West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-12-24
NJElElMAKiNct6fr1
IA NEW YORKER
By .. HENRY.


Raggles was poet lie was
~ called tramp. but that was
only an elllptical way OF say
Ing that he was philosopher. an art
fst. traveller. a naturalist and dis.
coverer. But, most OF all. he was a
poet. In all his life he never wrote a
line OF verse. lie lived his poetry. His
Odyssey would have been a limerick
had II been written. But. TO llncer
with the primary proposition. Ragglcs
was a poet.
Raggles' speciality had he been driv-
en- to Ink and paper would have been
sonnets TO the cities. lie studied cities
as women study their reflections I'm
mirrors. as children study the glue and
sawdust OF dislocated doll. ms the
men who write about wild animals
study the cages in the zoo. A city TO
Raggles was not merely pile of bricks
and mortar peopled by a certain mum
Der or Inhabitants. II was a thing with
soul characteristic and distinct. an
Individual conglomeration OF life, with
It's own peculiar essence, flavor and
feeling. Two thousand miles to the
north and south, east and west Rag
gies wandered I'm poetic fervor. taking
the cities TO his breast He footed II
on dusty roads or sped magniicently
in freight cars. counting time rs OF no
account. And when he had found the
heart OF city and listened to it's Sc
cret confession he strayed on. restless.
to another. Fickle Ragglesl But per
haps he had not met the civic corpora
ton that could engage and hold his
critical fancy.
Through the ancient poets we have
learned that the cities are feminine.
30 they were to Poet Raggles. and his
mind carried a concrete and clear con
ception OF the figure that symbolized
and typifed each one that he had
wooed.
Chicago seemed 10 swoop down upon
him with breezy suggestion OF Mrs.
Partington. plumes and patchoull. and
to disturb his rest with soaring and
beautiful song OF future promise. But
Raggles would awake 10 n sense OF
shivering cold and haunting impress
sion OF ideals lost In n depressing aura
OF potato salad and fish.
Thus Chicago affected him. Per
haps there are vagueness and mac
curacy I'm the description. but that Is
hagyles' fault. He should have record
Cd his sensations In magazine poems.
Pfttsburg impressed him as the play
or 'Othello" performed In the Russian
language In a railroad station by Dock.
staders minstrels. A royal and gen.
erous lady this Plttsburg. though.
hAn rfx e..
washing the dishes IN n silk dress and
white kid slippers and bidding Rag
gies sit before the soaring fireplace and
drink champagne with his pigs feet
and fried potatoes.
New Orleans had simply gazed down
upon him from a balcony. He could
see her pensive. starry eyes and catch
the fiutter OF her fan, and that was all.
Only once he came face to face with
her. IL was Mt dawn. when she was
Gushing the red bricks Of the ban
quette with n pail Of water She
laughed and hummed chansonnette
and Allied Raggles' shoes with ice cold
water. Allons!
Boston construed herself to the poetic
Rnggles In an erratic and singular
way. II seemed 10 him that he had
drunk cold tea and that the city was
q white. cold cloth that had been botind
tightly around his brow to spur him
TO some unknown but tremendous men
tai effort And, after all, he came TO
shovel snow for a livelihood, and the
cloth. becoming wet, tightened its knots
and could not be removed.
Indefinite and unintelllgible ideas.
you will say. but your dlsapprobation
should be tempered with gratitude. for
these are poets fancles-and suppose
you had come upon them in verse.
One day RaggDes came and laid siege
to the heart OF the great city of Man
haitian. She was the greatest Of all.
and he wanted 10 learn her note I'm the
scale, to taste and appraise and classi-
~ and solve and label her and ar
range her with the other cities that
had given him up the secret Of their
individuality. And here we cease to
be Raggles' translator and become his
chronicler.
Rsggles landed from n ferryboat one
morning and walked into the core OF
the town with the blase air OF n cos
shORVAAAEs Alt was uIthhtu HlIn fuIe
TO plGy the role of an unidentified
man." No country, race, class. clique,
union. party, clan or bowling asso-
citation could have claimed him His
clothing. which had been donated TO
him piecemeal by citizens OF different
height. but same number OF inches
around the heart, was not yet ns un-
comfortable to bis figure as those speci-
mems OF ralmeDt. self measured that
are railroaded TO you by transconti-
mental tailors with suit case. suspend
ers, silk handkerchief and pearl studs
ss a bonus. Without money. as
poet should be. but with the ardor OF
en astronomer discovering n new star
In the chorus OF the Milky way or a
man who has seen Ink suddenly flow
from his fountain pen, Raggles wan
dered into the great city.
Late in the afternoon he drew ont OF
the roar and commotion with look
Of dumb terror on his countenance.
He was defeated, puzzled. discounted.
frightened Other cities had boon TO
him as long primer 10 read, AZ country
maidens quickly to fathom. rs send
price OF subscription with answer re-
buses 20 solve, as oyster cocktails 10
swallow, but here was one as cold.
glittering. serene, impossible as n four
carat diamond In a window TO n lover
outside lingering dampiy In his pocket
hts ribbon counter salary
The greetings OF the other cities he
had known-their homespun kindH-
ness. their human Ramut OF rough
charity, friendly curses. garrulous cu-
riosity and easily estimated credulity
OF indifference. This city OF Manhat
tan gave him no cIew. 10 was walled
against him. Like river Of adamant.
n flowed past him in the streets Never