The National tribune., 1908-10-01

and one from his father. when he
left school his father, who was law
yer, tried to make one of him, but 1t
was no use. He wasn't very strong,
had never been able to keep up with
other boys in running, swimming or in
any physical sport or exercise requlr-
ing strength, and he didn't seem to be
fitted for any particular kind of work.
He showed some little taste for paint
ing, and from practicing with colored
chalk on the back of cheap wallpaper
he got to painting picket fences, pine
mantles, chicken coops, etc, and finally
advertisement cards. In the meantime
he had begun to scribble, got some lit
tie items of news in his home paper.
wrote some dialect pieces and read
them to his friends in the neighbor-
hood, commenced to get quite local
reputation for these verses, and ar
rived finally by the Indianapolis Jour-
nal publishing some of them and invit-
ing him to join It's staff of writer's. A
number of his dialect verses appeared
under the name of Benz. F. Johnson,
of Boone, supposed to be farmer who
knew his Bible and Watts's Hymns by
heart, and who wrote of cows, chick
ems, the woods, the fields and other
common things with which he was fa-
miliar. While Mr.. Riley took special
pains with the spelling of this farmer,
tesque, and it was some time before the
real author of these verses was discov-
cred. Mr.. Riley is very modest as re-
CARDS his work, claiming no place
among the foremost men of letters of
the country. He says he is neither
sch Elastic nor learned, his only aim
beng to be natural and true to life,
and if his simple verses have found
favor with the public it must be be-
-
simple and natural. OF all the poets
is his favorite, whose knowl
edge of the joys and sorrows, aspira-
tions and blasted hopes of humanity
was deep. and whose conscience ever
awake OF prose writers, Dickens is
his favorite. Mr.. Riley spends most of
his leisure time in reading, keeping
well up with the times In this respect,
occasionally, when he feels like it. going
off with his fishing rod and tackle for
a quiet seance with the finny tribe,
which he proceeds to lure from their
watery home by the insinuating angle
worm. His philosophy of life shines
out from most of his work, but is no.
Where made more unmistakable or
clear than by these homely lines:
when God sorts cut the weather and
sends rain,
w y tINtSt.
Or these charming lines, which show
a simple trust in Gods goodness:
For the world is full of roses, and the
roses full of dew,
And the dew is full of heavenly love
that drips for me and you"
A learned German professor says that
while unquestioned genius is more rare
ly found among women than men, there
are a greater number of women of su-
perior intellect approaching genius
there are more women loving poetry,
whose minds are filed with beautiful
poetic fancies, which they. perhaps,
cannot express, than there are poets
among men. There are more male doc
tors than female, it is true; but, OH the
other hand, there are more female
nurses who do a world of good than
there are prominent physicians. The
professor thinks that women have just
as muCn brains as men, only different,
and that while a non-intellectuai wo-
man may be a very ius woman, a nom
man is always an ass.
Which seems a little severe on his sex,
and which, of course, isn't true. Lots
of brave, honest, God-fearing men have
but a modest share of what we call
brains, but whose lives are most use
full, and who make happy those ,roand
them. highly developed state of the
intellect isn't necessary to happiness, or
worthiness, or usefulness, fort'.i.atcly,
tho it is a very good thing to have If it
can be acquired without the sacrifice of
the higher qualities of heart and spirit.