The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-05-29
~ 10 return b II -.

ID During my earliest days ON the
Punch stan i was frequently a
guest at T|heobaId's WaItham at that
time, about 1862. and for many years
after, the d-elshtfuI oId-worId residence
OF nay friend, Fred Wilson. Here ft was
that I FIRST met Alfred Austin. whom.
as agreed with him on scarcely a sim
gle subject in literature. art. Or mat
Jeis social, pclemicai or political. I
round a most charming conversational
companion during the walks that we
look for the sake of health and ape
Lte specially the latter as being OF inn
mediate ID vital Importance. I hate.
as does every one. a disagreeaaEe COM
Ianlou, ~ a disaETeeing one is just
exactly what amy one absolutely Zee
IulTeS 20 stimulate his own ideas The
alEuner who can agree % differ. With
out losing his temper or expressing his
contempt for your lack of intelligence
or your perverted taste. is the man of
men, OF the woman of women. To ac-
company yuu on q walk. A walk en-
pnaucaily. DIN YOU. not a drive, or q
iLle by rail-. a walk when YOU are not
tied TO time, but can stop for argu-
Hent or to break it's thread by pausiug
lu admire the view. Cor the picturesque
OVID probably be the one subject ON
which you win bc in perfect agreement,
though you VIII differ as TO IT'S best eN-
poueuts ou canvas or in books. There
Us sure 10 DE a sense of humor common
To both of you Now what amused me
Intensely uu these visits was that our
most kind but decidedly eccentric host.
who considered himself d poet of mo-
mean order Gin a mall Wayl when we
had retired for the last conversational
pipe or cigar to the suug smoking room,
was won't TO lead the conversation fra
the direction of recent poetry. d SUBJ
raHr ON which Ea Maid lrrHH aunEHE-a All
fred austin. the compliment of request
ms his opinion as that of am expert.
AS my taste for the higher poetry was
considered a matter of no consequence.
any attempt on my part to- Join I'm their
discussion was supeTciliOuslE disre-
garded. L confess that at first was
somewhat hurt when my observations
which We're founded ON complete ig-
noFance of ihe poetic works they hau-
peUeQ 20 Doe CIIJclSiUg. were treated
with u-udisEuised contempt Tn have
recourse to testing and satire resulted
iu total failure. L had to- smoke b.
sip my whisky 3D. water I'm silence.
aHd listen TO their words of wisdom.
But I soon became Immensely amused
"Isu't this "a fine passage" asked
our host. reading from something of
T~eUuysUu.s.
Alfred Austin listened: and then very
soon put Don a sharp criticism, where
upon argument eusued-
They talked OF LOnEfeIOW. Brown
ing, Morris. Rosetti and S~wiuburue.
and as they got ON very well without
nav taking a hand SD the game. I ann
pretty sure they thanked the gods that
had not "made me p0eucal' Now
from a slight experience / had had.
privately. of our hosts p~oeJical capaei-
ty 10 occurred to me as something quite
Within the range of probability that
this conversation was leading To- "a GER
H."- and U #L.rHur#. IN HLE-
self. 'if ( detect I'm their talk amy ndi-
cation of Wy suspicion being correct.
Off ] so quietly and sans b~ons3ir, to
bed
You said. quotb nay host, carefully
filing his pipe. and addressing Alfred
Austin. you said % were now en-
gaEed on some pOemst'
Alfred ~asuall admitted the fact
when you were about To- bring out
your last went ON our most stIl con-
fuiug his conversation 20 the poet
"you read them 10 me.
your criticisms were most yalu-
able replied The poet with greatest
courtesy
our host accepted the compliment. "T
am sure. he said. with "a certain
amouu of self-COmplaCCucy. -thdt amy
author can obtain some good by allow
ins a friend who IS quite unbiased 10
ofer suggestions
This was "a side hit al me-. as it was
owing TO mis- absolute condemnation Of
ms most p~reteUriOus work that f had
rewritten i- entirely and had had DC
accepted by Mark Lemon But i knew
what his next remark would be- and
sl-f said with am air of genial graft
tuda.
yes. that is s0. Then I turned
tn Alfred Austin. "Eou s9e.' L said.
"I read something TO Fred, and Ia cone
sequence OF his criticism Z reWro-e iL.
aud it was accepted for Punch
Alfred Austin did NOT appear very
much impressed bF The fact, but L was
playing my same edo o. follow me-
WaGsou2'D and the happy Thought had
occurred to me of getting even with
my fellow pedestrian Who, during our
walk. had assumed a haut eu bls tone
with regard go my peculiar line of
work, literary ard dramatic. Fred
Wilson was much grlt-Ied naturally
az my giving this testimony TO his
merits as a critic. though he self-de-
uyiugly deprecated Inference that
mieht be drawn from Llis a~uecdoCe.
as to- am inference that might falsely
Zoe drawn as 60 my early success in
liEhtest literature and fimziest form
OF drama
II don't pretend said Fred zmok-
fue steadily. as he SAT- iu his easy
chair arTayed iu comfortable smoking
Jacket and easy slippers r0 be "a hu-
morisc, iu fact there are few works
OF humoF either i'm poetry OF prose
Uher.I care for
you mean. 90 course, Alfred put
iu. 0f broad lum0r
Then he continued iu a comfortably
conleuted one OF know what muses.
me. and Know what i like. and iu
poetry I can distinguish whatever has
The true ring. I'm fact it was only
the other day 7 was talking 20 nay
cousin Riackett-you know ot Hurst
X Blacketr-aDout your poems this
ha put poiutedly to Alfred Austin.
whose attention be- thus thought TO
riret-"aud Blatkett has the highest
opinion OF your work"
"Nery good OF him. muEmured Al
fred. evidently pleasantly tckled
told him O. were cQmiug 10 stay
here. and that I should ask you. ~ YOU
had anything Dun hand as yau ten me
you haTe-yet me see- Here he sud-
denly broke off and appeared to DE
tryiuE To recall some particular work
or title.
Then. looking gp, he said to Alfred.
"YoH mentioned &C. last tine-
ooh. yes. returned Alfred. with eVI-
dent reluctance; -I did ten y1u that 7
was commencing ana here he named
the subject
Have you got it with you2' inquired
host.
yes he bad.
would SOU mind reading 1T TO me2'
asked our host, entirely Ignoring me.
81 should So much like to hear it