The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-12-11
ssTORlE5f RANQUS
5 Poems @>
There Is No Death.
BIZ j. L. McCREERY.
No 6.
There Is No Death. y
By ]. L. MccREERY.

the letter I'm" in the name was
changed 10 ''w'' and the poem ap-
peared over the name OF Z. Bulwer.
And thus it was that the world
came into the possession Of a poem
by Sir Edward Bulwar-Lytton
through earelessness and unbe-
known to the English litterateur.
The name Of Bulwar attached gave
to the poem an immediate noteriety,
and in a very short time it was be-
ing copied all over the country. and
from American journals was recop-
led in England. Ireland. Scotland.
Wales, and Australia, and probably
every other country where the
English language is known.
Its merit was recognized, and It
began to appear in school books and
in various collections of poetry. and
all this time the author stood silent
ly by and saw his words credited to
Lord Lytton. Whenever an oppOr-
tunity offered. however, he asserted
his title to the poem, and although
the public received his statements
incredulously. yet his claims called
for an investigation.
In the year 1870 Harper & Broth
ers included the poem in one of their
school readers, acerediting II TO Bull
wer-Lytton. When the author dis
covered it, he called the attention
of the publishers 10 the mistake, and
in order to thoroughly satisfy them
selves Of the error, they addressed
a letter to Owen Meredith, the son
OF Lord Lytton. asking whether or
not his father had written the poem.
In reply he stated that his father
had not written it. and moreover.
neither he nor any OF his family had
ever heard of 1t.
Upon the receipt of this letter.
Harper & Brothers wrote to Mr..
McCreery as follows:
An order was sent to-day to
change the plates Of our school
reader by announcing you as the
author of There Is No Death" I
am glad that l have secured you
your just dues" This letter was
dated October 10, 1874. From this
time on the poem was properly cred
tied in established publications, but
it went wandering about for many
years afterward with the name OF
T. Bulwer attached.
AS 10 the writing OF the poem, Mr..
| McCreery says that one winters
night, early in the year 1853. as be
was riding home in the clear star
/ light, the theme of the poem sug-
gested itself TO him, and before he
had finished his journey the first
stanza had been evolved in his
mind With this as an inspiration.
he worked on the poem at odd mo-
ments during the next succeeding
weeks until ii was completed. The
lines printed above are those or
the poem as originally written. In
llSS3 Mr.. McCreery published a new
volume of his poems. among which
was There II No Death" which he
had revised in the meantime, max
ing so many changes that it might
well be regarded as different
poem. In the revised poem there
are sixteen verses. instead of ten.
as IN the original.
John l. McCreery was born IN
Monroe County, New York. on the
last day of the year. 1885. His father
was a poor Methodist minister.
whose meager income was barely
sufficient for the support Of his
family, and the early life OF the
poet was consequently one of many
hardships and privations. The
greater part of his education was
gained from borrowed hooks. which
he would study by the light Of a
pine knot while lying on his back
before the fireplace, or at intervals
during the working hours of the
day.
In his seventeenth year Mccreery
removed 10 Illinois, where his con-
tinued feebleness of health and
growing literary tastes impelled
him before long TO forsake the pillow
for the pen. He began at the foot
of the ladder by learning the print
er's trade. but through his efforts
and abilities he rapidly rose TO
more important callings, and was
soon filling the position OF assist
ant editor OF a country newspaper.
When he was twenty-one years of
age he went 10 Iowa and finally
became local editor of the Dubuque
Times. Here he remained for a
number of years and finally re-
moved to Washington in 1873.