Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-07-23
ANECDOTES OF ALDRlcH.
This Poet Made Ono Fortune and
Friend Left Him Another.

Friend Left Him AnothT
Thomas Bailey Aldrich. who died
March 10 at his home in Boston. was
poet singularly blessed with the good
things Of life. Early in his career he
spent three years in counting house.
where he learned business methods
Before he reached middle life he had
acquired beautiful home in Boston
and country residence through his
own efforts, and then friend died and
left him S2OO,OOO Thus Mr.. Aldrich
was left free to write as he pleased
and what he pleased, not being de-
pendent upon his pen for his bread and
butter The result was that practically
all his work was artistic.
While working as a clerk In his
uncle's counting house In his later
teens young Aldrich practiced poetry
on the side. Edmund Clarence Sted-
man, whose friendship with the poet
antedates the day Of "Babie Bell" has
related that when Aldrich's uncle, who
objected to his young assistant vast
Ing valuable time over rhymes"
learned that James T. Fields had paid
the lad SIS for poem he was dunn
founded and naively exclaimed, why
don't you send one to the laundering
fool every day?"
In 1855. when he was nineteen and
was still working for his uncle, he
brought out his first volume-a thin
duodecimo-entitled 1.-THE Bells-A Col
lection of Chimes" Like all young au
thors, Aldrfch was proud Of his first
book, and he himself has told how
when the first copy came from the
binders he dispatched 1t to the author
Of "The Autocrat at the Breakfast
Table" az II DR.. Holmes had been I'M
patiently waiting for It.
I'm return" said Mr.. Aldrich, II re-
ceived the kindest letter ever written
by celebrity to an obscurity. 1t
virtually told me not to make any
more verses unless could make bet
ter ones. It told me this, but with
such delicate frankness Of phrase that
It seemed to me "a IL the writer had
laid his hand in tender reproof upon
my shoulder, &C an elder brother might
have done"
The advice thus kindly given and ap-
preciatively taken had its due effect.
He proceeded, In fact, to show that he
could make better ones" and he did.
In 1856, before he had reached his
majority, his "Ballad Of Babe Bell and
Other Poems" was we'll received.
Mr.. Aldrich was brilliant in CONVEX
sation. Mark Twain once said:
"Aldrich can't help being witty. He
Is fire opal set round with rose Ola
monds. When he is not speaking, you
know that his dainty fancies are twin
king and glimmering within him.
When he speaks the diamonds fash.
He was always brilliant"
A man not given to miscellaneous
friendships, he was not ashamed OF
showing his affection for those he low
ed. He and Mr. Howells, for instance,
always spoke of each other as dear
dear Howells," dear Aldrich.' Ed.
win Booth was another man whom Mr..
Aldrlch came to know well and to care
for fondly Mr.. Aldrlch was always at
the theater when Mr.. Booth played In
Boston. and in the summers the actor
was often the poets guest at his coun-
try home in Lynn. One Of Mr.. AID
richs best known poems Is that in-
spired by the Sargent portrait Of Mr..
Booth that hangs in the main reading
room of the Players clubhouse In New
York 1t was, In fact, to Mr.. Aldrich's
inspiration that the club founded by
Booth owes It's name.