New-York tribune., 1907-12-29

little effort TO the Sage Of Concord. as Lowell
had done and extracts from il went the rounds
of the press getting into book on rhetoric, and
the article was even credited TO Emerson by
Poole himself in his famous index TO Periodical
Literature
Here I said to myself this won't do. You
must get the Emerson musk out Of your clothes
and be nothing hereafter but John Burroughs
So one winter, having failed 10 find school,
began to write on things I knew about
stone fences haying, chickens and other homeiy
subjects The editor of The New York Leader
q Tammany newspaper printed my articles out
said he couldn't afford TO pay for them NOT
long ago one of the nature fakers' at Whon
had cast a dart two, quoted me on hichins
COWS. and added that by my own confession
had once brought such a cow to her knees py
.,-,,,,pe- ber on the head with milking stool
I took the trail backward. through DOCKS poeiiis
and ESSAYS. and far distant in the faded past
I found those Leader articles My crliic ii@u
+o,d the truth. The cid COW. you see, after
forty-seven years. is still kicking But
,,oudnt rlse a stool on her now
FRIENDSHIP WITH WALT WHITMAN.
.-1.o,v did Won make the acquaintance of Walt
Whitman"
.sAfv merchant friend walked UP TO Wait on
t7a,psvl,,ania avenue in Washington and said
that q country boy in whom he was Interested
wanted TO meet him. Late one afternoon " 11'
came to tie store Of my friend "here "a"
waiting. / knew him at once he was hhe iio
one else six-footer and more. ana very
leis,Irely and rolling in his walk Long nan
"a hoard Face as clear a ciild's- Shirt
oner AZ the neck Gray clothing l wanted
- ,e1r literature but he questioned me about
my experience in the country and other com
rnonplace matters
.syye often met after that and became frlends'
7 had 2 house and half acre of land near the
CapitoI and kept a cow and some cnlckehs-
Thus 7 neutraIized the mahogany atmosphere
of nv official life Walt usually came on sun
dow rnorning for breakfast. He was always
late Mrs. Burroughs is punctual TO the MIN
ME and goes to church. 1 would wait for the
,intlinr hell of the horsecar, and by and by
Walt would roll off the back platform ana
.1o,r,v stroll to the house. He so fresh
.,d ,,bolesonoe with flower in the buttonhole
,e ,,;s gray coat and radiated much personal
charm and sunlight. that Mrs Burroughs for
,-o+ bie tsrdiness After breakfast she would
po 70 church and Walt end would talk until
her return. Sometimes we sat on the steps OF
the Capitol through the hours OF summer
evening until midnight.
MY acquaintance with Walt was the most
ir,nortant event in my life L expanded under
his influence because of his fine nberality and
humanity on all subjects. ] wrote a little book
wake Robin was my second. when l come to
think about jt-wfich 7 called Walt Whitman,
as Poet and Person It was printed at my
own expense which was some $500, but 1t
created no stir sold few copies and gave
the rest away They have all been swallowed
nm and / haven't one that Is complete myself
Prejudice against Walt was exceedingly bitter
ar that time But now respectable literary men
do mt attack him They do as L did-feed
,,non his sweet pastures and let his thistles
alone IT is difficult to hit upon suitable titles
for hooks / went to Walt with 'Wake-Robin
and several other names written on paper.
...What does wake-robin mean?' he asked.
"Tt's spring flower I replied
Then that is exactly the namc you want
"Although I accepted his choice, was in con-
siderable doubt.
Had you any practical knowledge OF fruit
culture when you bought your little farm?"
THEODORE R0osEvELT's FRIEND.
mo: ] was simply cropping about for a saIe
means by which to live Public office, Knew
,vo,,ldn't last forever. I planted peaches at
6rst and made money. but they are doubtful
cron So .put out fourteen acres Of Catawoa
pvfir are