The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-02-15
Nqian1 G. Sinrn1S, y
! Poet and PubHcist

from a paper prepared and read by
Hteeip'' vacuum at meeting of the Ladies
We Z club February 10, i9o3I
sriag slaY' so material for this paper the first
10 loenus :, NV eve regarding the subject was
eing ins' r,ske faint heart quail
eorsh ,s,s poet, dramatist, Shakespearian
Tsnns IA aphorisdic philosopher, historian,
siiiof' 80 lecturer. commemorative orator, legis
| tgrapnaa ,,.very apologist, journalist, magazn-
hot and. above all, novelist.
| = o." II these should center IN one being Is
p s,,as when we CONSIDER the time the To-
| rTfsouss' Ne seeming lack of carly opportuni-
4 ulip am him for reaching such an eminence
i rs ano'u I'D literature. But that the desire 10
/ b poiuV' seld 81 literature was so intense as
/ rd w every obstacle and sweep aside every
4 sur ,,,,,,;,n Gilmore Simms would probably
4 tsrlsI, hsen known outside of his neighbor-
rs',i later than his own generation
ised native of South Carolina, having
he IL Charleston, April II, 1906, and, his
N'n lilac while he was yet an infant, was
rNha ~ care of his maternal grandmother,
~ ~. did not have the means to give him
No -. education, or lacked the inclination
' However, the divine spark was there
ndo :" famed into flame regardless of any
spi.bed curriculum and IN spite OF the taet
snVnI ~, was not grounded In the classics
M
M W. e'.-it declensons. If our authors grand
W. -. hookshelves did not supply material for
nGu.p sducation there were plenty Of others
ls s-. ,,tv sineularly rich IN private libraries,
sL,des, what cared this genial, hearty, strong
Ni,yyS k,n whether the standard English works
IA h had access belonged to one grade or
2 Ne a,+ ,ophomore or freshman, If they were
Wat be neeoeo' 'ON'1
uontnti
N His father, having taiieu as i"ei u1"t, uI
II tsnnsd to seek ms io'tuiT "a '"I IA. -
n Liter having weafleu oi I"oiai sl'ls' n
m rrrei southwark ana set'eu III HiSsiSsippl %
"A rlsnter Many tmes nc hau sousnt ~ NoaN
NJ lie son to come 10 MN, puI nc ieso'u'e.y IN
,,td upon remaining Win ms 81 at'ui''o'hel' anu
vile mere lad was ehployeu !" .neI'' ~
n Establishment ms was eFpeetcu 10 ,u'H ms
b thoughts to the study Oh ".eHiSIiT' ,His 10y
81 yose passion was poetry ana VINO HaG written
verse when only seven OF elslI years o,l ~ -
II or intellect and learning mere was .uH suale
q the South, but 1T seemed 10 pc t''"e "nsD
mtemanship with us .'lll'@nt Ilsnls % ora
n eH on real issues and serious suDJe0's was
tnandsd rather than poetry ana hc'ioh. le'
Sums felt called 10 eIl'S' Tue se'''N9 Vi 'N'
saie, as thus expressed
..L-... % ,,,s-r, confidence
Did l resolve upon the perilous SOL
Which calls Tor man oeS' sueDs'H ana He' ~
hood
IN But that spirit stronger uaan my p 49,
Stood ever by and drove me 10 'ne TASK
= =
III +, me meantime he began to read law and
,t.n he was eighteen visited his father, mar
trsy gifted with descriptive powers Of un.
III rt,sl ,harr and from whom the son probably
n tao.d much material for has future war-ant
~. I,.n 80 or- tssr observer Of nature VIVA,
n ,.v I'D r,rs bsorties and how many fresh tooics
~, L.,. r,foIdsd N ma hectic mind as th,
... .,...1n. sa,'t.rsd aIo,,a The shadv road
rsIlon.d ,b-o,,rb Ior,e, s,,nTv stretches How
y s.,, ~. njst,,,,d - tir,seIf +be scenes on
,+J ~ W.r;or The "S,yar,n Fox" and bi
,n,t, toiiow.rs. bo,,, h. ,,,Is+ have lived II
Il 4. v,-s .,r,o,,b.-. ,o-i,,r.d ,,n by the tales ~
II S,,r s,,,f,,. -. - 49,, do,,,;,,cy brjjle
81 i. !, a,s,,b a;,h+ lr NJ 49, 90 CID, som,
Nv ro,J Ed. htassor,.-fa- ,refer 10 tb;,l
N I'M =, IL, H., ,-;-, -. tarsat,ct- r,tLe
n n, II ETC., - ia 80, co-r,ri-
gg,,rior,
n 4 .uono..d +,,t so-,. ~ a.. -,rer+s' idea
w, oir.5 Nv ~. co., 80, ,,..rs h. n "nlor
n,s N,r-ics - ,,.L,, Ed i, o,,a ~ biz tyy
a asnaS and who said:
IN the West
7f. Is a simpler and harder nature
Ia; proves mems values. not by wealth and title
j. sa mind and manhood There no ancient stock
II CltIa power from recedence-Patrician peopl
That boast of virtues in their grandmothers,
Ne challenged for tbs,r ou-,
gae parchment and the vain parade OF title
Lit no man into stature. such a region
lids all that demand an open field
lad freedom to all Corners"
officiating Tolstoi by few years, methinla
Da however that may be, young Simms re
an,d to Blackstone, to poetry, to the bewtch
Mss Giles. The last of the trio he marie
ss's he was Of age or had much but love an
saasasm to exchange for bread and bee
A courage was equaled by Discriminate