The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-11-24
col. JAMES s. AMlS
AN OLD SCHOOL WING
peadable Snap Shots--Thomas Campbell, a Scotch
Poe =-Voltaire's SWinburne, The Noble
CARLYLE.

IN Wednesday night, November 4th, lsu5-
He had been residing for a year or Two
with his only child and deeply DeioNeo
daughter, Mrs. Mary, wife OF president
lanes H. F~ishburne, head or the famous
FIshbrrne English, Classical and Military
School at that place. He mad Deeh q SUI
ferer for a few years from paralysis "heh
the third stroke came with its rata "orh'
and the aged Christian passed TO MS eieF-
nal rest IN the home OF the good. he was
unconscious for nearly a week. Ontll 2
tow DAVIS before his death he had been IN
conparatively comfortable health, though
faahIe. and vas able to red and enjoy his
paners and books as was usual with nifn-
He was born in Granville county, n. g.,
come seyenty-siX or seven years ago-l DO
not know his precise age-Was tie son OF
the late Lewis Amls. a most
farmer and citizen, and a member OF the
PRESBYTERIAN church., was graduated with
honor at the University OF North Caro-
lima was a lawyer Of learning and abltIty,
did a good practice and was highly es-
teemed by the bar and the people gener-
aIy. I knew him intimately from lo4.,
waited on him when he was marfled at
Hillsboro, to Miss Mary Scott, IN lS49,
was IN close association with him, enjoying
alWayS an unbroken friendship, until |
moved to Wilmington IN 1876. | saw out
little of him after that year, but we were
steadfaSt in our personal attachment, ana
now that he is gone to hls Heavenly re-
ward. there is no one, outside OF ms lmIne-
date family, who will cherish his memory
with more sa~credncss, and bear witness
more gladly to his sterling character, has
pure. manly, exalted life, his noble man
hood. All through the 6fty-slX years and
more of our unfading friendship, l nave
observed his uniform bearing, his slncerl-
ty, his high ideals Of lite, his fidelity to
al obligations in Church and State, ms
fine c~ommon-sense has admirable Judg-
ment, his conscientiousnes and devotion
to the right and the true. | have IN all
these years never known a halt-dozen men
in whom l confded with SO much OF un-
reservedness, and whose good opinion |
mora valued. He lived right, he died
right, with an unfalterlng trust III the
Atonement of his Crucified and Risen Re
deemer. and latter LIES fitful fever he
reposes in the arms of Love in the City
whose builder and MAX is God.
Nv dear friend was a Wing in politics,
was a conspicuous leader in Granville,
when it was the third largest county in
the STATE, duu SOpSIloI W iA1o9 oiJ
county in its high civilization and pros
perity. He served in the Legislature, and
in one session was the leader Of his party
in the House of Commons. He was clear
headed. logical and vigorous IN debate,
and as a speaker on the hustings was
formidable and commanded both the atten-
ton and confidence of the people. My
impression is that he was a Ruling Elder
in the Oxford Presbyterian Church tor
decades. He has left a good and honored
name, and all who know him must have
esteemed him. and will regret his de-
parture. He lost his only dear son,
Ernest, some years ago. and now he has
been laid by the side of MS beloved son IN
the cemetery at W~aynsboro, IN the beau
tiful Shenandoah Valley. His devoted
wife and his loving daughter, are left, and
they weep over his departure, but do not
sorrow as they sorrow who are without
hope. They know that hereafter-lt may
be not long hence-they shall all be united
in the bright, beautiful home of the re
deemed of God.
There dwells the Lord our Righteousness,
And keeps his own in perfect peace,
And everlasting rest"
Charles Wesley.
Looking over a Northern newspaper
some time ago, a writer asked a question
at once astonishing, suggestive and pos
sibly absurd. It was this: In looking
over the poems of Campbell one wonders
now why he should ever have been SO
popular, they seem so artificial and out of
fashion, Of all the list of poets who
graced the literature OF the last century
-the nineteenth)-Scott, Byron, Southey,
Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley-ona is dis
posed to ask who reads them now. The
remainder Of the extract | unfortunately
spoiled by spilling ink over it, rendering
it illegible. But the idea OF it was, that
these great poets were OF the past, with
no clientage-a sort OF a last century's
almanac of no farther value. But can this
be true? Is it a fact that love of the
best literature has ceased, IS indeed ex-
!incto Is a relish for the noblest art and
inspiration in poetry a thing Of the past.
Is it true that this extreme materialistic
commercial age has no appreciation OF the
noble and inspiring in metrical language?
If it IS true, then it IS lementable, and It
speaks badly for the boosted culture OF
this age, of this generation. The highest
! expressions Of genius are found in poetry.
The Hottest imaginings of the world from
the days of Job, David, Isaisah, Ezekiel
and the other great and inspired singers
| Of the Hebrews, down to the time of
Tennyson, have been expressed in poetic
form. Let US take a rapid glance at some
of the poets named N the above citation.
Let US briefly refer first to Thomas
Campbell, the poet dlsparaged by the
writer IN his question. Thomas Campbell
belongs to the land of Burns, of Scott and
| Carlyle. He was a native of Glasgow, and
was born in 1777. and died in 1874. He
was educated at Glasgow University. He
published his first poem. The Pleasures
Of Hope" in 1893, when but twenty-five
years old. 1t met with extraordinary ia
vor. He wrote a great deal of prose, and
some fine poetry that is truly filled with
the spirit of genuine inspiration. He
wrote some short poems of very high ex-
Observation-Disclosures" Lord Ullin's
Daughter The Battle Of the Baltic
"Ye Mariners of England The Last
Man. "The Soldiers Dream" which con-
tain eXtraordinar specimens of scenic