The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-12-11
SHOES, AND The FITTING OF
THEM,

To an American, that little passage
at arms between William Watson and
Richard LeGallienne, English poets, is
to the last degree amusing. Mr.. Watson
published a book Of verse. in which was
included one poem that seems to contain
evil only for those who think it directed
at them. And it raised such a storm in
London that people forgot the fog. Here
is the offending effort:
She is not old. she is not young,
| The Woman with the SerpenTs Tongue,
The haggard cheek, the hungeIing eye
/ The poisoned words that wildly lily,
| The famished face, the feVered hand
| Who Sights the worthiest in the land,
SneeFs at the just, condemns the brave
And blackens goodness in its grave.
In truthful numbers be she sung,
1 The Woman with The Serpent's Tongue;
| Concerning whom, Fame hints at things
Told but in shrugs and whisperings;
Ambitious from her natal hour,
and Echeming all her life for power;
With little left of Seemly pride;
With venOmed fangs she cannot hide;
Who half makes love to you today,
Tomorrow gives her guest away.
Burnt up within by that strange soul
She cannot slake, or yet control;
Malignant lippd, unkind, unsWeet;
Past all example indiscreet:
Hectic. and always Overstrung-
The Woman with the Serpents Tongue.
To think that such as she can mar
Names that among the nObleSt are!
That hands like hers can touch the
springs
That move who knows what men and
That on her will their fates have
The Woman with the serpent's Tongue.
The general consensus of opinion was
to the erect that Lady Asquith, wife of
the British premier, was the person
aimed at; and there was so much cor
roboration for that clue from people who
knew her that she is by general consent
recognized over the entire United King
dom as 1.-THE Lady with the Serpents
Tongue"
And now Mr. LeGallienne takes up the
pen in her behalf. It viii be admitted
he writes with something of a dagger,
too. Read him;
| His country! So it was to save
England he crossed the wireless wave!
] Patriot indeed, who runs away
Because he needs the sea to say
| The words he feared to say on land.
/ Is England in so bad plight
/ She needs a man like this to fight
Her battle; one who takes the hand
OF fair hostess on day
And prints the words of yesterday?
l o, altar of the Sacred Muse
Shall English women thus bear shame
/ To give an English poet fame?
/ There is a man who sings the song
/ OF England in such living words
/ They thrill along the waiting wires
/ And make the world forget the birds.
/ He with his iron English pen
| Has written the strong code of men
! His meter will not march with mine,
/ So I must place his mighty line
/ AS fOOtnOte to q fleeing song.
| All He is 'England's man today!
/ He who Joined hands Of east and west
| And made the wide world unders tand
/ England is England all the way!
ENVOI.
/ If English statesmen have done wrong
! Hit at them in the hardest songi
/ And should their women not do right
/ Then call their menfOlk out to fight.
/ That is the fair and ancient way
/ But do not, in a teacup song
/ Say Woman with the Serpents
Tongue"
The lady in the case-if it be the wife
of the premier-is admittedly ambitious
And there is much in contemporary
/ London print to confirm the Watson
| characterization of her, in even the most
| offending particulars.
But that the plain speech of one poet
| could so disturb the ordinarily calm
Briton is remarkable; and that the reply
of another poet could be accepted as a
/ breaking Of lances in her defense, and
so rewarded by London Society" is
even more interesting.
What viii be the end of it, as to the
battle of the poets, no one knows. But
as to the activity of THE Lady with
the Serpent's Tongue" and her name is
legion, we fancy it viii have a correc-
tive and very welcome effect.