Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-10
Watson Says The Asq1tths INSPIRED
"WOman With the Serbents TONGUE

her evidently superior knowledge, and
did not carry the subject any further.
She told a story about Alfred Austin,
very amusing story, and very clever
J ~ put together; but il contained one
quite demonstrable lie. 1t was very
spiteful and unnecessary to repeat here,
but ii led up to remark of hers which
thought was not quite felicitous as
addressed to me:
Don't you think that when he is
gone the laureateship should be abolish
ed?'
II said, with some emphasis: oh
yes, indeed I do 1 think 1T is a gro
tesque anachronism, and I think thu
sooner you. abolish it the better even
for the dignity of literature ITSELF so
think she did not get much change
out of me on that subject.
I'VE talked about various other mat
ters, and I was glad when she spoke
of literary subjects only, because her in
telligence and acuteness are certainly
very considerable. She finally asked me
to write some verses of my own in her
manuscript book. wrote one of my own
lyrics and apologized for being unable
at the moment to call to mind anything
which had not yet been published.
cat last Mrs. Asquith came in and
took us up to the drawing room. Mrs.
tremulous state, talked to me-with In
tervals of listening TO me-until / looked
at my wach and found to my surprise
that il was a quarter to Z; so l took my
departure. I walked from Downing
street to the Devonshire club. Along the
way / improvised a quatrain To the
Memory of the Late Sir Henry Campbell
Bannerman,' which ran thus:
" This was an honest man, who spoke
the truth,
The hated truth, whether men heard
or no.
He stood for Honor, Justice, Courage,
Truth;
He's gone-and they, too, 60
1T wrote to Miss Asquith in the club
lreiterating my apology for not having
been able to write in her book anything
previously unpublished, but saying that
on my return from 10 Downing street
II had improvised a little tribute to the
memory of the late Sir Henry Camp
bell-Bannerman, that great-hearted
man., 1 said, whose mere phrase,
methods Of barbarism," did so much
to waken the drugged conscience of
Endgland.' I added: L shall be de-
lighted to write it in your book, If you
ever care to give me the opportunity
at posted the letter and the quatrain
! to her very late that night, and she GER
tainly would not receive it until the fol-
lowing morning. Within, should think.
a couple of hours of it's delivery / re-
ceived, to my great astonishment-for
thought had flung the most unforgiv-
able insult at this family-a letter from
Mrs. Asquith herself. in which she said:
MRS. ASQUITHS FRIENDLY REPLY.
; 10 Downing street, Whitehall, S. W.,
23d June. 1909.
Dear Mr.. Watson: 1t will give my
Violet enormous pleasure, 1 am sure,
if you will write this for her.
What 1 want you to do is to copy
for me your favorite lines on Words
worths grave and on another piece of
paper some of Wordsworth's own
lines that give you the most pleasure.
will be infinitely grateful. Haste.
Yours sincerely,
MARGOT ASQUITH.
"She sent the letter by hand to the
Devonshire club, apparently wishing that
II should reach me without any avoidable
delay. did not reply until at least three