Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-21

Special Correspondence,
ONDON, April LIN an empty
room In harrington Road, not far
from the place where Chatterton
was first laid to rest IN a pauper's
grave, there was found dead the other
day man whose end was almost as
tragical as that OF that matches hoy
who persisted in his pride But II Is
unlikely that poor Tom Froude's body
viii ever be removed from the pauper's
grave in which 1t has been buried.
Froude had gift for writing verses
which won for him the subriquet of the
Soldier Kiplng," though 1t must be
acknowledged that his gift was of
far inferior quality to that OF the au-
thor of the "Barrack Room Ballads"
But II sufilced to win him the praise OF
some OF the highest in the land and
bring IN money enough to support him
self until, in his old age. he fell on
evil days. He died alone and neglect
ed, hungry and penniless. In vacant
room to which he had crept for q
nights shelter. Yet to the last he had
been true to the Muse, for the police
found by his side a bundle OF papers
scrubbed over with rhymes. some Of
which had evidently been written only
a few hours before his death.
Froude had been trooper In the
Second Life Guards and had distin-
guished himself In the first Egyptian
campaign While lying in hospital al
Windsor he wrote a description of the
midnight charge OF his regiment at
Kassassln. In which he had taken part.
The verses were read at regimentnl
dinner at which Prince Christian was
present, and so impressed the prince
that they were printed and published In
booklet form, and netted for their au-
thor about $500. The colonel of the
regiment sent a copy TO Queen Victoria,
and the queen wrote her thanks asking
that she might see more Of Froude's
verses. Later when paying visit TO
the hospital. accompanied by Princess
Henry OF Battenberg and the Duchess
of Connaught. her majesty stopped
some time at the soldier poets bedside
and talked with him. II was the proud
est moment OF his llfe,
But in later years. Froude was reduc-
ed to eking out an existence by doing
whatever odd jobs he could pick up.
He had no home. and sometimes, IN
able to find the money tor niBntt
lodgings, he slept In empty rooms, such
as the one In which he WAS found dead.
VI was often suggested to him that he
should go into the workhouse, but he
stoutly refused preferring to retain
his Independence. A homeless wan
derer, often halt-starving and half
frozen, he chung TO his rhyming as his
only solace. He haunted free libraries
To read the poets. and sought In the
daily papers subjects on which he
could write topical verses, Towards the
last, the only buyers he could find for
his illusions were the manufacturers
OF the paper bags In which penny
worths are sold. They paid him few
shilllngs for verses, ranging from
comic to pathetic, which they had
printed on the bags
One Of the latest letters written By
Charles Dickens-it may be the very
last penned by the great novelist--has
Just been discovered on q secondhand
bookstall between the leaves OF an old
History OF England" How 1t came
there. no one knows. but OF It's genu-
ineness there can be no doubt II II
addressed TO John NJ. Makcleam and
has reference TO passage In Edwin
brood" It's intrinsic interest, apart
from the pathetic circumstances UNI