, | shall expect
little gem from your individual pen
for tomorfows issuei
"And do you writer" ! broke in alb
r lily.
IT used to write" he answered. as
though loath to make the acknowledge
| gasus as a groom might ride his master s
horse-but my flight were never high
never high"
For what reason. may l inquire?
Surely you had no lack of inspiration
with such men as Prentice about your
"Ay there's the rub" he sighed, with
a negative shake 1.-THE association of
great men does not always tend to devel-
| on genius; the more especially when
ones subservient position revolutionizes
HIM into a mere machine. Yet I found
some time of course, for verse-making;
and, chiefly owing to the kindly encour-
agement of Mr.. Prentice, I gave to the
world as he was pleased to say. many
| little poems; but those of them that sur
vive today are Migrants, like myself,
and drifting about at the mercy of the
| press" Here the old man sighed heav-
lily and mec .fanically fumbled his pencil.