The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-01

deed, although time has proven that
] was. possessed of no poetic talent.
was vain enough and sentimental
enough to believe that some of my
stanzas had in them the evidence of
real genius. I had the good sense,
however to keep this belief. as we'll AS
my verses to myself, which accounts
for the fact that the world has never
had the remotest idea that there was
an undiscovered gem, q diamond In
the rough which, if polished, might
shine in the armament of the inn
mortals.
les, when boy l thought 1 was
poet. and / am not ashamed to say
it. | used to think well of my ballads,
sonnets and carols; as evidence OF
which, ] would lie awake of nights re-
peatlng them to myself and wonder
ing If, in the centuries to come, my
name might not stand side by side
with such as Milton. Shakespeare and
such sweet singers as Watts and Wes-
ley.
What pity ! did not let the poetic
fires burn, and astonish the world
with the splendor of their light.
Though entirely too late, now. to
rise. by degrees, to the atmosphere
in which the immortal bards are
soaring, and too weak of wing to
overtake them by a single upward
dash; nevertheless, l am tempted TO
81
few of the extracts taken from the old
time etchings. l do not know just
how old / was when the poetical fire
was kindled in my soul, but as near by
as can come to it. / was ten years old
when the following stanza was born:
IF ever get to be a man,
| will not do as some know;
But I'll do the very best l can,
Long as l journey here below.
m. !, IN
that stanza that might have encourage
ed my friends to hope, (if they had
seen IT'D that / would in some day.
become a good and great man. The
first is, the boy was looking forward
to being a man; the second is, young
as the boy was, he was noticing and
comparing; the third is, he was am
hitious to excel; the fourth is. his aim
was to make a lifetime business of
doing we'll Who knows but what if.
like Luther, / had nailed that stanZa
10 my masthead by publishing it. |
might have become both wiser and
better? Who knows?
Old Jobs motto was: Though He
STAY me, yet / will trust in Him, ana
he stuck to it and built on it, as :
Foundations despite the misfortines
and the torturingS he had to endure.
rho Psalmist had as his motto: MY
heart is fixed O God, my heart rs
fixed The Hebrew children's motto
was. I'VE will not defile ourselves
with the Kings meat Paul said:
IF the eating of meats make my bro
Their to offend. / will eat no flesh while
the world stands" A good motto is al
Ways uplifting.
Memory recalls another poetic pro-
duction. in line with the stanza al
ready quoted, of which the world
has never heard. AS a "Reminiscences,
and for lack of something better. l
take the liberty of inserting it. With
the assurance that it has not been
copyrighted, therefore it may be used
by any paper or magazine hard up for
copy. The title of this poem is III,
a little word that has kept the world
In doubt since the day of Adam
Here's the effusion.
If!
IL. in childhood and in youth,
Tender minds are stored with truth
Feet are trained to walk the way
Upward treading every day
Sweet, in older age will be,
Childhoods page of memory.
If, when manhood's years We reach
Children, then, we try to teach;
Leading them as We were led,
Pointing out where they should tread;
Sweet in older age will be
Manhood'S page of memory.
If, in sere and yellow leaf
Our days of life growing brief
We can see the shining shore
Where life's voyage will be Ger.
4 On earths last day sweet will be,
This short page OF memory.
If. when crossing deaths cold stream,
Heavens lights upon us beam
Angels greet us at the shore,
fp forever
Sweet in paradise will be,
Earth's last page of memory.
IL the Savior's voice we hear.
When as King He doth appear,
Saving unto u.s. well done!
sit We here upon my thrones.
Sweet eternaily will be
This best page of memory.
How much, and, how great things,
depend upon those Ifs A man
negligence caused the Wrecking of an
excursion train up in New Jersey. [
think il was some years ago, and
hundreds of women, children anG
men were either killed or wounded.
When the negligent man saw the train
go oft the track, down high en-
bankment and heard the groans and
shrieks of the wounded and dying:
and remembered that he had caused
the wreck by falling to have the
switch in place, he ran into the woods
to hide and keep from hearing the
walls of dying children. When found
he was a raving maniac. wringing his
hands and saying: IF l had done my
duty! If l had done my duty! If |
had done my duty"
eff. old mother Eve-yes. IF old
mother Eve had acted a little differ
emily, how much better for us it
would have been. But then there's
that If that spoiled the whole
business. And, by the way, ! will let
the readers see what l once had TO
say Of mother Eve, when meditating
upon the carnality of human nature
which is not subject to the law of God.
This is what 1 thoght and what
wrote:
What a pity that Mother Eve
Don't drive the serpent away,
And not allow him TO deceive,
Leading her and us astray.
'Tis much easier to prevent,
Than it is to right a wrong.
And after all we must repent.
Though it takes us e'er so long.
TIT L., IL q