The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-09

here at my command, 1 will continue
the discussion in my next number, God
willing. If | can induce sensible peo-
pie to read and enjoy Dickens l VIII
not have written in vain.
/ was sorry to learn recently of the
death of an old school mate and frien l
with whom I have enjoyed pleasant
fellowship at intervals through many
decades. DR.. John Thomas Bellamy
of Enfield, n. c., is dead He was born
in Nash county, 18th January, 1875
so he was rs years of age last birthday.
He passed away a few days ago. He
was not a member of any church.
was at school with him at Lovejoy's
Military Academy at Raleigh, in 1845-
'46. writer at Enfield who pays
column tribute to DIR. Bellamy in the
Raleigh Post, is mistaken as to his
at Raleigh. Neither Judge
Joseph j. Davis nor Col. Furney
Green-both men of remarkable excel
lence and intelligence-was there. But
Daniel Colonel David NJ. Carter, Col
onel Edward Graham Haywood and
others who attained to some reputa-
ton. DR.. Bellamy was we'll Informed,
reader of valuable books. a most
kind, refined, correct, moral man, and
true friend. / was always glad to
meet him. 1t brought sunshine and
pleasure to me. He died 26th February,
1905, and a good, faithful, manly citi-
zen fell on sleep" His death is warn
ing to me that here / have no continu-
ing city" and that I, too, nearly of
his age, must depart not long hence,
and / trust and believe ito be with
Christ" But the other day, another
old school-mate and lifelong friend,
Capt. Alexander f. Spencer, born at
Oxford, who reached his 18th year
last September, passed away at the
Soldiers Home at Raleigh. His faith
err was a man Of good estate, and
standing, but the son, like many 9TH
ers, was dependent and afflicted in the
closing years of his life. He was high
ly esteemed because of his many excel
lent qualities, and was a gallant, faith
full Captain of the ConfederaCy in the
great barbaric war of modern times.
There are but three other school,
wates of the many scores l was at
school with in the large old county OF
Granville, who still survive, all older
than / am.
| pity the reader who can not enjoy
Sir Walter SCOTS poetry. l am sorry
for that class of critics who deride
Scott and deny him poetic genius. The
defect is not in the poet, but in those
who fail of appreciation. A man told
me once he did not like Tennyson. |
made no reply. A fellow says l do
not think Shakespeare poet or enter
tanning. Dismiss him at once. 1t APP
pears that Mr.. Arthur SYmons, an
Englishman of letters, has attacked
Scott with acrmony, and asperses him
savagely. Prof Goodwin Smith, LII.
D., is on of the greatest of living Eng
lish authors. He is a writer of high
and deserved fame. For forty years
nearly | have been one of his fascinat-
ed American readers. In the "Atlantc
Monthly" for March, he replies to
Symons. / have not seen it, but |
hope he takes off the critical epider-
mis- of the assailant The New
York Saturday Review does not like
SCOTS poetry but it appreciates DR..
Smiths critical retort. | quote from
what it says:
I'm the afternoon of his life Gold
win Smith retains wholesome liking
for the writings Of Walter Scott, both
prose and verse, and a keen remem-
brance of the good influence they eX-
erted upon his youth.
Scots poetry, like his long intro
auctions to his novels and romances,
has gone out OF fashion, but the elo-
quence and spirit, the aptness of
phrase and the Astounding sincerity of
chance set some OF us to reading it
again.
"Those of us who are well along in
middle life used to read that poem
and The Lady of the Lake when we
read Macaulay''s Lays and Pope, in
our youth. Few OF us, we fancy, pick
UP any of these poems now for an
hours reading before bedtime.
/ am glad to be able to say that l
have been a delighted and sympa-
thetic reader of SCOTS poetry ever
since I was about fifteen, when | read
THE Lady of The Lake" Only some
three years ago. | read every line Of
verse he ever published, including all
of the prefiXes to the hundreds of
chapters to his novels, signed "Old
Play, ''Old Song" etc. / never read
THE Lay of the Last Minstrel,
"Marmion.'' "The Lady of the Lake, "
and THE Lord of the Isles with more
delight. They were more
charming even than | found them fifty
or sixty years ago. The fellow who
pooh-poohs Scott and Byron and Pope
and some of the other famous poets, is
much delighted in his discovery that
the world has been bamboozled, and
that these famous authors of the past
really never knew how to write poetry,
and possibly anything else. l am
gratified to know that not all of the
critics now living are blind to the
merits of Scott, or unresponsive to his
and Homcric verse. Even
Prof. George Saintsbury, who thinks
SCOTS poetry ceased to be highly IA
favored as far back as a half century
or more since, has appreciation still
of the merits of the best. He says, for
instance: 'He is poet of description,
of action, of narration" He puts him
on par with Byron. He thinks Scott
in the simpler lyric or lyrical narrative
sometimes attains the exquis-
ite." Lete me turn briefly to an
excellent Scotch critic who died in his
47th year, Prof. William Minto LII.
Scotland. He is of recent service, hav-